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Julie Bove[_2_] Julie Bove[_2_] is offline
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Default Microwave question

gregz wrote:
> Doris Night > wrote:
>> On Wed, 09 Jan 2013 15:43:34 -0600, wrote:
>>
>>> Our microwave died after 12 years. It was a costly over when it
>>> was new and it had lots of bells and whistles and could be set to
>>> the desired power level. Until we can afford a new microwave, I
>>> found a small one for cheap at a local second hand store. It's a
>>> very basic model and is 19 years old, but it still had all the
>>> labels and looks like it was never used. It works and that's
>>> mostly what mattered.
>>>
>>> It has a rotary setting to set the minutes, rather than push
>>> buttons. That's eacy enough to figure out. But there is another
>>> setting to choose COOK or DEFROST. Is this a power level setting?
>>> In other words, if this is set to DEFROST, is the power lower than
>>> COOK? If so, can that be used to slow cook things that tend to
>>> boil over?
>>>
>>> Thanks
>>>
>>> Marge

>>
>> I wouldn't buy a 19-year-old microwave. The big problems with the
>> older ones is that the seals can degrade and cause them to "leak"
>> microwaves, making it rather iffy to stand in front of them.
>>
>> You can get a new one for well under $100. I wouldn't take the chance
>> on a used one.
>>
>> Doris

>
> New microwaves do not have seals. My first microwave I built in 1971
> did have seals. The seal would also tend to melt at times, made from
> conducting vinyl.
> The seal was secondary protection.
>
> Dirt trapped around the door will cause leakage.


I remember when my boss told us all to go home and check ours for leaks.
Told us to run a lightbulb around it while it was on and if the bulb lit up,
there was a leak. And like fools, we all did it.