Undoubtedly, microwave ovens are widely used in kitchens globally and have become an indispensable appliance due to their convenience, despite the negative associations with the term “nuking” food.
While there are ongoing discussions regarding the potential health risks of using a microwave, it is also important to consider whether or not they pose a safety hazard.
If you are wondering whether it is safe to use a microwave with a hole or crack, the answer is that it depends on the size of the damage. However, in general, there is minimal risk associated with being near a running microwave, regardless of its condition. This includes microwaves that have cracks or holes and those that are in perfect working order. Understanding how microwaves function can help alleviate any concerns you may have about using your microwave.
The reason behind the popularity of microwaves is their ability to cook food much faster than a traditional oven. However, if the microwave has a defect such as a hole or crack, it could pose a risk to your health despite its speed advantage. Microwaves have been widely used in modern households for over a generation.
It is certain that microwaves are safe to use, regardless of whether they have cracks or holes, as any potential danger would have been discovered by now.
Why Is It Safe to Use A Microwave Oven?
To comprehend the safety of microwave ovens, it is crucial to comprehend their functioning and the factors that ensure their secure operation. This knowledge will enable you to determine the size of a hole or crack that would permit microwaves to leak from the oven. However, even if microwaves escape, science clarifies why there is minimal danger to individuals in proximity to the oven.
When a microwave oven dings or beeps, it means that the electricity from one of the wall outlets in your home has been converted into heat by exciting water molecules inside the food through friction caused by their movement.
Electricity
Electricity is the primary energy source that transforms into heat. According to basic physics principles, any alteration in the physical state of matter necessitates an external force. In this instance, electrical energy is transformed into non-ionizing radiation, which is directed towards your food.
Magnetron
The component responsible for converting electrical energy to non-ionizing radiation in a microwave oven is the Magnetron. It’s crucial to note that this type of radiation is non-ionizing, which is why microwave ovens are considered safe to use, unlike X-ray machines that emit ionizing radiation with strict exposure limits.
Waveguide
Waveguide is a tunnel that connects the magnetron to the stirrer and then to the cooking cavity of your microwave oven, ensuring that all the energy produced is directed towards its intended purpose, making microwave ovens highly efficient.
Stirrer
The fan inside the microwave, known as the stirrer, disrupts the microwaves’ path by mixing them up as they leave the waveguide and enter the cooking chamber. The heating process of food depends on microwaves bouncing off the walls of the cooking chamber and colliding with each other, which is more effective when they are scattered in different directions.
Cooking Cavity
The cooking cavity is where food is placed for cooking. Unlike conventional ovens that use gas, electric, or convection technology to heat up the space, a microwave’s cooking chamber simply allows microwaves to bounce around.
The reason why you can touch the inside of a microwave oven immediately after cooking something is that it doesn’t get hot enough to burn you, unlike a conventional oven that can reach temperatures as high as 400°F when cooking frozen pizza for 20 minutes.
Door & Choke
According to common belief, microwave ovens have a safety feature that prevents them from operating when the door is open, which is thought to be designed to avoid radiation leakage and protect people in the room. However, this feature is not only about safety but also about efficiency.
Using a microwave with a hole or crack can result in inefficient heating as the microwaves may escape the closed cooking cavity and fail to excite water molecules in food.
Standing with your body blocking the opening after removing the door of your microwave oven and disabling the choke is not a safe practice.
The reason why using a microwave with a hole or crack is unsafe is not because you will become radioactive, but rather because you will get burned as the microwaves are absorbed by items with high water content, causing them to heat up and boil.
In the following part, we will further discuss how the microwave’s physical characteristics determine what actions are safe or unsafe to perform with microwave ovens.
Why Are Microwave Ovens Safe?
It is important to note that the microwaves used in microwave ovens are not harmful to humans, which explains why a minor crack or hole in the microwave does not pose a safety risk.
Mesh Screen: A metal screen is present in most microwave ovens, which can be seen either inside the glass window or between panes of glass. The mesh size varies from one manufacturer to another, and it is important to note that there is a layer of this mesh within the walls of the cooking cavity to prevent microwaves from escaping.
As long as the screen remains undamaged, it is possible to remove the glass from the door or an exterior wall of the microwave without compromising its safety, since it is the mesh that effectively contains the microwaves within the cavity.
Wavelengths: Electromagnetic energy moves in waves, which have peaks and troughs that are constant and measurable. The wavelength of microwave energy is about 12 centimeters (4.7 inches), meaning that it cannot escape or pass through the holes in the mesh screens inside a microwave.
Damage to the Microwave Screen: If your microwave has a hole or crack in the mesh of the screen that is less than 4 inches, it will not allow microwaves to escape due to their wavelength being more than 4 inches.
However, in the scenario where the hole is bigger and microwaves are able to escape, it’s important to note that these waves are non-ionizing radiation and don’t carry much energy as individual waves. Instead, they work by getting excited in a large group. If they do leak out of the microwave and into an open space like your kitchen, they will quickly dissipate.
Conclusion
Understanding how microwaves function and the safety concerns associated with using a microwave that has a minor hole or crack can alleviate any apprehension. Although you may choose to upgrade your microwave for appearance or energy efficiency purposes, there is no need to be concerned about health risks from your current appliance while searching for a replacement.
