Tools

These are some common tools used to work on this device. You might not need every tool for every procedure.

Use caution when disassembling

Use caution when disassembling

A microwave can hold an electrical charge of thousands of volts in its capacitors for hours or even days after it has been unplugged, and can result in electrocution or death if proper precautions are not used.

Background and Identification

A microwave oven, often colloquially shortened to microwave, is a kitchen appliance that heats food by bombarding it with electromagnetic radiation in the microwave spectrum causing polarized molecules in the food to rotate and build up thermal energy in a process known as dielectric heating.

Microwave ovens heat foods quickly and efficiently because excitation is fairly uniform in the outer 25–38 mm of a dense (high water content) food item; food is more evenly heated throughout (except in thick, dense objects) than generally occurs in other cooking techniques.

Specifications

  • a high voltage power source
  • a high voltage capacitor connected to the magnetron, transformer and via a diode to the case
  • a cavity magnetron
  • a magnetron control circuit
  • a waveguide
  • a cooking chamber

Additional Information