Can a Factory built microwave oven have microwave leakage?

[gary350]

How can I test our factory microwave for leaking microwaves?

Will a 30 turn toroid with a LED work as a leakage detector?

 

[rjenkinsgb]

Will a 30 turn toroid with a LED light work as a microwave leakage detector?

No; a toroid is supposed to be inherently free of field leakage.

The primary effect of leakage would be a feeling of warmth, as the RF is dissipated in your skin as it would be in food, to cause heating. I don't think dizziness would be a symptom??

If there is no physical damage to the microwave and the door closes correctly, leakage seems unlikely.


Any significant leakage would likely swamp any WiFi device, as they are on similar frequencies.
Is you phone WiFi signal affected by starting the microwave with the phone close by, compared to the signal in the same location with the microwave off?

 

[Nigel Goodwin]

I have noticed when I stand to the right of our kitchen microwave oven to wait 45 seconds for something to heat up it makes me feel dizzy. This morning I felt dizzy again soon as the microwave started so I got away from it. Is it possible for a factory microwave to leak???

Will a 30 turn toroid with a LED light work as a microwave leakage detector?


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Considering the stupid things you do, a microwave oven is the least of your concerns

However, I've tested thousands of microwave ovens (in my previous career, which included repairing microwaves) and leaking ones are almost entirely unknown - I've only ever seen two which leaked, both the same make and model, and both were within UK legal limits.

If you feel dizzy, then you're imagining it, it's nothing to do with a microwave oven, leaking or not.

As regards leakage testing, unless you buy a professional calibrated tester (which requires calibration yearly) then it's a waste of time.

I could have taken the leakage tester when the company closed, but I saw no point - testing at work was a legal requirement, but I've never had any urge to bother testing mine. Generally a simple physical inspection will show if the door has been badly damaged, or badly out of alignment.

 

[danadak]

Odor triggering ..... google "dizzy from smell"

Microwaving stuff that produces, over multiple uses, acidic vapors or gas
that could affect shielding grounds....?

Never underestimate unusual causes, doctors will tell you people are complex
and not rubber stamped. You might have a sensitivity to the scan rate of the display
frequency, eq optical driven responses, so many possibilities. Ask ChatGPT about
your condition.

Microwave ovens have to meet FCC standards here in US.


Regards, Dana.

 

[gary350]

How can I test our factory microwave for leaking microwaves?

 

[rjenkinsgb]

Buy a proper, branded (not ebay chinesium / scam) microwave oven leakage tester.

 

[Externet]

Set your mobile phone inside your OFF oven to place a call, and close the door.
Or, have someone to call your phone inside a closed OFF oven.
Does common sense tells it should or not work ?
Or try a 2.4GHz wifi gadget in it ?
-Repeat in other ovens-

 

[gary350]

No; a toroid is supposed to be inherently free of field leakage.

The primary effect of leakage would be a feeling of warmth, as the RF is dissipated in your skin as it would be in food, to cause heating. I don't think dizziness would be a symptom??

If there is no physical damage to the microwave and the door closes correctly, leakage seems unlikely.


Any significant leakage would likely swamp any WiFi device, as they are on similar frequencies.
Is you phone WiFi signal affected by starting the microwave with the phone close by, compared to the signal in the same location with the microwave off?

Will a coil of wire work as a transformer to produce a voltage to light up an LED?

I see microwave leakage detectors for sale online. Looks like you move it all around a microwave oven looking for leaks same as a metal detector looking for metal.

 

[Nigel Goodwin]

How can I test our factory microwave for leaking microwaves?

Why waste your time?, they don't leak - unless you've severely damaged it.

But as I said above, if you really want to test it (it's your time and money to waste) then you need to buy a proper calibrated meter, not a toy one - they usually start about £200, although that was a good few years ago.

 

[Externet]

Will a coil of wire work as a transformer to produce a voltage to light up an LED?

I did once a 5cm diameter loop of wire with a tiny led at its ends. Does light up next to a mobile phone. -uncalibrated reading-
About 15 cm of any wire, soldered a tiny surface mount LED at the ends, bent to form a circle.

 

[danadak]

https://www.top5-usa.com/microwave-oven-leakage-detector?targetid=&matchtype=&device=c&campaignid=19527125449&creative=&adgroupid=&feeditemid=&loc_physical_ms=9002274&loc_interest_ms=&network=x&devicemodel=&placement=&keyword=$&target=&aceid=&adposition=&trackid=us_all_top5_1_1&mId=895-263-6903&gad_source=2

DIY stuff - https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=diy+microwave+oven+tester

 

[gary350]

I have 500 turn coils in ferrite that light up an LED when I put them near my 200KHz tooth brush charger. LED does not light up anywhere near the microwave oven. I see several $9.99 microwave oven leak detectors for sale online.

 

[Nigel Goodwin]

I have 500 turn coils in ferrite that light up an LED when I put them near my 200KHz tooth brush charger. LED does not light up anywhere near the microwave oven. I see several $9.99 microwave oven leak detectors for sale online.

Would you buy a ruler with no markings on it?, so why buy a toy leakage detector with no indication of it's calibration?.

 

[gary350]

Would you buy a ruler with no markings on it?, so why buy a toy leakage detector with no indication of it's calibration?.

If the microwave oven does not leak a detector will read 0 it needs no markings. What I read online says, factory microwaves do not leak so don't question it.

 

[Nigel Goodwin]

If the microwave oven does not leak a detector will read 0 it needs no markings. What I read online says, factory microwaves do not leak so don't question it.

No, completely untrue - all ovens 'leak', it's just a question of how much - which is why a correctly calibrated meter is required.

On a proper meter it may well be low enough to read zero, but the toy meters often read as faulty when a proper meter reads zero, making them utterly useless.

But as I said, unless you've damaged it, then it won't be leaking anyway - and even if it was, it wouldn't make you dizzy.

 

[alec_t]

LED does not light up anywhere near the microwave oven.

Hardly surprising. Even if there were any leakage, all those turns have so much impedance that any microwave energy would have a struggle reaching the LED .

 

[Externet]

I did once a 5cm diameter loop of wire with a tiny led at its ends. Does light up next to a mobile phone. -uncalibrated reading-
About 15 cm of any wire, soldered a tiny surface mount LED at the ends, bent to form a circle.

Found something similar, but do not know why a second diode.
----> https://www.creative-science.org.uk/mobile_LED.html
Perhaps can work for oven leaks ?

 

[augustinetez]

Page 75 of this pdf for a diy microwave leakage detector https://www.worldradiohistory.com/AUSTRALIA/ETI-Australia/70s/ETI 1979-07 July.pdf - not a calibrated thing but will tell you if a leak exists.

And yes, all microwave ovens leak - ours knocks out the wi-fi connection occasionally.

 

[gary350]

Page 75 of this pdf for a diy microwave leakage detector https://www.worldradiohistory.com/AUSTRALIA/ETI-Australia/70s/ETI 1979-07 July.pdf - not a calibrated thing but will tell you if a leak exists.

And yes, all microwave ovens leak - ours knocks out the wi-fi connection occasionally.

I love this 1 part passive circuit. The LED is a 2.5 GHz dipole antenna. Microwave oven leak detector.

I learned a lot of good information on this thread. I never know cell phones transmit like morse code. Nothing transmits until you push a letter to text it saves the battery. Words transmit 1 by 1 it saves the battery.

 

[rjenkinsgb]

Will a coil of wire work as a transformer to produce a voltage to light up an LED?

No.
A LED or normal diode will not rectify 2.4 GHz.

A coil could pick up stray 50 / 60 Hz field from transformers - but not 2.4GHz RF. A quarter wave antenna is only around 3cm at that frequency. You need specialised components and techniques for microwave RF.