Testing Microwave Ovens for MW Leakage

I think someone's having you on.

...she didn't notice a camera crew nearby did she?

Due to the way the microwasve works, it only ever can emit one wavelength of microwaves. The door structure is designed to trap these. It does not, as it used to in the very dim and distant past, use closely fitting seals that need to be monitored and serviced, but is inherent in the design of the door.

As long as the door is not physically damaged, it will stop microwaves getting out.

I would love to see the look on the shop assistant's faces! Interesting way to test them out, but don't forget that phones work on different frequencies and some operate on a third of the frequency so the shielding isn't designed for that. It's an unreliable test.

Your daughter will get a bigger radiation dose from making the one call on her mobile phone (ie absorbing up to half a watt of radiation in the region of the ear) than she will in years of using a leaky microwave oven so its not a problem. And no one has proved that even the mobile phone is a health hazard as yet. So the oven problem is not worth worrying about.

john2

Someone definitely having you on there...

A mobile communicates using radio waves on a different frequency to those used for microwaves. The shielding around a microwave oven stopes the microwave frequencies, but not radio frequencies. If you stuck some microwave food in there and it comes out piping hot, then I'd be worried.

Wasn't the Saturday before last, was it? ;-)

Ermm - microwaves ARE radio waves...

So is light, it's all in the frequency on the electromagnetic spectrum.

Microwaves tend to be in the 1-10cm wavelength, and radio waves in the

Microwave ovens use 2.45Ghz, a long way (frequency speaking) from the top end of mobile phone frequencies.

That would be, let me see now ...

Try this

What network is she on? This only works on 3G networks, like "3".

Microwave ovens operate on a frequency of 2.450GHz (2450GHz). Most mobile phones operate on 800MHz, 900MHz, 1800MHz or 1900MHz.

To get faster data rates, the 3G networks use a higher frequency,

Yes, microwaves use a higher frequency and a shorter wavelength.

The wavelength sitipulates the quality (permissible size of holes) of the screening, it's more stringent than any mobile phone wavelength.

OTOH nothing is perfect & mobile phones are by there nature very very sensitive.

Whether a mobile phone will ring or not in a microwave oven is not a valid test as to whether the microwave oven will emit harmful radiations when used.

No not the case.

Touch of the Tommy Coopers there.

What if she put a bell in it and it came out wringing?

Should she call a plumber?

DG

Yes, there would have to be a water leak.

to test an oven for leakage, inspect door and check it closes propeply, examine metal cooking cavity to check there are no rust holes, and thats it, job done. Detector instruments are a waste of whatever theyre made of.

Note this doesnt apply to microwaves from the 1970s and earlier, which use energy absorbing seals and inadequate interlock systems, and are best disposed of. On the worst one I've seen the door could be opened

NT

Thought microwaves used about 600MHz. Possibly phones operating at 1800MHz will be blocked since the 1/4 wave traps on the microwave door will be 3/4 wave at 1800Megs. But I might be talking obblox :-)

Nope. 2.45GHz

There is a resonant point of water molecules there.

All domestics are 2.45G, but ISTR reading that some catering micros use

NT

So, nobody going to rise to the bait? It is amazing how much you can bluff if there are a few likely sounding facts. My post saying 3G mobiles being able to test microwave ovens is complete bollocks.

Because enough other people posted non-bullshit that noone saw the need to correct?