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NickPivot t1_ixv17cu wrote

If it’s an old one, it could be a fuse. We had a big one years ago that did this same thing. My roommate at the time thought it was suicidal to even try to open a microwave’s cabinet (I think he thought it’d radiate me or something), but I pulled the top off, and there was this big giant fuse, about the size and shape of a tube of lip balm, obviously blown. Got a replacement at the local hardware store for less than $1. All that said, this was in the early 90s, so maybe I’m just old

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lenswipe t1_ixvaz64 wrote

> (I think he thought it’d radiate me or something),

It won't irradiate you, but there are some nasty-ass transformers(and perhaps capacitors?) in there that you do not want to fuck with

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NickPivot t1_ixvbxkm wrote

Capacitors will drop a fool

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lenswipe t1_ixvdyh4 wrote

So will transformers (esp at the spicy voltages that magnetrons run at)

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nrgins t1_ixv1hpc wrote

Yeah, it's very old. Gosh, I don't even know how old. 15 years? 20 years?

Never changed a fuse in a MW before. Is it plug and play, like with a car, or you do have to solder them in place?

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NickPivot t1_ixv1oo9 wrote

…so maybe, then. :). If you do decide to take it apart, be careful. Sometimes appliances have capacitors in them, which can deliver a nasty shock

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nrgins t1_ixv1vo6 wrote

Did you see my question about the fuse?

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NickPivot t1_ixv26sr wrote

I didn’t before, but I do now. The one I dealt with was just clipped in, so I could just pull it out without tools. The whole thing was kinda sitting up on a little pedestal, and easy to get at without digging around in the other “innards”

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cheddarpants t1_ixv2wsy wrote

I had a similar experience. I found a microwave set out to the curb on my way home one evening almost 30 years ago. My intention was to drop it off the balcony onto the sidewalk below. My roommate asked if he could take a look at it, and within a few minutes, he replaced the defective fuse and had it working. Last time I checked, he was still using that microwave.

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view-master t1_ixv22p0 wrote

Yup. Same experience here. My wife was already shopping online for a new one. Just a fuse.

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GrottyKnight t1_ixv9pkb wrote

Your roommate knew that microwaves can store thousands of volts that absolutely can kill you. Even when unplugged. Do not go blindly poking around the inside of a microwave.

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