Why does the microwave crack and spark

The microwave today occupies an honorable first place among kitchen appliances. And this is not at all surprising, because with the help of a microwave oven you can both heat and defrost, and prepare various dishes. But more often than not, we warm it up in it. In a matter of minutes, you can warm up a good bowl of soup or pasta with grated cheese on top. In short, a useful thing is a microwave.

According to legend, the inventor of the microwave, American engineer Percy Spencer, working in his forties with magnetrons for radars, once noticed how, during one of the experiments, the microwave radiation of the magnetron so heated the chocolate in his pocket that the chocolate melted and burned Spencer.

So Spencer came up with the idea of ​​creating a microwave oven, and already in 1947 the first Radarange microwave designed to defrost food in soldiers' canteens saw the light of day. This first microwave was human height, weighed 340 kg, had a power of 3 kW, and cost $ 3,000 in 1949.

Today, a compact and powerful microwave in the kitchen will not surprise anyone. However, like all household electrical appliances, and the microwave is not alien to the malfunction. A typical malfunction is described by the following phrase: "the microwave is cracking and sparking." This forces the owner of the device to drag it to the service, spend money on repairs, etc. It is not enough pleasant.

But why is the microwave cracking and sparking? Can this fault be fixed on my own? To answer this question, let's look at the probable causes of sparking, and try to understand what can be done about it. So, there may be three reasons:

• Metal or metal coated dishes in the microwave;

• The enameled coating of the microwave chamber is broken;

• Cracked mica plate.

In the first case, simply remove the unsuitable dishes from the microwave, for example, these dishes may be a metal plate, or a plate or cup with a pattern on the edge, which is just made with a paint containing metal.

Spoons and forks also do not need to be put in the microwave, for example, a spoon left in a plate with heated food or a fork will easily cause sparks. Conclusion - we remove the metal appliance from the microwave, and we heat the food in a bowl without metal elements.

In the second case, if the enamel coating inside the microwave chamber is broken, it is enough to purchase a suitable enamel and gloss over the exposed areas inside the chamber. In fairness, we note that the lack of regular washing of the microwave from the inside leads to a violation of the enamel coating of the chamber. Fat accumulates on the walls, grease stains form, and sufficiently strong contaminants of this kind are quite capable of damaging the enamel during microwave operation, of course sparks occur.

And finally, the third reason is mica. In the microwave there is a mica plate that separates the space of the microwave chamber from the compartment where the magnetron is installed. So, the mica plate in the microwave is installed in order to prevent contamination of the high voltage magnetron. Mica is a dielectric, and it perfectly passes microwave radiation through itself, like a window that transmits light, but does not allow air and various objects to enter the room. So it is here.

If the mica plate is contaminated with fat, pieces of food, etc., then of course, the plate will overheat, sparks and crackle will appear, as a result, the plate will break, crack. If this process is started, then the magnetron will also burn out, and it is quite expensive, therefore it is better to prevent the situation from aggravating, and just replace the broken mica plate in time.

So, you have detected a mica plate breakage. Two options are possible here. The first is to take the microwave to a service where the plate will be replaced. The second is to fix the problem yourself by buying mica, cutting out a plate, and setting it in place of a broken one.

If you decide to replace the mica plate yourself, then the first thing you need to buy it. Mica is sold both on the Internet and in some electrical stores. If the purchased mica is slightly larger than your plate, you just need to cut a piece of a suitable size.

Remove the broken plate from the microwave; it can be fastened with screws or latches. Attach the broken plate as a template to the purchased mica. Mark up the mica. Cut out a new part with a clerical cutter. Holes can be drilled or punched. Work the edges with fine sandpaper. The plate is ready.

Place it in the microwave in place of the broken plate, having previously cleaned the installation site from contamination, and check, say, by heating a glass of water. If nothing is cracking now, then the problem is solved.

If you decide to use the services of the service, then there is nothing reprehensible in this, professionals will do everything efficiently and reliably. However, it is not always necessary to complicate everything, because sometimes the problem is easily and quickly solved by one’s own hands.

See also on this topic: Frequent malfunctions of microwaves and how to solve them