Microwave oven repairs

[NQ6U]

Our microwave oven crapped out this morning. The symptoms are that it will start up, cook for a few seconds, then shut off. I could smell ozone from something arcing so I opened it up on the bench, ran it and saw where the problem is—the large transformer on the inverter board:

http://www.RCappliancepartsimages.com/dbImages/00003596/01081680.jpg

The arcing seems to be happening mostly on the underside of the transformer, in the area closest to the bottom of the photo. I guess that the insulation on the windings has broken down? Anyhow, the best price I can find for the inverter board is $98 plus shipping, which is about what we paid for the damned thing.

I wondered if cleaning the windings then painting or soaking them with some sort of insulating varnish might work but that could just be wishful thinking. Anybody got any suggestions that might help bring the thing back to life? Or should I just go and buy a new oven?

[NA4BH]

Hello.

If you take a Motorola ......................

[NQ6U]

Hello.

If you take a Motorola ......................

Hello.

The APU from my Bell 47 won't work?
How am I going to heat my tacos?

[kc7jty]

I think those brown things are hot dogs. The little houres d'oveurs jobbies.

[kc7jty]

Hello.

The APU from my Bell 47 won't work?
How am I going to heat my tacos?
methane

[KG4CGC]

You guys are killing me!
Several years ago we had a $39 special from the evil empire. Worked fine until someone put a metal lined plastic cup in it. Took over a week to get the smell out of the house.
Recently, I had a small amount a water and olive oil in a glass bowl that I placed in our stainless steel microwave that I researched diligently before purchase. At about 45 seconds the mixture f****** exploded. The oven shutdown. Unplugged it and it reset and all was fine.
Do you know how many times I've done the exact same thing without incident?

[NA4BH]

You guys are killing me!

Do you know how many times I've done the exact same thing without incident?

Three? Just a guess

[w6tmi]

Three? Just a guess

I'mma guess 16.

do we win sumtin?

[KG4CGC]

:rofl::rofl::clap:

[kc7jty]

You can thaw those 12 oz frozen cans of orange juice concentrate with the metal lid on both ends without any problems.

[rot]

The last one we had I used to do the power check measuring the temp change of a known vol of water and running 1 min at 100%.
Pretty simple to do and at gave me a little heads up on the impending doom. Probably does not cover all scenarios of crapping out, and it didn't go to full death, but we transitioned a new one in without to much pain. I think the old one is in the barn with a bird's nest in it, so life goes on.
rot

[W3MIV]

Ainchu happy you came for some adwice, Carlo?

[ki4itv]

I think those brown things are hot dogs. The little houres d'oveurs jobbies.

Ahh, little smokies! Yes, they're placed on the board to hold the smoke when the unit is not in use.
We all know what happens when you let the smoke out. The Microwave becomes a toaster.

[ki4itv]

Ainchu happy you came for some adwice, Carlo?

heheh...Yep, the food is usually salty, but, there is almost always food there.

[W3WN]

Go buy a new one. You'll get a more energy efficient unit, and the cost will probably be less than the cost of parts. And that's not even figuring in the value of your time.

We had a microwave that was close to 20 years old in the kitchen. When it died, I got a replacement at Home De$pot for about $50.

[NQ6U]

Ainchu happy you came for some adwice, Carlo?

I think I'll invoke my fifth amendment rights against self-incrimination on this one, Albi.

[NQ6U]

Go buy a new one. You'll get a more energy efficient unit, and the cost will probably be less than the cost of parts. And that's not even figuring in the value of your time.

We had a microwave that was close to 20 years old in the kitchen. When it died, I got a replacement at Home De$pot for about $50.

This one is only about five years old, seems as if it should have lasted longer. But you're right about the cost of a new unit compaired to the cost of the part. We bought this one on sale for around $80 and the best price I could find on the inverter was $98.

[kc7jty]

I paid $50 for my Emerson 8 yrs ago. Works fine, & has a turntable, good size, and does all the trick crap.
Was popping the 15 amp breaker with it every other month till I replaced the breaker in the main panel. Never a problem since.

[n2ize]

This one is only about five years old, seems as if it should have lasted longer. But you're right about the cost of a new unit compaired to the cost of the part. We bought this one on sale for around $80 and the best price I could find on the inverter was $98.

That transformer looks like it can be rewound pretty easily. Otherwise you might as well reef the old one and and buy a new one.

[KG4CGC]

Get a new microwave and take your time repairing the old one. Then make a CB microwave cooking video and post it on You Tube. Not an original idea but what if you filled the CB with popcorn?

[kb2vxa]

"You have to put food IN it first?"
Kate Bundy

[W7XF]

What frequency is the magnetron set for????

[NQ6U]

What frequency is the magnetron set for????

I dunno. My old HP frequency counter only goes up to 500MHz.

[W7XF]

Should be on the back of the oven. If it is within a ham band...... :)

[NQ6U]

Should be on the back of the oven. If it is within a ham band...... :)

Yeah, I thought of that but I'd have to get the inverter power supply working to do it and if I could do that, then I'd keep the oven.

EDIT: Can't find the frequency on it anywhere.

[kc7jty]

Bootleg oven broadcasts. Now I'm getting interested.

[NQ6U]

Bootleg oven broadcasts. Now I'm getting interested.

What do you think the "O" in QSO stands for? Right—"oven." The "M" in QRM stands for "microwave."

[n2ize]

If I am not mistaken I believe that modern day microwave ovens operate in the 2.4 - 2.5 Ghz range.

[N5RLR]

2450 MHz. [2,450,000.000 Kc. for y'all's in 4-land :stirpot:] on the ones I've seen.

[w2amr]

Hello.

If you take a Motorola ......................
Haw! You beat me to it.