Dear Sir/madam, If we had placed metal plate into the microwave oven by mistake... which caused a mess... How do we know if the oven is now safe to be used? Will there be leak or damaged? If there any gadget that I could get to test this? Thanks, Chee Hooi
Reminds me of the time my then mid-teen daughter called me at my office to tell me the microwave was broken, and to call the technician. I came home to see what was going on. She had been trying to heat a commercially made tamale, wrapped in aluminum foil, for quite a while and it wouldn't get warm. Fortunately our oven will take a small amount of metal objects without becoming damaged, unlike our previous one which would put on a show like the Fourth of July.
Here's my best advice: First, I'm curious as to what kind of mess it caused?
Basically you have two worries: will it function, or did it damage the element - in which case it either might not work or might cause a fire. Second, will it now admit dangerous radiations.
It may not work, although newer ones are made to absorb some radiation on the ceiling - but not a lot. If a fire occurred, it's probably unsafe as there's no telling what damage was done to it. If the ceiling melted, I would contact the manufacturer for advice and/or replacement of the ceiling panel.
You shouldn't use it at all, not once, if:
The glass is cracked
The door is warped at all
The gasket is melted.
In any of these cases, throw the oven OUT. It would be dangerous.
Yes, there is a gadget called a microwave tester sold in most kitchenware stores. I use mine routinely about every six months. It's not as good as the ones the technicians use but it should tell you if any radiation much above normal is coming out.
