# Microwave fire melted magnetron fan lid



## MikeDanDave75 (Dec 24, 2006)

Hey guys,

My friend decided to heat up a Chinese take-out box in the microwave. A few minutes later, the metal handle on the box sparked, caused the paper container to catch fire, and then next thing i know, my house is filled with smoke. I go and open the door, and the plastic disk that covers the metal fan in the top center of the microwave melted off. 

It is a Whirlpool gh7145xfq model microwave/hood combo. For some reason, the designers thought it would be a good idea to put a plastic cover on the ceiling of the microwave instead of the usual metal casing... This turned out to be detrimental as it melted! A metal casing would have just turned black, not melted...

Anyway, the microwave still works without the cover, but it sparks every few seconds if nothing is in the microwave. It's as if the metal three-bladed fan under the magnetron is absorbing the microwaves now that it is exposed. I know that using it with nothing in the unit is bad, but i don't know if it will still spark with something in it.

What i want to know is, 1) is it safe to use? and 2) where i can get another plastic disk.

Thanks!


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## hewee (Oct 26, 2001)

You can but a cup of water in it. Look to see where the sparker are coming from. May need to clean up around and on top of the fan and fan blades. 
My dad had the same thing happen and had no upper cover either after they melted it or did something for years till they got a new micro. 

Call up Whirlpool and ask them about it and see what they say and if it is safe then order the part.


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## JohnWill (Oct 19, 2002)

You should NEVER run a microwave oven with nothing in it! I suggest a reading of the manual. 

You can also probably order that plastic cover, which I suspect is where the microwave emissions come from, hard to beam them through a metal cover.


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## MikeDanDave75 (Dec 24, 2006)

I put a cup of water in and sparks came from the three blade fan under the magnetron. They happened less often with the cup in there to absorb some of the microwaves. But the fan is still not shielded by that plastic piece so it still gets some microwaves (even though i thought microwaves went through plastic?). I will call whirlpool and ask about that. Thanks for your help so far!

BTW I looked on a microwave parts site, and they had my model listed by the part in the diagram was not the same...


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## JohnWill (Oct 19, 2002)

Try to find a part diagram for your unit, I've generally been successful at finding them. One source is Sears Parts, they have parts for a host of different brands of appliances. I get parts for lots of different equipment from them, they have quite a list.


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## hewee (Oct 26, 2001)

You could of had metal sparks fly up onto the fan so you want to clean the fan blades on both sides and do it so you don't bend the blades. Plus clean up around the fan.

But call and order a new cover for the top. 

I know it seems dumb having the cover like that but one reason is so you can get to the fan without taking down the microwave on a microwave/hood combo. A counter top microwave is easy to just take the case off but not the microwave/hood combo unless you take it down.


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## Frank4d (Sep 10, 2006)

I accidentally turned on my microwave with nothing in it for around 30 minutes (I mean't to just use the timer). It became so hot before the fuse blew I got burned touching it... surprised it didn't cause a fire! Fortunately, after replacing the fuse it still works (24 year-old Litton unit).


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## MikeDanDave75 (Dec 24, 2006)

So far, i've heated up a few things in it without the cover. It works perfectly otherwise.

Should i take a piece of paper or flat plastic and seal it with tape over the opening? It would serve to function as a shield just like the plastic cover...


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## hewee (Oct 26, 2001)

Wow that's a old one Frank. You have timers on the new ones now days. My older Kenmore from 1981 had a timer on it but to set it or the cooking time you had to put in how many seconds it is. Yea a pain to find out because cooking times are not in seconds but you had to input it that way. My new micro is very easy to input the time. 1500 and it knows it is for 15 min's.

I don't know if that would be anygood because how are you going to tape it without the heat getting to the tape.
I would make sure to cover anything you cook so it does not splash up on the fan etc till you get a new cover.


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## MikeDanDave75 (Dec 24, 2006)

Okay, that sounds like a good idea! I will just use a paper towel to cover all the food. I would think another function of that cover is so that food doesn't splash on the fan and the steam from water products won't get it all greasy over time.


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## hewee (Oct 26, 2001)

I got me at Target the Nordic Ware Microwave plate cover. Works great to heat things up without having food splash all over. Even if I heat up a blow of chill I cover it with a paper towel and then put the cover over it. Sure helps to keep from doing all the cleaning inside the microwave because you wipe down the glass tray and wash the cover in the sink. 
I can not find the one that looks like the one I have that is just a cover and not a cover with plate.

http://www.nordicware.com/store/categories/browse/microwave/EFCB8864-4975-102A-B382-0002B3267AD7


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