Verge collections - microwave oven parts - Page 1
Forum section: electronics / general

author: DTJ
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: June 22, 2016, 01:27:24 pm
content: Here in Australia we have verge collections where people put their old white goods and junk on the verge adjacent the road and the contractors collect it.When ever microwave ovens are put out someone will always open the side adjacent the controls and remove something.It happens to ALL of them, if you drive through an area all the microwave ovens will have been pilfered.What part is being taken & why?Some expensive HV diode or similar part that repairers can resell as part of a repair?

author: Photon939
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: June 22, 2016, 01:32:03 pm
content: Most likely harvesting the transformer for scrap $, same with the people who drive around and snip the power cords off.

author: DTJ
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: June 22, 2016, 01:57:30 pm
content: No the transformers, magnetrons & cords are intact.Whatever is removed is small and easily accessible. The RHS (usually) is cracked open for access.

author: daqq
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: June 22, 2016, 02:40:27 pm
content: Possibly relay contacts? Some contain precious metals.

author: DTJ
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: June 22, 2016, 02:44:45 pm
content: Perhaps but they'd make more by cutting and scrapping the power cord.

author: NiHaoMike
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: June 22, 2016, 04:32:13 pm
content: Some experimenter grabbing the caps and/or diodes for some high voltage experiments?

author: SeanB
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: June 22, 2016, 06:19:28 pm
content: They might be taking the HV caps, diodes, eht fuse and the fan. Fan for the copper wire, because the transformer is wound with aluminium cores wire, which is not worth much. HV caps and diodes probably to either make a voltage multiplier or as spares to fix other ovens, which is definitely the reason to take the fuse, those are expensive to buy as spare parts.

author: DTJ
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: June 23, 2016, 07:48:31 am
content: Quote from: SeanB on June 22, 2016, 06:19:28 pmI reckon the fuse must be the answer Seanb.They bypass plenty of saleable scrap just to pull something small. If you could sell an expensive fuse with every other uWave oven repair then maybe it's worth the effort.

author: samnmax
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: June 23, 2016, 08:36:42 am
content: I recently recovered the microswitches from three microwave ovens to use in the buttons of an arcade cabinet. The ones you get in the cheap button kits are not very good quality, while the microwave ones have a much nicer "click" and feel.

author: AntiProtonBoy
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: June 23, 2016, 08:47:12 am
content: Maybe the Beryllium? But that's in oxide form, so not sure what use or how valuable that might be.

author: TerraHertz
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: June 23, 2016, 10:32:20 am
content: Quote from: DTJ on June 22, 2016, 01:57:30 pmThis seems odd. Ones I've seen with the side levered open had the transformer removed.How about taking photos next time you see one. How many did you examine?I'm curious because I grab microwave ovens when I see them, to disassemble at home for parts. Taking both the old transformer type (because I want the transformers and HV caps for an experiment) and inverter types (because I like watching how that technology evolves.)I hope your plague of 'always ripped' doesn't develop here. So far I've only seen a few with the side ripped open.

author: DTJ
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: June 23, 2016, 12:40:45 pm
content: Quote from: TerraHertz on June 23, 2016, 10:32:20 amOver the last few years I would have seen at least a hundred that had been opened up. I'll have a good look at a few next time around, I've been wondering about this for ages.Verge collection in ours and surrounding suburbs start in a couple of months, I'm looking forward to it I'm a bit of a verge shopping addict and always score a few good things.

author: Tinkerer
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: June 23, 2016, 10:40:40 pm
content: Possibly switches and boards. Switches tend to be a point of failure. More likely people scrapping stuff they think is valuable without knowing what really is.

author: chris_leyson
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: June 24, 2016, 04:38:53 pm
content: QuoteI think they use ceramic and they are air cooled anyway. I've never seen a magnetron with a BeO warning sticker.

author: TerraHertz
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: June 26, 2016, 02:41:30 am
content: Quote from: chris_leyson on June 24, 2016, 04:38:53 pmThis "microwave oven magnetrons contain Beryllium" thing seems to be an entirely unfounded folklore scare. The ceramic used in the tubes is alumina, and is colored various shades of purple. I've never ever seen a consumer magnetron with a BeO warning marker either, and the idea that a mass-produced consumer appliance containing BeO could *ever* be marketed, seems extremely unlikely.@DTJ I think you are just unlucky in your area, to have some guy who gets up early and trashes kerb-side microwaves.I picked up another one a couple of days ago. On the kerb a few houses down from the local shopping area, so a busy place. No damage, and it even still had the cord. Despite having obviously been out in the rain at least over night.It's an older, transformer type, so scrappers would likely take it if they noticed it.For laughs, before pulling out the transformer, HV diode and cap (what I want) I tried it. Turned out to be nothing wrong but an open mains fuse. I didn't even replace it, just soldered a strand of wire across it. Fuse marked 12A, and is an opaque ceramic type so I can't see the state of the inner wire. Vaporized or just happened to break? Don't know, but my fine strand of wire doesn't even get warm.Pics for amusement.To tell if an oven is working I usually put a small fluoro from a dead CCFL bulb in the chamber. But this only allows the oven to be run for seconds, since the CCFL tube as a sole RF load will rapidly overheat and melt, or arc through the glass to the oven metal floor. (Which is not a guess.)This time I tried floating the CCFL tube in a small jar of water. Works great! The water absorbs most of the RF energy, leaving enough to light the tube harmlessly (to the tube.) Can be left running as long as you like, so long as you don't boil the water away.Oh well. It makes me feel guilty to scrap a working appliance, but I just don't need _another_ working microwave. Already have a stack of other nice new-looking inverter ones that only needed trivial zero-cost repairs. After which I couldn't bear to trash them.Also this one is a black color scheme, inside and out. Uugh.

author: SeanB
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: June 26, 2016, 06:57:43 am
content: Fuse likely blew because owner tried pulling the door to open it, not using the push button, or they jabbed the button so only disengaged the one interlock microswitch, the safety then shorting the supply and blowing the fuse.

author: mikeselectricstuff
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: June 26, 2016, 09:22:45 am
content: I suppose it could be some well-meaning person who wants to make sure they're really dead to stop people doing stupid things with them.But my guess would be they're talking fuses and/or diodes, as the OEM ones can be quite expensive.