Question about malfunctioning microwave

I have one of THESE Hamilton Beach microwaves. The first one I got ended up malfunctioning (or so I'm assuming) after about a year. One day it got way louder and then the timer paused itself halfway through and it stopped running. I opened it and realized it hadn't been heating the food. I threw it out and got a second one to replace it which I've had for only a couple months now, and it's doing something similar. I was heating my food, but then it got louder for a few seconds, the timer stopped counting down, and it stopped running. However, when I plugged it into a different outlet I was able to restart it and finish heating the food properly.
So, here are my questions:
1. Does anyone know why it got louder and then stopped itself? Could it have just been inadequate power from the outlet?
2. Is it safe to continue using it (if it still works in the morning)?
3. Is there a risk of fire if I attempt to use it again?
4. If there is a fire, would it be safe to quickly throw it in the shower and blast it with water? Would there be a risk of electrical shock from touching at after doing so?
Sorry if those are dumb, but I know pretty much nothing about how microwaves work.

The only time I ever had a microwave malfunction was because the waveguide cover was torn. It probably got torn while the interior was being scrubbed clean by our housekeeper. A waveguide cover is very inexpensive and easy to replace. Typically when the waveguide cover is the issue the microwave will maybe spark and then just shut off...food will be cold.

If you want to check and make sure this isn’t the problem - I suggest that you start by Googling a pic of a microwave “waveguide cover” to see what one looks like and then check the interior of your microwave to make sure yours is intact. On your model I am guessing the cover will be inside on the right hand interior wall of the microwave.

a reply to: trollz

a reply to: trollz
Please don't put it anywhere near the shower or water if it goes on fire.Electrical fires don't like water.

Does it continue to work in the other outlet?

There is a situation where a faulty outlet can have too much resistance to electrical flow.
You will get lower voltage to the machine. And to compensate it can draw more current.
This can cause unexpected results depending on what you are running.

Does the plug feel warm right after you use it?
Can you run it with the turntable off and on?
That will change the electrical needs of the unit.

Also does the internal lamp go really dim when the magnetron is on? You can tell if you run at 50 percent power, and the heating turns on and off while you cook.

Is there a gfci on that circuit?

Be careful!

a reply to: trollz

Throw it out and get your money back if you can and buy another brand. Before you plug it in make sure your plug is working properly. If your plug is putting out the proper amperage then plug in your new microwave and it should be fine.

a reply to: trollz

Don't use it any further is my advice.

Microwave radiation can cause serious burns, obviously.

Can also cause issues with your internal organs if the faraday cage is broke and radiation leaks out.

Sounds like the transformer is about to blow.

Get it repaired or buy a new one.

Never use water on an electrical fire.

originally posted by: MykeNukem
a reply to: trollz

Don't use it any further is my advice.

Microwave radiation can cause serious burns, obviously.

Can also cause issues with your internal organs if the faraday cage is broke and radiation leaks out.

Sounds like the transformer is about to blow.

Get it repaired or buy a new one.

Never use water on an electrical fire.

This is good advice
And it comes from a Mr. Nukem!

a reply to: trollz

"Undervolting" an appliance, or any electrical device (especially something with printed circuit boards) can wreak havoc with the device. All of the circuitry is designed for a certain voltage, and more importantly a certain amperage. If the voltage drops, the amperage increases and the circuitry is not designed for the higher amperage. Consequently, the circuitry will heat up and sometimes it will heat up to the point of shorting out and arcing to adjacent circuitry (hence the malfunction).

In some cases, once allowed to cool down, the device will operate properly, BUT the circuitry has still been damaged.

There's actually a larger issue though. Any appliance which draws more amperage than the circuit should take should trip the circuit breaker. If this is not happening, then you have a fire hazard, not in your appliance, but in the wall! This is something which needs to be looked into.

If you know what you're doing you can investigate some of these issues with a highly resistive load (something like a heater). However, I don't recommend this unless you understand exactly what you're doing, AND you have electrical meters to see what's going on (especially amperage meters which most multi-meters are not set up to do).

Some appliances have safety measures built into them to prevent these things from happening, but in those cases the appliance should shut down completely and throw an error code. If yours didn't do this, then I'd be suspect.

a reply to: spacedoubt

Unless there's been a fairly serious fire inside the cooking area of the microwave it is unlikely that the faraday cage around the interior of the microwave has been damaged. The exposure to harmful microwaves is probably of little concern. Microwaves are lot tougher than they seem in this respect. However, the fire danger to the appliance or the electrical system in the wall is a very real and much more important issue to worry about.

Did you try starting it with a fork in it?

That helps usually[

Edit: sorry it’s your name, couldn’t help it

Invest the thirty bucks or so in a Kill-A-Watt meter to check the power draw and the circuit. You can check line voltage with a standard meter but you can't monitor it very well with one. I've been dealing with power issues in different locations for years, I can tell you quite a bit about that part of it.

a reply to: trollz

It sounds like you have an intermittent electrical problem. It’s called a loose neutral it causes very high voltage problems.

It could be a lot of things, not just a loose neutral. I've had to tighten down neutral and ground connections in my panel though, they sometimes work loose over time. Our house has pretty much every type of wire in it from knob & tube to brand new romex. About half the house has new wiring now, I'm still working on that. I've found an open 220v line just coiled up unterminated in the basement to outlets being reverse-wired. It would be amusing if it weren't dangerous.

I've also had to have the power company come out here and at our old house to fix things on the pole at different times so there is that possibility as well.

Don't mess around with this, get it checked out.

a reply to: trollz

Are you drying a chihuahua in there? If so try using the defrost setting since it's smaller.

originally posted by: HalWesten
It could be a lot of things, not just a loose neutral. I've had to tighten down neutral and ground connections in my panel though, they sometimes work loose over time. Our house has pretty much every type of wire in it from knob & tube to brand new romex. About half the house has new wiring now, I'm still working on that. I've found an open 220v line just coiled up unterminated in the basement to outlets being reverse-wired. It would be amusing if it weren't dangerous.

I've also had to have the power company come out here and at our old house to fix things on the pole at different times so there is that possibility as well.

Don't mess around with this, get it checked out.

The apartment complex I'm currently living in was built like 50 years ago and has had all kinds of issues. Let's just say it's not on the expensive side. One time the power went out to half of my apartment and the AC/heat thing started buzzing very loudly. I called their emergency maintenance number and was told it wasn't considered an emergency.

originally posted by: glen200376
a reply to: trollz
Please don't put it anywhere near the shower or water if it goes on fire.Electrical fires don't like water.

Is there an electrical danger though if it's unplugged? I know some electronics still present a risk of shock even if unplugged. Is it the same with a microwave? I'm just thinking of a worst-case scenario where it erupts in flames and the best immediate solution is to throw it in the shower or something.

I'm going to be getting a 3rd one anyway, so I don't imagine I'll be using this one anymore.

originally posted by: trollz

originally posted by: glen200376
a reply to: trollz
Please don't put it anywhere near the shower or water if it goes on fire.Electrical fires don't like water.

Is there an electrical danger though if it's unplugged? I know some electronics still present a risk of shock even if unplugged. Is it the same with a microwave? I'm just thinking of a worst-case scenario where it erupts in flames and the best immediate solution is to throw it in the shower or something.

I'm going to be getting a 3rd one anyway, so I don't imagine I'll be using this one anymore.

Yes, there is a high voltage capacitor in them and they can store the charge for months.