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March 28, 2012 11:32 AM Subscribe
How do you know when it's time for a new microwave?
I've wondered this for years. The microwave we have is genuinely ancient. As far as I know it's safe -- but how can you tell? Are they all always safe until they just no longer work at all? When and how do people decide to replace these things?
I've wondered this for years. The microwave we have is genuinely ancient. As far as I know it's safe -- but how can you tell? Are they all always safe until they just no longer work at all? When and how do people decide to replace these things?
I don't think I've ever replaced a microwave until it had stopped working. But then again, I've also never had a microwave made prior to 1990, so how ancient is ancient, exactly?
posted by griphus at 11:35 AM on March 28, 2012
posted by griphus at 11:35 AM on March 28, 2012
Best answer: Well, I'd consider leakage the most plausible "threat" from an older microwave. But it is probably still a very, very, very small and unlikely threat.
Dirt, mechanical abuse and everyday wear and tear can eventually reduce the effectiveness of the door seals, thus increasing leakage. If you're concerned about emissions from an older oven, you can purchase leakage sensors at many hardware and home improvement stores or online. Keeping the seals on the oven and door clean, as well as opening and closing the door gently, will help keep your oven safe to use.
From the Straight Dope article on microwaves
posted by OnTheLastCastle at 11:37 AM on March 28, 2012
Dirt, mechanical abuse and everyday wear and tear can eventually reduce the effectiveness of the door seals, thus increasing leakage. If you're concerned about emissions from an older oven, you can purchase leakage sensors at many hardware and home improvement stores or online. Keeping the seals on the oven and door clean, as well as opening and closing the door gently, will help keep your oven safe to use.
From the Straight Dope article on microwaves
posted by OnTheLastCastle at 11:37 AM on March 28, 2012
Response by poster: We've had it for a decade, and my wife's parents had it for (at least) a decade before that.
posted by gerryblog at 11:37 AM on March 28, 2012
posted by gerryblog at 11:37 AM on March 28, 2012
You deserve a new microwave, friend.
posted by OnTheLastCastle at 11:39 AM on March 28, 2012 [7 favorites]
posted by OnTheLastCastle at 11:39 AM on March 28, 2012 [7 favorites]
If the magnetron is still functioning properly, they can last a long time. There is some info in these other threads.
posted by mattbucher at 11:45 AM on March 28, 2012
posted by mattbucher at 11:45 AM on March 28, 2012
Best answer: You can get a good new microwave for < $100 these days. Even if the one you have works; it's at least 20 years old, and if you're asking yourself if you should get a new one than you probably should.
It would probably be more expensive to get a radiation leak/test kit than it would be to just get a new microwave.
posted by tckma at 11:47 AM on March 28, 2012
It would probably be more expensive to get a radiation leak/test kit than it would be to just get a new microwave.
posted by tckma at 11:47 AM on March 28, 2012
Keep in mind that the radiation from a microwave oven is, well, microwaves -- that is, radio waves. Not ionizing radiation, which is what you usually think of when you hear the word "radiation."
Now it's not good for a microwave oven to leak too much radio-frequency energy, but that's because it could heat things up and set them on fire. It could in theory heat up you, but you're rather likely to notice that.
More commonly, the problem is that the oven interferes with radio broadcasts; most WiFi (802.11b, 802.11g, and some 802.11n) is in the frequency range used by microwave ovens, around 2.4 GHz (802.11a and some 802.11n uses a 5.2 GHz range).
So if you can download files with your WiFi with the microwave oven running, and you know your WiFi uses 2.4 GHz, the oven is well-shielded. If your oven obliterates your WiFi signal, well, our brand-new Panasonic does that, but I am sure it is well within the legal limits anyway (WiFi signals aren't very strong and even a little leakage from an oven can overwhelm them).
BTW, the shielding in a microwave oven is made of steel and doesn't just break down, so leakage is likely to be the same as when the oven was new. It's not going to just slowly start to leak more over the years.
posted by kindall at 12:00 PM on March 28, 2012 [3 favorites]
Now it's not good for a microwave oven to leak too much radio-frequency energy, but that's because it could heat things up and set them on fire. It could in theory heat up you, but you're rather likely to notice that.
More commonly, the problem is that the oven interferes with radio broadcasts; most WiFi (802.11b, 802.11g, and some 802.11n) is in the frequency range used by microwave ovens, around 2.4 GHz (802.11a and some 802.11n uses a 5.2 GHz range).
So if you can download files with your WiFi with the microwave oven running, and you know your WiFi uses 2.4 GHz, the oven is well-shielded. If your oven obliterates your WiFi signal, well, our brand-new Panasonic does that, but I am sure it is well within the legal limits anyway (WiFi signals aren't very strong and even a little leakage from an oven can overwhelm them).
BTW, the shielding in a microwave oven is made of steel and doesn't just break down, so leakage is likely to be the same as when the oven was new. It's not going to just slowly start to leak more over the years.
posted by kindall at 12:00 PM on March 28, 2012 [3 favorites]
Best answer: Microwaves are one of those things that often just keeps on going. There's not really been a lot of advancement in the technology anytime recently, and they're pretty reliable beasts due to the magnetron just being a pretty robust design that tends not to break down. It's quite amazing how reliable those little beasties are, actually.
A little leakage of microwave radiation is actually pretty harmless. (I actually question the "door seals" problem to begin with, as the microwave sitting right next to me doesn't have door seals as such, just a door, and all the microwave ovens I can remember encountering were like that as well.) It's not as though it's likely to start cooking you whenever you walk by it, though it could conceivably mess with cordless-landline (not cellular) phone and WiFi signals. If you're not having any problems there, then I can't think why you ought to worry about some purported leakage issue.
So unless the microwave is actually broken in some way, I'd keep using it. It's not like they have a shelf life. I mean, sure you could go get a brand new one just because, but even if $100 or whatever isn't a big deal to you you're essentially throwing out a bunch of perfectly useful plastic and metal and stuff and replacing it with new plastic and metal and stuff, and why?
That shit just goes in the landfill, or maybe gets shipped to Asia to be "recycled" by some Chinese kid with a soldering iron in an unregulated scrapping yard on the other side of the world. And the manufacturing process for your hypothetical new microwave isn't likely to be much more humane either. I understand that a certain amount of human misery is kind of an unavoidable byproduct of our civilization, and I don't mean to berate you for being part of a system which few of us can really opt out of, but why contribute to that if you don't have to?
If there's nothing obviously wrong with your microwave then there's almost certainly nothing non-obviously wrong. Just being old doesn't make it worse or more dangerous (they don't get significantly weaker with time). If there's not some compelling reason to replace it, I'd keep it.
posted by Scientist at 12:04 PM on March 28, 2012 [4 favorites]
A little leakage of microwave radiation is actually pretty harmless. (I actually question the "door seals" problem to begin with, as the microwave sitting right next to me doesn't have door seals as such, just a door, and all the microwave ovens I can remember encountering were like that as well.) It's not as though it's likely to start cooking you whenever you walk by it, though it could conceivably mess with cordless-landline (not cellular) phone and WiFi signals. If you're not having any problems there, then I can't think why you ought to worry about some purported leakage issue.
So unless the microwave is actually broken in some way, I'd keep using it. It's not like they have a shelf life. I mean, sure you could go get a brand new one just because, but even if $100 or whatever isn't a big deal to you you're essentially throwing out a bunch of perfectly useful plastic and metal and stuff and replacing it with new plastic and metal and stuff, and why?
That shit just goes in the landfill, or maybe gets shipped to Asia to be "recycled" by some Chinese kid with a soldering iron in an unregulated scrapping yard on the other side of the world. And the manufacturing process for your hypothetical new microwave isn't likely to be much more humane either. I understand that a certain amount of human misery is kind of an unavoidable byproduct of our civilization, and I don't mean to berate you for being part of a system which few of us can really opt out of, but why contribute to that if you don't have to?
If there's nothing obviously wrong with your microwave then there's almost certainly nothing non-obviously wrong. Just being old doesn't make it worse or more dangerous (they don't get significantly weaker with time). If there's not some compelling reason to replace it, I'd keep it.
posted by Scientist at 12:04 PM on March 28, 2012 [4 favorites]
My mom just had her 14 year old over the stove/oven microwave serviced (okay, she was getting the door on the oven fixed.) The repair guy said it was a great shape, no leaks detected and no obvious issues despite getting used every day.
Cost for the service call/oven door fix: $75
posted by jaimystery at 12:17 PM on March 28, 2012
Cost for the service call/oven door fix: $75
posted by jaimystery at 12:17 PM on March 28, 2012
Old microwaves are like tanks. It takes a lot to put them out of commission. I've only heard of two incidents were a microwave broke. One was my parent's which had a fancy LCD touch screen on it. You can guess that the touch screen failed which kinda makes it hard to use the microwave for its intended purpose. The other was a guy I knew who put his head through the microwave door. That isn't exactly how the manufacturer intended one to use the device.
I intend to use mine until it breaks.
posted by mmascolino at 12:37 PM on March 28, 2012
I intend to use mine until it breaks.
posted by mmascolino at 12:37 PM on March 28, 2012
I just replaced our over-the-range microwave [750 watts] with a new-to-me black one from craigslist [1500 watts]. Everything heats up faster and it looks nicer because it's ten years newer than the one it replaced. I bought the black one with a matching gas stove and a dishwasher for $175, then sold the old microwave on craigslist for $20.
I think most people replace them because:
posted by chazlarson at 4:10 PM on March 28, 2012
I think most people replace them because:
- they want to upgrade to newer appliances
- they want a more powerful microwave
- they can't get the old one clean enough to suit them
- Some other cosmetic reason
posted by chazlarson at 4:10 PM on March 28, 2012
Oh, I meant to note that the one I replaced [still working just fine] was manufactured in 1991.
posted by chazlarson at 4:13 PM on March 28, 2012
posted by chazlarson at 4:13 PM on March 28, 2012
Our microwave (Amana) was built in 1976. Still workin' just fine. No leakage, either.
posted by drhydro at 11:31 PM on March 28, 2012
posted by drhydro at 11:31 PM on March 28, 2012
This thread is closed to new comments.
posted by Melismata at 11:33 AM on March 28, 2012