What could break in a Magnetron?

[The Doctor]

Hi all,

I recently replaced the magnetron on a microwave.
It was a Panasonic inverter type. Some suggest it could
be the inverter or the magnetron. I decided to go buy
a new magnetron from Prime Electronics and replaced it.
It worked. The old magnetron have some grease (cooking)
on it cooling fins(??) but apart from that I couldn't
see any problems on the outside. I am just curious what
could break in a magnetron. The microwave was about 4-5
years old.

Thank you
Anthony

 

[ian field]

Hi all,

I recently replaced the magnetron on a microwave.
It was a Panasonic inverter type. Some suggest it could
be the inverter or the magnetron. I decided to go buy
a new magnetron from Prime Electronics and replaced it.
It worked. The old magnetron have some grease (cooking)
on it cooling fins(??) but apart from that I couldn't
see any problems on the outside. I am just curious what
could break in a magnetron. The microwave was about 4-5
years old.

Thank you
Anthony

These days microwave ovens are so cheap as not to be worth messing about
with, particularly as spares are deliberately overpriced. But since you
asked, the cathode coating could be either stripped or tarnished - both
result in diminished thermionic emission.

 

[Don McKenzie]

These days microwave ovens are so cheap as not to be worth messing about
with, particularly as spares are deliberately overpriced.

you are not joking:
<http://www.alliedappliance.com.au/scripts/part_search.php?view=&search=magnetron&ct=1#target>
More than most ovens cost.

Don...


--
Don McKenzie

Site Map: http://www.dontronics.com/sitemap
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USB to 4 Relays. Many other modules available.
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[Trevor Wilson]

Hi all,

I recently replaced the magnetron on a microwave.
It was a Panasonic inverter type. Some suggest it could
be the inverter or the magnetron. I decided to go buy
a new magnetron from Prime Electronics and replaced it.
It worked. The old magnetron have some grease (cooking)
on it cooling fins(??) but apart from that I couldn't
see any problems on the outside. I am just curious what
could break in a magnetron. The microwave was about 4-5
years old.

**A magnetron is a vacuum tube. As such, it wears out. Sometimes, it can
fail.

 

[ian field]

you are not joking:
<http://www.alliedappliance.com.au/scripts/part_search.php?view=&search=magnetron&ct=1#target>
More than most ovens cost.

In the UK they're about £40 to £50 - sometimes including a browning grille,
they're certainly not worth repairing commercially but as I live in a block
of flats some other tenants just put their old one out the door so I claim
it before they get around to taking it down to the bin room. The one I'm
using, some muppet had wired the earth wire to the fuse - apart from that it
works perfectly. There's a couple more stashed in the garage since, one's in
very nice condition so I'm actually hoping the one I'm using gives up so I
have an excuse to fix the posh one.

 

[Franc Zabkar]

I am just curious what could break in a magnetron.

Notes on the Troubleshooting and Repair of Microwave Ovens

7.12) Comprehensive list of magnetron failure modes:
http://www.repairfaq.org/REPAIR/F_micfaq5.html#MICFAQ_009

- Franc Zabkar

 

[Eeyore]

I recently replaced the magnetron on a microwave.
It was a Panasonic inverter type. Some suggest it could
be the inverter or the magnetron. I decided to go buy
a new magnetron from Prime Electronics and replaced it.
It worked. The old magnetron have some grease (cooking)
on it cooling fins(??) but apart from that I couldn't
see any problems on the outside. I am just curious what
could break in a magnetron. The microwave was about 4-5
years old.

The heater/cathode ?

Graham

 

[Phil Allison]

"The Doctor"

I recently replaced the magnetron on a microwave.
It was a Panasonic inverter type. Some suggest it could
be the inverter or the magnetron. I decided to go buy
a new magnetron from Prime Electronics and replaced it.
It worked. The old magnetron have some grease (cooking)
on it cooling fins(??) but apart from that I couldn't
see any problems on the outside. I am just curious what
could break in a magnetron. The microwave was about 4-5
years old.

** Its just gotta be possible that the magnet died.

When magnets get hot and reach their "Curie Point" temp, all magnetism is
lost - maybe permanently.



....... Phil

 

[Jerry G.]

A magnetron is basicaly a vacuum tube. As it is used, the cathold
wears down. As the cathold is emitting electrons it wears down.
Eventualy it becomes so degraded that it cannot emit any more
electrons, therefore the emission is degraded too low for proper
functioning.

On rare occasions the heater can fail. If this happens the cathold can
no longer heat up to the proper temperature for the cathold to be able
to emit electrons.


Jerry G.

 

[The Doctor]

you are not joking:
<http://www.alliedappliance.com.au/scripts/part_search.php?view=&search
=magnetron&ct=1#target> More than most ovens cost.

Don...

I bought my magnetron from Prime electronics for $65.

 

[The Doctor]

** Its just gotta be possible that the magnet died.

When magnets get hot and reach their "Curie Point" temp, all magnetism
is lost - maybe permanently.

Nope, I drop a screw on the old one and I had pull the screw from the
magnetron.