Tell a Friend About CR4
Engineering Toolbar
Search GlobalSpec
Login | Register
Home | General | General Discussion | How to Test for Energy Loss in a Kitchen Microwave

Previous in Forum: What's an impulse variator?   Next in Forum: Waterproof Tape
Close

Comments Format:






Close

Subscribe to Discussion:

CR4 allows you to "subscribe" to a discussion
so that you can be notified of new comments to
the discussion via email.

Close

Rating Vote:







9 comments
Subscribe Rate this Comments: Nested
Laughing Jaguar
Guru

Join Date: Jul 2008
Posts: 614
Good Answers: 41

How to Test for Energy Loss in a Kitchen Microwave

06/28/2009 12:04 PM

This morning I was on my cordless phone when the conversation was interrupted by a substantial background noise. The signal was also garbled.

It was purely by accident that I noticed that the noise diminished as I left proximity to the kitchen microwave which was heating up some coffee.

When I approached the microwave, the interference stopped abruptly, at exactly the same time the microwave "pinged" that it was done and stopped running.

It's not conclusive by any means but there is some obvious correlation between the interference on the phone and the use of the MW. The obvious question is: what's causing the interference?

Is it merely RF from the solid state circuitry or is my phone picking up potentially harmful MW leakage from what is supposed to be a isolated environment.

The safety switches on the door function as they should.

Any way to test for MW leakage without buying expensive equipment?

It could be nothing or it could prove serious. Until I know for sure, I've ceased using the MW

Thanks

L.J.

__________________
"Both the revolutionary and the creative individual are perpetual juveniles. The revolutionary does not grow up because he cannot grow, while the creative individual cannot grow up because he keeps growing." Eric Hoffer
Send to a friend Digg this Add to del.icio.us
Interested in this topic? By joining CR4 you can "subscribe" to
this discussion and receive notification when new comments are added.

Comments rated to be Good Answers:

These comments received enough positive ratings to make them "good answers".

Comments rated to be "almost" Good Answers:

Check out these comments that don't yet have enough votes to be "official" good answers and, if you agree with them, rate them!
2
kudukdweller9
Guru

Join Date: Jan 2009
Posts: 932
Good Answers: 22
#1

Re: How to test for energy leaks in a kitchen microwave.

06/28/2009 1:53 PM

You cordless phone appears to be one of those that operates in the 2.4 gHz band.

Some cordless phone systems are more effected when operating between the base station and a phone than when used to make an outside call.

There are a number of devices that you may find around a home that operate in that band. Wireless Ethernet, Blutooth, etc

The phone equipment should not be located near a microwave or any of those other devices.

The microwave ovens operate at 2.45gHz and an analog cordless phone the receives in that band is succeptible to interference from any of those devices if brought near to them.

Get a passive microwave detector (check your big Hardware Stores or appliance dealers) and put a cup of water in the oven and turn it on for a minute and move the detector around suspect areas like the door seals.

Slamming the microwave door, food or crumbs in the seal and stuff stuck to the interior can cause or add to leakage.
Good Answer (Score 2)
No more Good Answers. Go to first "Almost" Good Answer
Laughing Jaguar
Guru

Join Date: Jul 2008
Posts: 614
Good Answers: 41
#2
In reply to #1

Re: How to test for energy leaks in a kitchen microwave.

06/28/2009 3:39 PM

I picked up a leak detector "card" and did as you suggested.

We're safe!

Thanks

__________________
"Both the revolutionary and the creative individual are perpetual juveniles. The revolutionary does not grow up because he cannot grow, while the creative individual cannot grow up because he keeps growing." Eric Hoffer
kudukdweller9
Guru

Join Date: Jan 2009
Posts: 932
Good Answers: 22
#3
In reply to #2

Re: How to test for energy leaks in a kitchen microwave.

06/28/2009 4:43 PM

What about the RF interference?
chrisg288
Guru
Engineering Fields - Electromechanical Engineering - Technical Services Manager Canada - Member - Army brat Popular Science - Cosmology - What is Time and what is Energy? Technical Fields - Architecture - Draftsperson

Join Date: Sep 2006
Location: Alberta, Canada
Posts: 1728
Good Answers: 49
#4

Re: How to test for energy leaks in a kitchen microwave.

06/29/2009 3:57 AM

There are some excellent microwave leakage detectors on the market, and affordable... they also are called cordless phones! If you find your wife or daughter tanning in the kitchen, maybe its time for a new microwave.

Chris
WoodwardDL
Commentator

Join Date: Dec 2008
Location: Anthem, AZ
Posts: 62
Good Answers: 4
#5

Re: How to test for energy leaks in a kitchen microwave.

06/29/2009 10:08 AM

While assisting a Guitar manufacturer with 2.4 GHz remote microphone study, I picked up a transient signal with a Tektronix RSA3308A Real-time SpecAn. I knew it was a microwave oven, but he said there was none within 50 yards! Well, that was the one; we could capture that microwave signal with a simple RF antenna at 50 yards away anytime we wanted to. Microwave ovens are powerful (although they have a low duty ratio burst pattern), leaky, and cause all kinds of interference with cell phones, portable phones, blue tooth head sets, etc.
Score 1 for Good Answer
Go to Next "Almost" Good Answer
edignan
Guru
Engineering Fields - Software Engineering - New Member Popular Science - Weaponology - New Member

Join Date: Jun 2006
Location: San Diego
Posts: 2334
Good Answers: 48
#6

Re: How to Test for Energy Loss in a Kitchen Microwave

06/29/2009 10:49 PM

OT warning - Recently I noticed interference on my radio and on the TV when muted just before a call came in on my cell phone.

__________________
Insert pithy quothe here - Emmett
Off Topic (Score 5)
chrisg288
Guru
Engineering Fields - Electromechanical Engineering - Technical Services Manager Canada - Member - Army brat Popular Science - Cosmology - What is Time and what is Energy? Technical Fields - Architecture - Draftsperson

Join Date: Sep 2006
Location: Alberta, Canada
Posts: 1728
Good Answers: 49
#7
In reply to #6

Re: How to Test for Energy Loss in a Kitchen Microwave

06/29/2009 11:38 PM

That ain't so bad. In my house, when the phone rings, I know that my partner will be unavailable for an hour, and if I need to talk, then I am the Interference.. and get waved off..

Chris
Off Topic (Score 5)
Guest
#8

Re: How to Test for Energy Loss in a Kitchen Microwave

07/01/2009 8:43 AM

If the flourescent lights in your house become spontaneously energized while the microwave is in use, but the light switch is off, you may have a significant leakage problem.

Score 1 for Good Answer
No more "Almost" Good Answers.
Electron Oasis
Commentator
United States - Member - Les Etats Unis

Join Date: May 2007
Location: Sacramento, California
Posts: 61
#9

Re: How to Test for Energy Loss in a Kitchen Microwave

07/01/2009 7:58 PM

Yes the guest has a good answer regarding florescent light bulb. Run the microwave and put a florescent bulb near and around the microwave if it starts to glow a bit or a lot;microwave energy is escaping.

__________________
No trees or ecological systems were harmed in the creation or transmission of this message. However, a large number of electrons were horribly inconvenienced.
9 comments
Interested in this topic? By joining CR4 you can "subscribe" to
this discussion and receive notification when new comments are added.

Comments rated to be Good Answers:

These comments received enough positive ratings to make them "good answers".

Comments rated to be "almost" Good Answers:

Check out these comments that don't yet have enough votes to be "official" good answers and, if you agree with them, rate them!
Copy to Clipboard

Users who posted comments:

chrisg288 (2), edignan (1), Electron Oasis (1), Guest (1), kudukdweller9 (2), Laughing Jaguar (1), WoodwardDL (1)

Previous in Forum: What's an impulse variator?   Next in Forum: Waterproof Tape
You might be interested in: Telephones and Cell Phones, Polarizing Cube Beamsplitters, Electrical Connectors


"Control your destiny or someone else will!" -- Jack Welch

All times are displayed in US/Eastern (EST) (Register to change time zone)

©2005-2009 GlobalSpec. All rights reserved.
GlobalSpec, the GlobalSpec logo, SpecSearch, The Engineering Search Engine
and The Engineering Web are registered trademarks of GlobalSpec, Inc.
CR4 and Conference Room 4 are registered trademarks of GlobalSpec, Inc.
No portion of this site may be copied, retransmitted, reposted, duplicated or
otherwise used without the express written permission of GlobalSpec Inc.
350 Jordan Rd, Troy, NY, 12180

Got Something to Say?


Search this Forum
General Discussion:

Search all of CR4

CR4 Sections
Automotive
BioMech & BioMed
Chemical & Material Science
Civil Engineering
Communications & Electronics
Education
Electrical Engineering
Engineering Careers
General
Instrumentation
Manufacturing
Mechanical Engineering
New Technologies & Research
Software & Programming
Sustainable Engineering

Site Indices
Forum Index
Blog Index
User Group Index
RSS Feeds
CR4 Store

CR4 FAQ
Site Glossary

Who's Online (178 right now)
Show Members