Microwave and Possible Leaking Radiation

[Wyndru]

A few months ago I bought a new microwave that has been disrupting our WiFi signal each time it is on. I've searched around on the web and have found some sites that say this is normal (since they operate in the 2.4ghz range) and other sites that say this is abnormal (even dangerous) because they should not be leaking anything that would cause an interruption in wifi.

I did the cell phone test of putting the phone in the microwave and pinging it as well as calling it and both worked, so basically it doesn't appear that the microwave is shielding any signal from getting into it. I've seen this test suggested around the web and I don't know if it proves anything or not.

When I say I lose wifi connection, I don't mean the signal gets weak, or I just lose some packets, I mean I completely lose signal anywhere in the house until the microwave has stopped.

Is this anything I should be worried about? Is there any way I can shield this, or should I start shopping around for another microwave? My wife is pregnant, so that's another concern I have, she uses the microwave quite a bit, and often stands by it while it's on.

 

[phucheneh]

Were you planning on having children?

 

[Cattlegod]

Why aren't you concerned with the wifi and phone signal going through your house because they use the same signal range as the microwave?

 

[MarkLuvsCS]

I would definitely replace that microwave ASAP. I don't see the point of possibly risking anything on a cheap microwave.

 

[Rakewell]

OP,

Go buy a microwave from Walmart. Run it, see if WiFi is disrupted.

Problem solved-

 

[IronWing]

First, microwave ovens produce non-ionizing radiation so no cancer risks.

Second, one is worried that a leak from the microwave might be an issue but sees no issue with holding a similar radiation emitting device with similar frequency range next to one's head?

 

[phucheneh]

Why aren't you concerned with the wifi and phone signal going through your house because they use the same signal range as the microwave?

People think microwaves run on plutonium or something.

 

[IronWing]

Place your smoke detector in front of your microwave. The neutrons from the Americium will knock out the gamma rays coming off the plutonium source rendering the microwave safe.

 

[Wyndru]

Oh, ok. I thought the electromagnetic radiation produced by microwaves was something that needed to be worried about. I thought it was emitting much higher levels than a standard communication device using radio frequencies.

So basically the "sheilding" that microwaves have built into them is more for protection from the heat and not the radiation?

I don't care about the wifi going out, I was just concerned after seeing a lot of sites saying that it could be dangerous.

Oh, nvm I just found the FDA page regarding this. Looks harmless.
http://www.fda.gov/Radiation-Emitti...rYouRadiationEmittingProducts/ucm252762.htm#2

 

[phucheneh]

Oh, ok. I thought the electromagnetic radiation produced by microwaves was something that needed to be worried about.

So basically the "sheilding" that microwaves have built into them is more for protection from the heat and not the radiation?

I don't care about the wifi going out, I was just concerned after seeing a lot of sites saying that it could be dangerous.

There is no heat in the microwave. There is only hot food.

Microwaves (high frequency radio) are concentrated and 'fired' at something with moisture in it. Said moisture is agitated, fidgets around, and makes heat.

Things that don't have moisture in them (dinner plates, plastic containers, ect) will only get hot from the food that's touching them. And then they sit on a tray made of glass (insulator). AFAIK all that's insulating heat in a microwave as a whole is a bit of steel. I don't think it's lined like a refrigerator or something.

The shielding from interference is kind of important, though.

I wonder what an unshielded magnatron would do? Can I build an evil device to knock out my neighbors WiFi?

IIRC the military actually developed a nonlethal riot control device that was essentially a giant microwave. It directed the radiation right at you and cooked you just enough to hurt without actually damaging anything.

edit: Active Denial System. Wikipedia doesn't mention how long it takes to cook a turkey with it.

oh, and one more micro-thing: Look at the window on your microwave, and see if there's any damage to that grid pattern on it. Typical source of leakage.

 

[Wyndru]

oh, and one more micro-thing: Look at the window on your microwave, and see if there's any damage to that grid pattern on it. Typical source of leakage.

No damage that I can see. It's only about 2 or 3 months old, and it's been like this since the day I plugged it in. It wasn't a cheap microwave either so I'm surprised this is even an issue. I still have our old one in the garage though, it just needs a power supply. I think I'm just going to replace the supply and put that one back. It never caused the wifi to disconnect.

 

[Mixolydian]

I once opened the microwave door before it dinged. :hmm:

 

[OverVolt]

Yea my microwave doesn't disrupt the wifi and its a semi-cheapo sunbeam.

Buy a new microwave.

 

[Jeff7]

Yea my microwave doesn't disrupt the wifi and its a semi-cheapo sunbeam.

Buy a new microwave.

Huh...and I've yet to use a microwave that didn't disrupt Wifi or Bluetooth signals.
Parents' microwave, the microwave in the dorm at college, the microwave in the apartment at college, and my own microwave - all of them will cause some signal loss for wireless signals. I figure it's the field thrown out by the power transformer that's in there.

Oh, ok. I thought the electromagnetic radiation produced by microwaves was something that needed to be worried about. I thought it was emitting much higher levels than a standard communication device using radio frequencies.

So basically the "shielding" that microwaves have built into them is more for protection from the heat and not the radiation?

I don't care about the wifi going out, I was just concerned after seeing a lot of sites saying that it could be dangerous.

Oh, nvm I just found the FDA page regarding this. Looks harmless.
http://www.fda.gov/Radiation-Emitti...rYouRadiationEmittingProducts/ucm252762.htm#2

You've also got sites out there that say that scary "electromagnetic radiation" is coming from various devices, and it's going to cause cancer and various other ailments, as if EM radiation is some crazy thing that we'd never been exposed to until Wifi devices were brought into existence. They seem to be quite unaware that visible light is also EM radiation.
Blue light is pretty energetic, too; it's not too terribly far from the UV band. Usually you get more energetic photons as the frequency increases. Wifi and microwave ovens are down around a few GHz, maybe a few dozen GHz. Blue light is somewhere in the vicinity of 650,000GHz.

 

[phucheneh]

If the microwave is 2-3 months old, I'd see about returning/warrantying it.

It probably has a 90 day warranty. Possibly longer if it's higher-end brand (i.e. not Walmart)

FWIW I've never had issues with WiFi and my microwave. Do you guys have the thing in the same room as your router or something?

 

[OverVolt]

I literally just tested mine. Fired up the microwave with some water in it. Loaded some web pages on the laptop/desktop that are hooked up via wifi and zero problems.

Didn't seem packet lossy or slow.

 

[Wyndru]

If the microwave is 2-3 months old, I'd see about returning/warrantying it.

It probably has a 90 day warranty. Possibly longer if it's higher-end brand (i.e. not Walmart)

FWIW I've never had issues with WiFi and my microwave. Do you guys have the thing in the same room as your router or something?

Not in the same room, and it actually knocks out both access points in the house (we have one on each floor), so it is actually interfering with both channels I have them set to (1 and 11). I'd just use N to get around this with the 5ghz band, but I have an old laptop that I use that only has G.

Like I said the old microwave I had didn't do this, so it might be just a defective unit, or it's just cheaply made.

 

[randomrogue]

Dear lord how do people not understand microwaves?

All a microwave does is excite the water molecules in your food. That grill in the front with those giant holes? Those holes are small enough to block the radiation. You do not have a nuclear device in your kitchen.

 

[phucheneh]

I literally just tested mine. Fired up the microwave with some water in it. Loaded some web pages on the laptop/desktop that are hooked up via wifi and zero problems.

Didn't seem packet lossy or slow.

Technically I think you would want to do this with nothing in the microwave (testing, that is). I would assume having something in there would absorb the radiated waves and give them less chance to leak out.

Which leads me to wonder: OP, how big is the microwave? If it's enormous, and you're using it on high to heat up a cup of tea, perhaps there's just a lot of excess energy bouncing around? I dunno, I'm not technical enough with this stuff to know how the waves actually behave inside the oven.

But I still say OP has a bad and/or shittily-made microwave oven.

 

[Wyndru]

It's pretty small (1.2 Cu ft.) but it's also higher wattage than most I've seen (1300). It's a Panasonic, not sure of the exact model though.

 

[lxskllr]

It's pretty small (1.2 Cu ft.) but it's also higher wattage than most I've seen (1300). It's a Panasonic, not sure of the exact model though.

Experiment with aluminum foil, and see if you can get it to stop interfering. That'll isolate the issue, and you may be able to rig something that looks decent.

 

[Wyndru]

Experiment with aluminum foil, and see if you can get it to stop interfering. That'll isolate the issue, and you may be able to rig something that looks decent.

I was thinking that, I've seen this suggested (and also placing wood blocks like cutting boards around the microwave).

The oven is in an enclosure, so it wouldn't be difficult to line the enclosure and maybe put something over the foil to make it look nicer.

 

[Rubycon]

Place your smoke detector in front of your microwave. The neutrons from the Americium will knock out the gamma rays coming off the plutonium source rendering the microwave safe.

Americium is an alpha emitter and far too week to employ neutron re-emission via beryllium window method. Of course I knew you were joking.

OP: If you're concerned with excessive exposure to microwave energy have your oven tested at a certified shop using proper instrumentation.

 

[self_storage]

Better not nuke that hot pocket while your in the middle of a big World of Warcraft run!

 

[Wyndru]

Better not nuke that hot pocket while your in the middle of a big World of Warcraft run!

It's actually happened to me on multiple Diablo key runs, always after I get 5 nv stacks of course.