3 ways a microwave can kill you.
Microwave ovens are a common kitchen appliance and millions of people use it every day. But do you know it can kill you many different ways - instant death or slow and painful death, and it all can happen if you try to repair microwave yourself or try to salvage parts from it for your diy projects.
Here are 3 most deadly parts in your microwave.
WARNING:
- Microwave radiation can cause tissue damage;
- Microwave ovens use dangerous mains voltage;
- Microwave oven transformers produce extremely dangerous high voltage;
- Capacitors may remain charged to a dangerous voltage even after disconnected from power;
- Risk of electric shock and death;
- Risk of serious health damage, injury or burns;
- Magnetrons may contain toxic and carcinogenic beryllium oxide;
High Voltage Capacitor
This thing can hold around 2000V which is equivalent of an electric chair.
It would only require someone to be leaning on the chassis of the microwave oven with one arm (one side of the capacitor is, in effect, connected to earth) and poking with a screwdriver in their other hand, and accidentally they touch to the other capacitor terminal and that’s it.
Technically microwave HV capacitors have a bleeder resistor on them to slowly drain them to where they're safe to handle but I wouldn’t count on that. Anything can happen - malfunctioned resistor and your life is in danger.
ALWAYS discharge HV capacitors before starting your work inside a microwave.
NEVER allow children to disassemble and play with old microwaves.
Magnetron
Next is a magnetron - a heart of a microwave. Might be slow and painful death for salvagers or anyone playing with it.
And it's not because of waves it emits - the death is in its ceramic insulation rings (that purple stuff on the photo). Sometimes they can contain beryllium oxide (BeO). Beryllium oxide can be hazardous if it is inhaled in the form of dust or fumes, as it can cause a condition called berylliosis (a kind of a heavy metal poisoning), which is a lung disease that can be fatal in severe cases. Also can cause a lung cancer.
People often salvage magnetrons from the old microwaves for its magnets, but if you see ceramic insulation rings are broken or have scratches - AVOID it.
High Voltage Transformer
This thing mostly kills diyers who try to use it in their projects.
A microwave oven transformer (MOT) typically outputs 2,000–3,000 volts AC at high current (0.5–1 amp). This combination is extremely lethal. Unlike low-power transformers, a MOT can supply deadly current continuously if a circuit is closed. Some people use MOTs for DIY projects (arc welders, Jacob’s ladders, high-voltage experiments), but this is extremely risky. Many hobbyists have suffered fatal accidents due to a lack of proper safety precautions.
Don’t rely on GFCI protection as it doesn’t work for MOTs. A GFCI detects imbalances between the hot and neutral wires, meaning if current leaks to ground (such as through a person), the GFCI shuts off power in milliseconds to prevent electrocution. But if you’re working with a MOT or any isolated transformer, the secondary side is isolated from ground so a GFCI cannot detect shocks from the high-voltage side because there’s no return current imbalance — it will not trip if you touch just one wire.
HAVE FUN AND STAY SAFE!