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1/18/2012 I am improving on this answer because the answer that follows this note is encouraging possible disaster. No microwave manufacturer condones the use of metal of any kind in the oven. Yes, metal will arc and spark inside a microwave and WILL damage the oven. If this one person did not shorten the life of his (parent's) microwave oven it is a lucky break. (Val5330)
Previous Answer:
I'm answering this question because I'm tired of people telling me it's bad to put a fork in the microwave, because the TRUTH is, IT'S NOT. The theory that it's bad to put a fork in the microwave IS A MYTH!
The theory is that the metal prongs on a fork will carry sparks of electricity which will jump and arc, and maybe destroy the microwave, but they will not, because the prongs are not close enough. Not Even Close.
Now if you roll up a piece of tin or aluminum foil into a ball and microwave it, you will see some sparks because the metal tips are so close, but even this will not hurt you or your microwave. over the past 10 years, everything I have ever cooked in the microwave, such as hot pockets, Pizza, burgers, ravioli, spaghetti, and all that, I have put forks and spoons in. It still works fine.
Just to prove a point to my obsessed parents, I put about 10 forks in my microwave and let it run for 5 minutes. Guess what, NOTHING HAPPENED.
In fact, the microwave has never had any problems, and still works to this day.
Does that answer your question?
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∙ 12y ago
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You had your soup in your spoon while you microwaved it?
What happens when you have your spoon in the microwave is it gets really hot and melts in the inside where you can't see it
Can you heat aluminum foil in a microwave?
No. The metal will reflect the microwave energy. The problem with metal of any sort (whether aluminum foil or silverware) is that it can produce an arc inside the cavity of the oven. This can start a fire, and it presents an enormous hazard. Can you use aluminum foil in a microwave oven? Read on. Though it is possibe to use aluminum foil inside a microwave oven, it should only be used if the manufacturer's instructions tell the user how to do it (and the user follows the directions). The microwave oven isn't a good choice to heat the foil itself. Aluminum foil (or any metal foil) will reflect the microwaves and not get hot. If the foil is crumpled or if the foil is near the metal wall of the cavity, that foil can act as an antenna, and the voltages can be extremely high causing arcing. That's bad. It could start a fire. Using a microwave just to heat foil is a poor choice.
What happens when you put metal in a microwave?
Running a microwave oven with metal in it will result in the reflection of the microwave energy off the metal. There is an exception, and that's the problem. Let's look at that. If metal in a microwave is in a certain shape, that is, if it has a certain geometry, it can act as a microwave antenna. It can cause the microwave energy to generate "specific" electric currents in the metal, and voltages can spike high enough to create electric arcs in the cavity. That's bad. We can use metal in a microwave (like to cover the ends of drumsticks), but we must follow the manufacturer's instructions when doing so.
Are cheap microwaves bad?
No I had a cheap microwave. It was still a good microwave
Can a spoon be left in food in fridge?
I wouldn't leave a spoon in the food for a couple reasons: # It would get in the way of sealing the container and could cause a mess if accidentally hit # It could be a source of contamination if the handle of the spoon slides into the food. Otherwise, if the spoon is made out of non-reactive material, it should not be a problem.
Do microwaves have fuses that go bad?
Yes, microwaves usually have 2 fuses (1x slow blow fuse for the main circuit and 1x high voltage fuse for the transformer) These fuses are inside the microwave and best left to a qualified technician to replace due to the high voltages inside the microwave.
Why is it recommended to not use metal in the use of microwave oven cooking?
Some metals cause a reaction with the waves and create sparks, sparks create fires, fires are bad.
What should you do about microwave arc?
If this is an old mic, it sounds like it's gone bad. I wouldn't keep it around because that won't happen unless there is metal involved.
Is it bad to turn on a microwave if it has nothing inside of it to be cooked?
Yes, it is very bad. When you run a microwave oven without any food inside, there is nothing to absorb the microwaves and they build up inside the cooking chamber. Eventually, something has to absorb them and that something is the oven's microwave source-its magnetron. The magnetron isn't good at handling excessive power that returns to it from the cooking chamber and it can be damaged as a result. In all my years of experimenting with microwave ovens, I've only killed a magnetron once. But then again, I haven't run a microwave oven for more than a minute or two without anything inside it. If the oven works again after cooling down, then you're probably OK. The oven may have thermal interlocks in its microwave source to prevent that source from overheating and becoming a fire hazard. If the oven fails to work after an hour of cooling off, then you're probably out of luck. The magnetron and/or its power supply are likely to be fried and in need of replacement.
Is vynil records microwave safe?
The vinyl will not be playable, but the microwave will be fine. This sounds like a BAD IDEA!
Why is it a bad idea to heat up milk and biscuits in a microwave?
Cause it will have a bad taste
What would cause you not to be able to shift you 1997 grand am car?
Bad clutch, broken gear or fork. Basically trany may be damaged inside unless the clutch or a clutch component in damaged
