[Nik333]

I cooked a turkey breast in a little GE microwave. I had only been there a few days, so don't know how well the microwave worked, but then PAUSE wouldn't work or the fan would stay on with the light. I unplugged it. There was a plastic turkey pop-up thermometer in the meat. I've never seen that except in a whole turkey. I read that it has a soft metal in it. Could I have broken the microwave?:surprise: I can't find any answer on the Internet as to whether it is microwavable or not.

 

[123pugsy]

My microwave has a fuse but need to take the cover off to access it.

 

[Nik333]

If the fuse blew, wouldn't everything go out? It still works, just weirdly :}

 

[123pugsy]

If the fuse blew, wouldn't everything go out? It still works, just weirdly :}

No idea. It's been a while since it died and I don't remember the symptoms.
Doesn't cost anything to check.
Just be sure not to touch anything inside even if it's unplugged. Not sure if any components hold juice like a television set does.

 

[dmxtothemax]

Please elaborate on your comment
"it still operates, but weirdly" ?

Please do NOT open up the microwave
They are highly dangerous.
With voltages up to 4000v
At high currents.
The mother of all belts!

 

[Nik333]

All I remember is that the PAUSE button didn't work and the fan and light would stay on...permanently, as far as I know. There may have been other problems when pushing the touch buttons but it was enough to make me unplug it. I'm no expert, obviously, but I assume the fan is to cool it, so if the fan stays on...
Plus, I couldn't really tell when it was running because of the fan noise.

Do you mean that that much current remains after it is unplugged?

I would like to know if I may have damaged it with the turkey thermometer pop-up. It's not my microwave.

 

[Nik333]

The turkey pop-up thermometer has soft metal in it, if I wasn't clear. I only plugged the microwave back in once then gave up when it had the same problems. Oh, just remembered that the microwave had "weird", haha, metallic sounds while operating. I'm not joking about the danger of a microwave - I think my mother may have gotten cancer from an old one with a loose door. Right at the level of the microwave. This was thirty yrs ago.

 

[Msradell]

It's not very likely that the small amount of metal in the pop-up thermometer on the turkey would cause any kind of problem to the microwave. It was going to do anything you would've seen arcing inside of the chamber from the metal. Did you see or hear that? You probably would all season burn marks on the inside surfaces of the microwave if you had arcing.

Have you tried plugging it back in and seeing what it does? That would certainly be my 1st step. Just put some water in a bowl inside and try to heat it up and see what happens. If that doesn't work, your best bet is to probably call a service man for this type of microwave it is and have them take a look at it.

 

[Nik333]

Yes. Unplugged it, then later plugged it back in, heated coffee and it did the same stuff. No arcing or burnt marks. The microwave is small and inexpensive. A service call would probably cost more than a new one. I do feel less responsible, though, thanks :}

 

[BigJimmy]

Is it a microwave or a science-oven?

 

[Nik333]

Sorry, was that a joke?

 

[Nik333]

Okay, looked up the reference. I never saw American Hustle. If you mean the microwave that I think helped to kill my mother.... this was actually 35 yrs ago when microwaves were more primitive, I was wrong regarding the date. The microwave had a dent in the door where you could actually see the light from inside. It does produce a magnetic field and we still know so little about so many things. She was a wonderful cook and just warmed things up in the microwave. The open area was right at the same level of her mouth and neck that developed cancer. I have only two BSs and only 31 yrs as an RN including Oncology, but I'd like to hear about the research studies that show definitively that thousands of exposures to an open microwave can't cause cancer. ???? She didn't smoke or drink. I'm used to rough Construction humor, grew up with it, but this is kinda harsh. Or did I misunderstand?

 

[Jump-start]

Id guess bad electronic control or hung up interlock switches.

 

[md2lgyk]

Please do NOT open up the microwave
They are highly dangerous.
With voltages up to 4000v
At high currents.
The mother of all belts!

That's the truth for sure. Years ago, when I was an Electronics Technician in the Navy, I took a 2500-volt jolt while troubleshooting a radio transmitter. Fortunately, it just went from one side of my hand to the other rather than through my body. Left a small burn mark where it entered and exited.

 

[Nik333]

md2lgyk- wow that's half of what they would use for an electric fence for a coyote with fur! Glad you are okay. Burns are awful as is electrocution.
We call a defibrillator setting at 200 joules a "charge" but I guess it isn't technically. That's less energy but it's directly next to the heart with a conduction gel. Volts = joule/coulomb. I have a lot to learn I had no idea that the microwave was so powerful. I knew I didn't like them for a reason! :}

 

[md2lgyk]

md2lgyk- wow that's half of what they would use for an electric fence for a coyote with fur! Glad you are okay. Burns are awful as is electrocution.
We call a defibrillator setting at 200 joules a "charge" but I guess it isn't technically. That's less energy but it's directly next to the heart with a conduction gel. Volts = joule/coulomb. I have a lot to learn I had no idea that the microwave was so powerful. I knew I didn't like them for a reason! :}

Thanks. I got that jolt a long time ago - like maybe 1968. Was the only one I ever got in my 24-year military career. I've also been doing DIY electrical (and other things) on houses I've owned for nearly 40 years, and have gotten a few 120VAC jolts along the way. Those are fairly benign. Though I wouldn't recommend it to anyone, I often work on my home's electrical while it's energized. Sometimes it's just easier to do it that way. That's heresy to the pros, but then, I'm not a pro (not a pro electrician anyway).