Bare/Rusted metal inside Microwave.

[Eddy Bentley]

This must be a common problem. I wonder if anybody has a clever way of fixing it . . . rather than taking the entire microwave to a recycling centre!

This problem must have happened to every microwave we have had over the past 15 years. After about a year or so the paint on the bottom of the interior starts to bubble, then flake away, to eventually leave a narrow track of bare and/or rusted metal in the area where the wheels of the revolving plate pass.

I think the problem is caused by moisture gathering and sitting on the bottom of the microwave and eventually spoiling the paint, but that this is exacerbated by the constant passing of the wheels which also spoils the painted surface.

Anyway, I imagine that if I prepared the trail thoroughly with sandpaper, then maybe applied a little anti-rust, and then some white enamel paint, it could be weeks before food stopped smelling of cooked paint!!!!!!

Any remedies or other advice?

Thanks.

Eddy.

[S Viemeister]

Buy a microwave with a stainless steel interior!

[Eddy Bentley]

Very good idea, Viemeister! Thank you. Next time I have to buy one I will remember that!

In the meantime . . . is there no hope of dealing with the current machine?

Eddy.

[S Viemeister]

I wouldn't try to paint it - the smell would put me off. Carefully wiping out the inside after _every_ use should help to prevent it rusting.

[Phil B]

A bit tongue in cheek this, but "Don't look"??

Phil

[Sam Farrell]

I have in the past sanded the rust, applied primer and spayed it with paint for a car from Halfords, or spray on some Hammerite

. Leave it open for 24 hours then boil a few mugs of water in it. The steam helps clear the smell. It worked for me

[Andrew Gabriel]

It's never happened to me, but none of my microwaves (a 20 year old Hitachi, and a 7 year old Sharp; both still working fine) has had the revolving plate supported by wheels -- they just sit on a central spindle.

BTW -- it's generally a PAT test failure to have corrosion inside the cavity of a microwave oven.

[Eddy Bentley]

Thanks, Sam. I guess I was thinking of the worst possible scenario: paint bubbling away for months on end.

I'll give it go and see. If it doesn't work, then I'll be pricing stainless-steel interiors.

Eddy.

[RW]

On what grounds?

There is no direct electrical contact between the feed and base in use so how would it fail?

[RW]

Stick a layer of thin sheet plastic to the area affected and let the wheels run on that. Easy to clean too

[Andrew Gabriel]

Deteriorating towards microwave leakage when it corrodes through (which may not be apparent due to rust), if not leaking already.

[meow2222]

Car paints use relatively volatile solvents, so stop smelling much faster than household gloss.

NT