Important microwave question

[Nikia]

I just put microwave popcorn in my microwave. About a quarter of the way through its cycle (popcorn button), it started doing something really weird, the microwave was shaking, and I thought that it was going to blow up. I was standing about 10 feet away and left the house for a couple of miuntes. It appears not to have blown up. I haven't opened the door to check the popcorn or microwave. It isn't smoking though.
We've had the microwave for about 5 years and use it often. It seemed to be getting beat up and we were planning on getting another one.
My important question is this: Do you think that it was giving off lots radiation? Should I check into the hospital? Should I leave the house for a while? Do you think that the popcorn is safe to eat if it isn't charred? Should I go for a drive and check out how much a geiger counter is?
Am I being paranoid or is this a legitamate concern?

[trotsky]

1. Microwave radition is not like nuclear radiation.

Its waves are too big to damage cells - it can only "jiggle" water and oil molecules, which is how it heats food.

So if you were exposed to strong enough microwaves for long enough, the only risk of injury is tissue damage from the water inside your cells from getting too hot.

Bottom line is: you've got nothing to worry about. Except where to get a new microwave!

[Richard Steele]

3. Yup, you are fine. Just don't use that machine ever again!

SHAKING is a new one on me...I wouldn't ever use that thing again.

[BlueJazz]

2. If your Pets start growing extra limbs in a few days...

..then you'll know.
Naw..as long as the dooor is shut the microwaves are pretty much contained.
You might want to buy another one though if you're concerned.. (they're pretty cheap..nowadays)

[Nikia]

7. My dog was closer to the microwave than me

He seems a bit agitated, but alright. I am glad that I won't have to worry about him or me dropping dead though after all.

[tedoll78]

4. No worries.

You didn't get any measurable dose of radiation. Just paranoia.

Cheers!

[jmowreader]

5. Important microwave answer

There are two kinds of radiation: ionizing and non-ionizing.

Those nuclear bombs we invaded Iraq because Saddam was three days from starting full production on use ionizing radiation, as do x-ray machines, nuclear power plants and concrete density meters. Your microwave oven uses non-ionizing radiation, as does your cell phone, all radio towers and the clicker for your garage door opener.

There's a big long technical difference between the two, but all you need to know is that when the microwave shuts off, the non-ionizing radiation stops. It's not there anymore. Ionizing radiation, on the other hand, keeps going until the material that produces it wears out.

This means you don't need to check into the hospital or leave the house, that the popcorn is safe to eat if it isn't charred (it's safe to eat even if it's charred, but it will be gross beyond description), and you don't need a geiger counter. IIRC you can put a geiger counter in the microwave and turn it on, and the counter won't detect radiation--because geiger counters detect ionizing radiation, the kind your microwave doesn't produce.

There is a special little meter you can get called a Microwave Radiation Detector that will test the seals in your microwave--Radio Shack has them and they're not expensive--but in your case I'd just chuck the thing and get a new one.

All a leaking microwave oven really can do is cook ya, and since you posted you're not cooked yet. You're fine, but live it up and get a new microwave.

[Nikia]

9. I just checked the popcorn

It doesn't appear to be charred even. I am glad that it is safe to eat since I probably won't be using a microwave until I can get a new one.

[Salviati]

6. What's probably wrong:

Most microwaves have a motor that spins a deflector that deflects the beam of microwaves all around the interior of the cooking cavity, so that the food will cook more evenly. If the deflector became unbalanced somehow, when it spins up it will cause the microwave to shake around like an unbalanced washing machine.

If this is what's going wrong, it shouldn't be leaking any more radiation than if it were working properly, and even if it were, it's mostly harmless as explained in the other posts.

[Nikia]

8. Thanks for the explanation

It had never done that before and as you can tell, it really freaked me out. I am glad that there is a simple and non dangerous explanation.

[Nikia]

10. Do you know if this is a fixable problem?

That wouldn't have to be fixed by a tech and cost almost as much as a new one.

[Salviati]

12. I'm not really sure, you could always open it up and poke around inside

to see if there is anything obviously wrong with it. But I believe that there are pretty nasty capacitors inside, so fiddling around with it could be dangerous. It may be best to send it to a tech or to get a new one...

[Deja Q]

11. microwaves are different, but this is weird...

I'd only be worried if the seals around the door of the microwave weren't in perfect order or if the front safety grille was broken.

A jumpy microwave could mean a motor out of whack.

I'd definitely replace the bugger.

But you are probably okay.

A trivial trivia tidbit: microwave ovens were banned in Russia (the evil emprire, don'cha know) is the mid-1970s.