asking because my microwave is still doing well after 2 decades…
it is still working perfectly fine. except the light inside microwave is broken
i have always been wondering if there is any health complications from using it (i.e. more radiation?), but it does the job well!!
it is a Japanese brand called National that my parents imported from overseas
not sure if the brand is still around
National became National Panasonic then Panasonic.
Then Palsonic.
Palsonic has nothing to do National Panasonic.
Junk brand that once traded as Princess 30 years ago.
Next you're going to tell me Sorny has nothing to do with Sony?
oh wow thanks for the history!! its really interesting
I have a Panasonic Inverter Microwave that I won for ‘Letter of the Week’ back in 2009. I’ve thought about replacing it- technology has moved on since then, devices are more energy efficient, it takes up a fair bit of counter space and we’ve updated our other appliances so it sticks out a bit.
But hey it still works fine, and free is free! If you’re happy, stick with what you’ve got!
don't fix the light, it will most likely break something else…
my 35 year old National portable stereo still rocks. will be a shame when analogue radio gets shut off.
The light is easy to replace.
Microwaves don"t use "radiation". It's not a Fukushima reactor. There is no risk.
Do you know where i can get a cheap light replacment for Panasonic microwave?
Been looking at it and they are $50 each, without the light the turnning dish no long turnning too
cheap light replacment for Panasonic microwave
ebay. $10 delivered
ordinarily it's just a basic screw in globe (e14 or similar) which is available from kmart. the panasonic appears to be all in one globe with connectors.
if you are cheap and in no hurry then wait for hard rubbish. find a thrown out microwave. remove lightglobe/connector thing and put it in your machine.
simple easy job. usually just connected by tabs.
just make sure your microwave has been unplugged for 24hours to allow the the high voltage capacitor to self discharge (24 hours is overkill, but lets not be killed over being in a rush. they usually discharge with in 30 minutes). though your model is older so maynot be self-discharging so either (A) don't tough it with anything. or (B) discharge it with an insulated screw driver.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Microwave_oven
A microwave oven (also commonly referred to as a microwave) is an electric oven that heats and cooks food by exposing it to electromagnetic radiation in the microwave frequency range
@altomic probably should have said ionizing radiation. Microwaves do not use ionizing radiation.
health complications from using it
No, the only health problems would be if there is a leak on the door seal.
Microwaves lose efficiency as they age, so they take longer to heat and cook after a while.
The kind of radiation produced by microwaves are not known to cause health problems even if there is a leak in the seal.
Microwaves are well within the region of non-ionizing radiation which is considered not to produce non-thermal affects on living tissue.
The FDA says otherwise.
"Most injuries are not radiation-related. That said, there have been very rare instances of radiation injury due to unusual circumstances or improper servicing. In general, microwave oven radiation injuries are caused by exposure to large amounts of microwave radiation leaking through openings such as gaps in the microwave oven seals."
the door seems to close properly..hmm but good point, will look into that!
My parents microwave is 30 years old. It's only planned obsolescent that make them fail. You have to realise that tech failing not something that should happen after x years but something companies design to happen.
I've replaced a couple of mine. I had a Sanyo back in the 90s that exited with a bright flash and a puff of the magic smoke. It was only a couple of days old so was replaced without financial trauma. About 5 years back I had a Panasonic that let out the magic smoke. I bought a new Panasonic the same afternoon and it's still OK.
Whenever I find a better one on the side of the road.
It's a microwave, the technology literally hasn't changed in decades.
Microwave ovens cook slower as they age.
Most people don't notice because it gradual.
I don't know if this is true or you're just messing with me…
@Scab: The National Microwave I'm using now was my mum's. I got it when she died in 2007, but she got it from my sister when my sister moved to England in the late 1980s.
There are days when the National seems to cook at "full power", which for it, is 750W, and other days when it seems to cook at about a third of that. Seriously! When I make my porridge in the mornings, it usually cooks in 2 minutes, but there are other days that it takes around 7 to 8 minutes. There's no apparent reason for the discrepancy in cooking time.
We're on the lookout now for a new one, but prices vary wildly and I can't say that I have much of a clue.
Some microwaves now use inverter technology which only applies the power needed but continuously. Original tech was always apply full power but vary the time the power was on. I know Panasonic uses inverter tech. I don't know about others.
When it blows up
When it becomes really gross from splattered cheese and the like baked on to the sides.
my current microwave is a 99cent ebay purchase from 9 years ago.
When it stops working, they're fairly indestructible, housemates have made a mess of mine now though so I won't be taking it with me when I leave. It was a Big W purchase about 6 years ago and I feel I've gotten my money's worth out of it, wouldn't mind an update anyway. When I was a teen my friend almost melted through the door on his when we put a big ball of foil inside it :D, his mental case gf then tore off that same microwave door and threw it at his head a year or two later!
If your balls don't glow your microwave is still good to go
also a side question….how do we know when a microwave is broken? When it doesnt power on?
When the water around the microwave starts heating up.
Before my aunty moved here a few years ago, she was still using one from the 70s in the UK. It was so old it didn't actually have a turntable.
we have a national microwave at my work. the handle to open it has been cracked, and its difficult to open. still works, has one press auto function and there is no way you could possibly clean it. probably close to 20 years old. nostalgic value keeps it in place.
sounds like the one i have! though the handle isnt cracked….yet
National became National Panasonic then Panasonic…I think 30 ish years ago :)
(Turns out that was just in Australia. Panasonic stopped using the National brand in Asia until 2004.)