[NickFury]

Trying to figure out what is happening.

Had a 10 yr old Kenmore that had worked since we bought the house 3 yrs ago. One day hile working it just shut off, it also made a burning smell and my wife immediately pulled the plug which was hot to the touch. Later it was dead as door nail......I tried plugging back in but it was dead. Also it stayed very warm long after it had been unplugged.

So we figured okay....it was over 10 yrs old, let' get a new microwave...and we did.....

A spanking brand new Kenmore went in it's place. It worked great for a few days for short warm ups....but then this morning my wife was cooking bacon in itand had it going for 7 minutes on full.....and again it has shut off, and feels very warm.

I swear I nearly cried, as we are not in the best financial shape and it had been a big sacrifice to get a new microwave oven. It seemed deader then dead, and now I guessed it to be the outlet. My heart absolutely sank.

My wife insists this time the cord was NOT hot to the touch. But I tried replugging the brand new microwave to various other outlets and it wouldn't turn on.....and again the walls inside were very very warm.

However, An hour later and it plugs into any outlet including the original outlet and appears to be working again. So I guess some sort of thermal sensor tripped? I have it unplugged again though, because I am afraid to use it right now, until i can figure out what is wrong.....could it be the outlet?

What could the possible problems be with outlet that would cause this behavior?.....and whatever it was it has only started recently as teh previous homwowner had the last microwave plugged in t that outlet for over 10 years, with no problems....this is an outlet for a microwave/vent over the range unit, and has never had anything worked on, or ever had anything else plugged into it. Could I really have had a new microwave just happen tobreak right after the old one?

[TimA3771]

Check your warranty if it's a new unit. Have a service man look at it if you are covered under warranty...

[microwavedisplayDOTcom]

Foods that are low in density or low in moisture (such as bacon and popcorn, respectively) can cause the magnetron to overheat.

That's because there is not enough of either mass or moisture to absorb enough of the microwave energy put out by the oven.

The excess energy then reflects back to the magnetron and causes a standing wave (like a poorly tuned transmitter antenna) and causes the magnetron to overload and overheat.

When the mag gets too hot, it trips the magnetron thermostat, a protective device. In the bets of cases, your model has a thermostat, which rests when it cools. The worst cases is a thermal fuse, which is a one time device which must be replaced when it trips.

If this overheating is a persistent problem, a stopgap is to put about 1/3 to 1/2 a cup of water in a microwave-safe container (a Pyrex measuring cup is ideal) in a REAR CORNER of the microwave whenever you cook such items.

And of course I always suggest that food items be placed off-center in the microwave, NOT in the center of the turntable, otherwise the food is not exposed evenly enough to the microwave energy and will not heat as efficiently as it could.

(Placing it in the center is sort of like stirring paint by twirling a stick in the center instead of pulling it around in a circle in the paint can).

Such inefficient heating wastes the energy at best, and at worst it puts a strain on the magnetron.

If a magnetron is repeatedly subjected to such stress, it will prematurely fail. It will also draw excessive current, which can strain the high-voltage transformer.

That in turn will often lead to the oven's drawing excessive current, resulting in a hot cord and plug, and the fuse will blow - hopefully before the transformer or magnetron does! See my user name if you need more help.