What to do when the microwave is arching.
Hi.
If your microwave cavity is crossed by luminous discharges of current , and you see flashing arches of current from the magnetron area to other areas of the microwave oven cavity, then we commonly say that the microwave is arching.
The first thing to do in this case is disconnecting power immediately, and trying to remove the cause of arching if possible.
Arching will damage the microwave oven, if it goes on for enough time.
Any metal conductive object, such as a spoon or a fork will cause arching if left inside the oven when the microwave device (the magnetron) is operating.
Ensure that there is no metal object inside, while the appliance is operating.
Some vegetable with an high amount of metal , and some other ingredient, like bacon , are known to cause arching in sporadic cases.
In that case add a little water to the food in the oven and try again.
Sometimes recycled paper, or use of containers that are not for microwave can also cause arching. In that case use a different container, or paper.
If there is arching and bad burnt-plastic-like smell with any food being cooked, that means that there is a major problem, and that if the oven is used in this condition, you may get further damage to the appliance. In some case there may also be safety concerns.
As said, you get arching inside microwave when inside the cavity there is a strongly conductive object, such as a metal object or carbon residue.
You also get arching when the oven cavity is damaged.
In this last case the cavity may have lost insulation, and it is better having the oven repaired by a technician, that will also conduct a radiation leak test on the appliance to prove its safety.
To attempt fixing the problem by yourself , you can do the following:
Disconnect power cord.
Check inside the oven cavity, ensure that there is no foreign object inside (such as a small screw). Check also under the turntable.
Check that the light and the magnetron covers are well in place.
Clean the cavity thoroughly, clean also the lamp enclosure if this can be accessed. Carbon residue from food may be causing the arching.
If after cleaning the arching is still there, that means that the cavity is damaged. In that case better calling a technician.
A damaged microwave may loose insulation , and this may be very dangerous for health.
If you want to contact a technician, the best thing to do is ringing the phone number listed on the appliance owners manual.
Ginko.
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