[Thad E Ginathom]

Hmmm... decades of household washing; a handful of "boil" washes!

However, I don't know that 60C actually kills all the micro-organisms that famously occupy out kitchen towels and cloths in vast numbers.

But towels... it is just not my car that gets cossetted with microfibre in this house: we do too and it has to be washed at moderate temperature.

[condor]

Magnetron failure in the microwave after replacing the bulb.

The bulb in our Panasonic invertor microwave conked out, so I replaced it. While at it, I also replaced the waveguide cover inside, since it looked a little burnt and brittle.

When I ran it after these replacements, there was a sound coming from one of the components inside. So I called the technician who said that the magentron has failed, and hence is sparking.

I have not touched the mangetron / fan / invertor components, so I know I have not directly caused this problem. Technician says that the wave-guide cover was burnt because of the sparking & failed magnetron. But there was no such noise till I did the replacement.

What gives ? Was it a coincidence that the magnetron failed after the two replacements by me ?

[Aroy]

Sparking is mostly due to loose contacts, or in case of Microwave Radiation due to sharp edges. Just ensure that the wave guide is firmly attached and not loose. If the magnetron has failed, there will be no cooking!

Check that by putting water in a microwave safe container. If it heats up, then the magnetron is fine.

[Prowler]

Originally Posted by condor

Magnetron failure in the microwave after replacing the bulb.

The bulb in our Panasonic invertor microwave conked out, so I replaced it. While at it, I also replaced the waveguide cover inside, since it looked a little burnt and brittle.

When I ran it after these replacements, there was a sound coming from one of the components inside. So I called the technician who said that the magentron has failed, and hence is sparking.


What gives ? Was it a coincidence that the magnetron failed after the two replacements by me ?

Magnetrons are sturdy devices and in a way are Vacuum tubes. But there is a caveat - they work at high Voltages and high power levels (relatively) and hence need a little excuse to give up their ghost. Their worst enemies are sparking induced inside the cooking chamber. Sparking can be triggered by reflective metal inside or maladjusted waveguide. All it needs is a few seconds of spark to ruin a Magnetron.

In your case, the waveguide or its cover must have shifted resulting in partial blocking which would result in sparking. Unless there is something wrong, you leave them well alone.

If they are not subjected to such treatments, they live quietly for years. I have seen 15 year old Microwaves with working magnetrons.

[Thad E Ginathom]

I'm not sure about the one that I have now, but the microwave ovens I have owned in the past have had the rarer kinds of security screw. They really are trying hard to keep poking fingers out. Probably for good reason too. Some of you guys will know your way around this technology and its risks and dangers; I know I don't, so despite a very extensive set of screwdriver bits, it is one of those machines that I'd rather leave to the technician.

[condor]

Originally Posted by Prowler

Their worst enemies are sparking induced inside the cooking chamber. Sparking can be triggered by reflective metal inside or maladjusted waveguide. All it needs is a few seconds of spark to ruin a Magnetron.

In your case, the waveguide or its cover must have shifted resulting in partial blocking which would result in sparking. Unless there is something wrong, you leave them well alone.

Our microwave is quite old, and first time this has happened. We also do not bake items, so extended usage is also not a practice.

Regarding the sparking - we dont use metal utensils in the unit.

The Waveguide cover itself should not have got misaligned since I had cut the exact shape, and the cover is held in place at the top two corners (into slots) and there is a screw at the bottom centre. Cant mis-align, since it is mounted vertically, and it stayed that way.

But when we were shown the magnetron, the tip looked quite cooked.

Originally Posted by Thad E Ginathom

... the microwave ovens I have owned in the past have had the rarer kinds of security screw. .. Some of you guys will know your way around this technology and its risks and dangers; I know I don't, so despite a very extensive set of screwdriver bits, it is one of those machines that I'd rather leave to the technician.

Not a security screw, but a plain Philips one in this. I had avoided touching anthing else there.

For reference, the lamp housing was mounted in front of the dark-colored section there, and the fan above it. The magnetron is at the right side, behind the bunch of wires.

[Thad E Ginathom]

Nice that you recorded the innards for us

Electromagnet made from microwave transformers:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fbDTzhX1QQg

[Games Goblin]

Hi all

I am currently researching about dishwashers and whether it would be a useful addition to the household.

To those who are presently using a dishwasher: what are your experiences with it thus far?

The main questions I have about them are:

* Does it clean the utensils properly? Especially the utensils which are used to prepare our Indian dishes (masala residues etc.)

* Do the utensils need to be pre-washed first before loading into the machine? OR do we only need to remove the residue and then directly load it to the machine?

* From reading online, I understand that the dishwasher is usually set to run at night, after the dirty dishes used throughout the day are loaded into it – so if we use a dishwasher, should we have 3 sets of utensils – one to use for each time of the day?

* How good is it in cleaning odd shaped items like flasks, pressure cookers etc

* Why does this machine require salt?

Thanks

[harry10]

I am looking to buy a new refrigerator for our kitchen. My knowledge about this is minimal. The one we have selected upon visiting Vijay sales and Croma is this - https://www.amazon.in/gp/aw/d/B06XD9...enL&ref=plSrch

Kindly check and suggest if this has the latest technology and if we can get a better option.

[diyguy]

Originally Posted by Games Goblin

I am currently researching about dishwashers and whether it would be a useful addition to the household.

Answering with easiest questions first.
Salt is needed to soften the water. Wash is good due to the salt.
Cannot clean flasks due to depth and narrow opening.
Pressure cooker occupies space so my wife gets it done by the maid.
Tea vessel gets done well in our new Bosch. Earlier on Samsung in a different house and government supply water it was not getting done well. Could be the new machine I suppose.
We run the machine twice a day, else all vessels cannot be cleared in one go.
Sometimes she rinses the vessels and then puts them in. There is a prewash option in the machine too.

[abhi7013]

Originally Posted by harry10

I am looking to buy a new refrigerator for our kitchen. My knowledge about this is minimal. The one we have selected upon visiting Vijay sales and Croma is this - https://www.amazon.in/gp/aw/d/B06XD9...enL&ref=plSrch

Kindly check and suggest if this has the latest technology and if we can get a better option.

If you are looking at convertible, you could check out the link shared by me a few posts back in this very thread.

[pnredkar]

Originally Posted by Games Goblin

I am currently researching about dishwashers and whether it would be a useful addition to the household.

Absolutely! There are no longer flared tempers or frayed nerves when the house-maid decides not to show up . We have a Siemens dishwasher for the past 5 months and my observations are related to that.

Originally Posted by Games Goblin

* Does it clean the utensils properly? Especially the utensils which are used to prepare our Indian dishes (masala residues etc.)

In most cases (except the extreme greasy), the vessels come out cleaner than by hand. For the extremely greasy, you might have to do a post-wash. Note that aluminum and plastics are not recommended as the former may get scalded and latter deformed (both personal experiences also).

Originally Posted by Games Goblin

* Do the utensils need to be pre-washed first before loading into the machine? OR do we only need to remove the residue and then directly load it to the machine?

Not required, you would just waste water in your pre-wash. The dishwasher just takes about 13litres for a full load. We just keep on loading it through out the day and wash it overnight.

Originally Posted by Games Goblin

* From reading online, I understand that the dishwasher is usually set to run at night, after the dirty dishes used throughout the day are loaded into it – so if we use a dishwasher, should we have 3 sets of utensils – one to use for each time of the day?

Recommended to save water, detergent and electricity. The eco wash in our machine takes 3.5 hours, while you can also do the same load in slightly more than one hour at the cost of higher electricity.

Originally Posted by Games Goblin

* How good is it in cleaning odd shaped items like flasks, pressure cookers etc

There will always be a few odd shaped vessels that are better hand-washed. However, pressure cookers upto 5 litres would be fine in a dishwasher.

Originally Posted by Games Goblin

* Why does this machine require salt?

To reduce hardness; you can regulate the amount of salt used depending upon the input hardness. In addition to detergent and salt, rinse-aid (optional) is also used to give some shine to the vessels.

Hope this answers most of your queries.

Regards,
Prasad

[thoma]

Originally Posted by harry10

I am looking to buy a new refrigerator for our kitchen

You may refer https://www.bijlibachao.com/save-ele.../refrigerators for some info.

Even I'm on the lookout to replace our LG 460L 10 year old (2 star I think) frost free refrigerator, which alone is drawing around 140 units of electricity per month. Is it normal?

How much can I save if I change it to a 4 star new one?

[drsingh]

Originally Posted by thoma

You may refer https://www.bijlibachao.com/save-ele.../refrigerators for some info.

Even I'm on the lookout to replace our LG 460L 10 year old (2 star I think) frost free refrigerator, which alone is drawing around 140 units of electricity per month. Is it normal?

How much can I save if I change it to a 4 star new one?

The large 400-500 ltr refrigerators are basic designed for American use and have large freezer sections. Even 321 ltr fridge has 75 ltr of freezer space. Which goes unused most of the time.

Look at Samsung convertible inverter refrigerators discussed above which are available 275 ltr onwards. The freezer space can be converted to refrigerator space. And while on vacation, the freezer can be turned into a mini fridge to lower power consumption. I think buying two small refrigerators is more efficient than buying a large refrigerator with too much freezer space.For Indian cooking conditions, where we like to buy fresh groceries/meats and not store them for long periods in our refrigerators.

275 ltr onwards is a good size for 4 people.

[thoma]

Originally Posted by drsingh

I think buying two small refrigerators is more efficient than buying a large refrigerator with too much freezer space.

The difference between a 495L and a 360L is just around 2 units per month?