Any opinions on which microwave oven brands are the best in the country. Bought mine (Panasonic) 6 years ago in the UK on ebay for £5 (about Php335) - not expecting a bargain like that here. Door won't close and it looks very sealed, so I'm not sure I can get to the inside to repair it (if it is repairable). Thanks in anticipation.
Bought a GE microwave here about 4 years ago. I think we paid about P3k for it. It's got all the bells and whistles (timed cooking, power settings etc) and still going strong - no problems whatsoever.
How to repair a microwave door spring mechanism (taking care not to allow leakage from the microwave): I couldn't see any GE models but when I chose the new microwave I decided I could now take the risk of trying to repair my old microwave instead of splashing out 4 to 5k, as I was going to throw it out anyway. Also, looking at the microwaves in the stores, it was obvious the problem was inside the door. The plastic insert around the inner door flicked out easily and I had access to the mechanism inside - I found a broken attachment for the lower part of a spring (the original attachment they put in was metal but very flimsy). I needed something strong but tapering and so used the nozzle from a white glue container and strengthened it with a small wooden dowel rammed inside. (Any similar nozzle would do) - I cut it down (gradually) to fit, glued it in place and then put the spring loop on it. To hold the spring loop in place I used one of the ring-like pieces I cut off the nozzle earlier and glued that on. I replaced the door's plastic insert and the door now closes perfectly. Having written this I must point out that radiation leaks from microwaves are dangerous (as I am sure everyone knows) and so repair them with caution. There is a time to throw away a microwave and buy a new one.
Microwave oven radiation is non-ionizing (doesn't cause cancer). It operates at the same frequency as many WiFi routers. For any significant and permanent harm you would pretty much need to have the door wide open and be within the line of sight of the oven as microwave radiation doesn't diffract or reflect. You would also very likely feel a strong urge to leave the area as getting cooked alive from the inside probably doesn't feel all too good.
Have to add our kudos to GE. Bought a similar one to Senjenbing in 2016 at, I think, Robinson's appliances, but definitely in Dumaguete. Still goin strong, no problems.
A friend of mine was burned by a microwave oven. The seal was bad and the microwave was making funny noises. This was on a boat and the microwave was mounted low. He would lean against the hinge side of the door to look at gauges that were mounted in the panel behind and above the microwave. This was for relatively brief time periods while the microwave was heating his coffee. He developed a red streak on his abdomen that matched the profile of the microwave oven where he leaned against it. It began to hurt on the inside. He went to go see doctor. I do not remember what happen next.
So he was leaning directly on the hinge while the oven was in operation? I bet the doctor told him to stop doing that.
True! "Microwave radiation can heat body tissue the same way it heats food. Exposure to high levels of microwaves can cause a painful burn. Two areas of the body, the eyes and the testes, are particularly vulnerable to RF heating because there is relatively little blood flow in them to carry away excess heat. Additionally, the lens of the eye is particularly sensitive to intense heat, and exposure to high levels of microwaves can cause cataracts. But these types of injuries – burns and cataracts – can only be caused by exposure to large amounts of microwave radiation." So 1) Don't look at the running microwave oven closely for a prolonged period, there are more interesting things to do 2) Don't site your microwave at genital level - this requires measuring all male members of the family.
I think this should be the standard suggested mounting height. Only those smart enough to mount it elsewhere should be allowed to breed.