Hello,
We've been in our present home for a little
over a year and have a built-in microwave.

A few of us get headaches when standing around
with the microwave oven turned on.

Is there an effective way to check if there
is an emf leak?

I'm hearing these detectors can be bogus.

Please advice.

Thanks,
C

(curious) wrote in
om:



A few of us get headaches when standing around
with the microwave oven turned on.

Most likely the fan noise.

Is there an effective way to check if there
is an emf leak?


You can always perform a visual check. The wavelength of most microwave
ovens is 12cm (2450 MHz microwave frequency). No radiation will pass
through any hole smaller 1/2 wavelenght in size (6cm), so all you need to
do is check for any holes that exceed that size.

In practical terms, check if the window screen has been visibly damaged,
and check that the door isn't warped or bent and that it closes completely.
A gap large enough to leak microwave radiation is going to be very obvious.

I'm hearing these detectors can be bogus.

AFAIK,they do the job just fine. They are bogus in one sense -- they are
testing for something that is very unlikely to happen without other
indicators of a problem. Something like buying a rain guage for use in the
Sahara desert.

Old Fangled wrote in message ...
(curious) wrote in
om:



A few of us get headaches when standing around
with the microwave oven turned on.

Most likely the fan noise.

Is there an effective way to check if there
is an emf leak?


You can always perform a visual check. The wavelength of most microwave
ovens is 12cm (2450 MHz microwave frequency). No radiation will pass
through any hole smaller 1/2 wavelenght in size (6cm), so all you need to
do is check for any holes that exceed that size.

In practical terms, check if the window screen has been visibly damaged,
and check that the door isn't warped or bent and that it closes completely.
A gap large enough to leak microwave radiation is going to be very obvious.

I'm hearing these detectors can be bogus.

AFAIK,they do the job just fine. They are bogus in one sense -- they are
testing for something that is very unlikely to happen without other
indicators of a problem. Something like buying a rain guage for use in the
Sahara desert.

You will find that a 6cm hole will let ALL the waves out. Notice that
all the protective screens around the MW box are about 1/8 of an inch.
I really doubt that the MW is giving you headaches. I assume that you
are not standing there with your skull against the device. The farther
away from the MW that you are, the concentration of even leaky waves
is greatly reduced.
For a gross check you can take a small transistor radio and run it
around the door opening and other openings in the back and sides.
Expect to hear some static and don't be alarmed at that. However, if
you find one particular area where the static level really shoots up
this may be an area of concern. And I stress MAY be a concern.
Generally, if a machine has not been dropped, repaired, or the door
real loose, there should be no problem.
Leakage? I can tell you there is some. It's a matter of degree. This
is why folks with pacemakers are cautioned not to be near MW devices
in operation.

I have a detector from lessemf.com that does the job fairly well. I
would NOT recommend standing NEXT to any microwave while it is on..
however standing at a distance of 4 - 5 feet you should be safe.


Al Bundy wrote:

Old Fangled wrote in message ...

(curious) wrote in
.com:




A few of us get headaches when standing around
with the microwave oven turned on.

Most likely the fan noise.


Is there an effective way to check if there
is an emf leak?


You can always perform a visual check. The wavelength of most microwave
ovens is 12cm (2450 MHz microwave frequency). No radiation will pass
through any hole smaller 1/2 wavelenght in size (6cm), so all you need to
do is check for any holes that exceed that size.

In practical terms, check if the window screen has been visibly damaged,
and check that the door isn't warped or bent and that it closes completely.
A gap large enough to leak microwave radiation is going to be very obvious.


I'm hearing these detectors can be bogus.

AFAIK,they do the job just fine. They are bogus in one sense -- they are
testing for something that is very unlikely to happen without other
indicators of a problem. Something like buying a rain guage for use in the
Sahara desert.


You will find that a 6cm hole will let ALL the waves out. Notice that
all the protective screens around the MW box are about 1/8 of an inch.
I really doubt that the MW is giving you headaches. I assume that you
are not standing there with your skull against the device. The farther
away from the MW that you are, the concentration of even leaky waves
is greatly reduced.
For a gross check you can take a small transistor radio and run it
around the door opening and other openings in the back and sides.
Expect to hear some static and don't be alarmed at that. However, if
you find one particular area where the static level really shoots up
this may be an area of concern. And I stress MAY be a concern.
Generally, if a machine has not been dropped, repaired, or the door
real loose, there should be no problem.
Leakage? I can tell you there is some. It's a matter of degree. This
is why folks with pacemakers are cautioned not to be near MW devices
in operation.