Microwave oven paint is peeling

[Walter Cohen]

My Samsung 1000W microwave from several years ago still works well but some of the paint on the bottom is peeling. The oven has a carousel to rotate food. The paint directly beneath the carousel plate track (as 3 tiny wheels of the carousel track are constantly in contact with the bottom of the microwave) has started to peel and the bare aluminum is exposed in some areas.

I have stopped using the oven but was wondering if this is a big problem (i.e. dangerous) or not. I unplugged it because I was thinking that since now some bare metal is exposed then the microwaves may cause electrical arcing.

If the paint serves as an insulator and reflector of microwaves then can the paint in the track be re-applied and if so what kind of paint?

Do I need to discard the microwave?

Thanks, Walter

[RB]

Poor paint job, or poor surface preparation prior to painting.

Plug it back in and use it. Those spices you use that removed the paint must be doing a job on your stomach. ;-)

I doubt that it serves as much of an insulator and it certainly isn't reflecting microwaves.

No.

[Joseph Meehan]

It sound not interfere in the safety or operation of the microwave.

[m Ransley]

Microwaves will go through the paint and reflect off the metal, that is its design. The metal doesnt need to be painted as im sure commercial units are not, it is cosmetic. Dont even bother to repaint, it isnt needed.

[Andy Hill]

Repaint the interior or continue to use the microwave, as you see fit. The paint is just there for "pretty", it has no influence on the operation of the microwave (heck, it's not even a decent insulator -- I've had arcs from metallic items burn holes right through the paint on the inside of a microwave).

[Jerry G.]

The microwave oven is safe without the paint. The paint is cosmetic.

DO NOT use any ordinary paint, if you decide to re-paint it yourself! The paint that they use is rated especially for microwave exposure, and to not break down and cause fumes or carcinogens from both the heat and the radiation.

The industrial microwave ovens are not painted inside. They are infact stainless steel finished inside.

[Dan O.]

The only things which stop microwave leakage are metal and distance. If there is not a hole right through the metal beneath the paint, there should be no safety concerns.

Arcing will occur between *2* conductive surfaces (metal to metal or to carbonized food, etc.). If you just have a bare spot on a flat surface with no other surfaces to spark between, it won't.

The paint does not act as a reflector but just as a finish for the metal so it doesn't rust (I doubt it's aluminum). You can though purchase a spray bomb of microwave cavity touch paint at the following link. You might want to make sure the rollers are still in decent shape so it doesn't occur again.

Dan O.

- Appliance411.com

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[Walter Cohen]

Thanks for everyone's responses.

I'll just leave the peeled off paint areas alone, for now.

Walter