OT: microvave oven fix?

Possibly. The plate is a microwave transparent window. The burn is the result of a standing wave. The possible damage is elsewhere, the burn being no big deal.

What did you do? Run the oven with nothing in it? Microwaves just purely hate that. Anyway, it's either broke or it isn't. Will it still heat a cup of water?

If the microwave is no longer working, there's a chance you might just have blown its internal fuse. If it's anything more serious than that, it's easier to buy a new one than fix it unless it's one of the fancier models.

I've fixed many of these with just this problem. Usually caused by cooking too many cheese pizzas with cleaning the inside off. The grease collects on the port where the energy exits the magnetron and chars. The resultant light show is interpreted by most as an excuse to get a newer unit with more features.

I get them at the dump, clean them up, possibly change the fuse and then give them to students or other folks in need of a working appliance.

If its the control board or something more serious, I take them apart and salvage the switches, magnetron magnets and whatever else catches my eye and then take them back to the metal pile at the dump. I could get two or three a week if I wanted.

Earle Rich Mont Vernon, NH

Thanks, I'll maybe hold on to it. I don't run it empty, but sometimes I run it with very little in it, such as a small dish of olive oil with fresh chopped garlic in it. I discovered that I can reduce the fireworks by setting a glass of water inside too when cooking something very small, but it seems like over time I need to use more and more water. Is this explainable? BTW, I generally keep it pretty clean inside, but I have had one or two explosions. Maybe something got on the plate.

Robobass

All microwaves have a minimum load rating. This varies with the size of the magnetron and its standing wave tolerance. A cup of water or slightly less is usually enough. As Earle says, you can replace the port if its burnt area has increased the tendency to arc.

Microwaves don't mind a solid piece of metal, but metal with gaps in it will generate sparks. For instance the metal grill that comes with some microwaves is OK, but if one of the bars of that grill beaks its spotweld at one end so there's a little gap, there will be sparks there. Plates or crockery with real gold trim are another no-no, and so is any aluminum foil.

I've been running without the plate for about a year, Or you could go to a appliance repair shop and possibly order a new plate for it.

ART

Your microwave is just geting broken in, and needs disclipine. Teach it to cook eggs. Put a whlole egg with shell in the oven and set it on full power for 3 minutes. If your egg is not scrambled, yell, "BAD MICROWAVE!" But I am sure, with a lttle patience, you can teach it to scramble and egg for you.

Very nice. I will try it as soon as I am finished drying off my cat, who got caught in the rain. Whoa, What was that sound?

Robobass

Mine got wet doing his weekly task of cleaning the toilet. Gerry :-)} London, Canada