Your anxiety may soar if you don’t understand how an item operates. There are several situations where you can be unsure whether something is a normal occurrence or an anomaly. When a microwave begins to get warm on the exterior, it might sometimes be concerning. But why does a microwave gets hot on the outside?
When the exterior of the microwave becomes heated, which is one of the symptoms of a malfunctioning microwave, the appliance is broken. While it is true that the microwave generates a lot of heat energy, it should be noted that this heat energy should be focused on the food or item being heated rather than the microwave’s exterior.
Should Microwave Gets Hot On The Outside?
Microwave ovens are designed to keep heat and hot waves out while functioning. However, if you leave a microwave on for a long time or cook on high heat, it may get heated on the exterior. This problem is caused mostly by inadequate appliance insulation and malfunctioning heating components. It is not natural for your microwave to get too hot, and you must fix it.
Your microwave will not remain cool while operating, and you will feel the heat when you touch it. However, if the heat becomes uncomfortable or you see smoke emerging from your microwave, you should seek immediate repair. The microwave has several features that make the exterior of the appliance heat.
The microwave’s outside is heated by the food being cooked within. The power transformer’s heat is felt on the microwave’s outside when your food is being heated in the microwave. Along with the lights that the inner lamps have created, the lamps also generate heat, which is felt on the microwave’s outside. The physics study demonstrates that heat energy is generated whenever the light is created.
Additionally, a lot of heat is created if you attempt to cook food or anything with less moisture or water. A significant amount of the heat buildup within the microwave is also transmitted to its outside. We may also discuss prolonged microwave use, which similarly builds up heat energy transmitted to the microwave outside. According to science, microwaved food produces heat through the water molecules’ vibrations caused by electromagnetic radiation waves.
What Could Be Causing the Outside Of The Microwave to Get Hot?
I’m sure you’ve figured out that it’s OK for the exterior of a microwave to become warm, but not hot. And the exterior of the microwave does not get heated due to a single reason. Another thing we learned is that just because the exterior of your microwave becomes hot doesn’t indicate everything is OK inside. Before reaching such findings, certain fundamental tests must be performed.
Check to see whether the microwave is next to another appliance since the hotness on the exterior of the microwave might be caused by the heat generated by the other device. It does not necessarily refer to simple appliances but anything that generates heat. Suppose anything becomes lodged in the vent openings and blocks the air vents. This keeps the heat that is meant to exit the interior gently from accumulating. The heat generated by the molecules in their drive to find their way out is transmitted to the outside of the microwave, creating the hotness felt on the exterior.
The air vent being too near to an item or anything impeding the free passage of heat from the microwave’s interior might cause a blockage. After doing all of these tests, that is, ensuring that there is no appliance adjacent to the microwave and that there is no obstruction on the side of the air vent, but it is still hot on the outside, we can infer that the microwave is broken and should be repaired as soon as possible. The microwave must be fixed or replaced in this scenario.
What Happens If My Microwave Gets Too Hot?
A microwave has the potential to overheat. This is most common when there is insufficient ventilation, causing the heat to collect in the microwave for an extended period. The ventilation of a microwave helps to manage the device’s temperature. Overheating also occurs when there is less moisture or water in the meal or when the material has been microwaved. The microwave’s functions are centered on extracting moisture from food items. When there is no moisture remaining, it causes overheating.
When the microwave overheats, it shuts off on its own. Overheat sensors are integrated into microwaves and many other appliances, triggering a shutdown if there is excess heat. This usually occurs when the fan fails, or the air vents get clogged. To prevent the possibility of overheating your microwave, make sure it has enough air while in use. Also, be careful not to overload the microwave by leaving some room on the edges of the food or material to be microwaved.
Is It Normal For A Microwave To Get Hot On The Outside?
Yes, the microwave gets hot on the exterior like any other cooking device. When you select a setting to warm or cook your food, some heat emanates through the microwave’s vents, causing the gadget to overheat. While functioning, almost all microwaves feel warm to the touch, but they only become hot when the temperature you’ve chosen is high.
You’ll be disappointed if you anticipate a microwave oven to be chilly while warming your meal. All electrical appliances, particularly those used for cooking, produce heat when functioning. However, the quantity of heat produced by a microwave oven is not necessarily unpleasant. Unless your appliance’s magnetron generates a lot of heat and there’s no surface inside to absorb it, the exterior won’t grow dangerously hot.
The food within a microwave oven affects the heating levels as well. Assume you’re reheating leftover meals in an airtight container. The microwaves emitted by the appliance’s magnetron no longer have any moisture content to pick up on and spin. If the microwave is left on this setting for a long time, the exterior will get very hot.
The exterior heating level of your microwave is determined by how you use it. It will function perfectly if you are cautious with the temperature settings of the food and the device, and you will not notice an alarming quantity of warmth coming from the appliance.
What Causes Microwaves To Get Hot On The Outside?
You’ve been using your microwave for a while and have been cautious with the temperature settings, yet it still gets too hot. You want to know why this occurs and what you can do about it; we hear you. Here are the key causes of overheating in your microwave oven that might have a long-term influence on its performance:
High Cooking Temperature
Some recipes instruct you to warm the microwave oven and run it empty before beginning to cook. However, this option does not always work. When you select a high cooking temperature, such as 400F, a considerable portion of the heat escapes from the microwave, resulting in overheating.
Aside from overheating the microwave, excessive heat may also overheat your food and cause minor damage if you handle it carelessly. Most microwave manufacturers suggest keeping to low-medium cooking temperatures to safeguard your microwave from heat abuse.
Running the Microwave with Nothing Inside
To cook your food, microwave ovens stimulate the water molecules rising from it. When the microwave is turned off, there is no moisture content to stimulate, and the waves bounce solely on metal surfaces. This bounce produces metal arcing and overheating, which endangers the safety of your equipment. If you must warm the microwave, do it quickly and place the food inside before it becomes too hot.
Microwave Vents That Aren’t Working
Microwave ovens need appropriate ventilation to maintain ideal temperatures and avoid severe heating and arcing. However, the heat is trapped within if your appliance’s ventilation system is clogged with stuck-on food or its fans fail. If the microwave is used in this mode, it will get quite hot on the exterior, and its performance will suffer.
You should check that your microwave’s vents are operating properly and that nothing restricts the airflow. Grease and food particles may sometimes clog a microwave’s vents, causing disrupted airflow. The good news is that you may avoid this issue by keeping your microwave clean and airy.
Microwave Overstuffing
Sure, heating a big food batch all at once seems easy, but it might jeopardize the safety of your equipment. Because of the lack of space, overcrowding the microwave oven compromises its air circulation and ventilation.
Because countertop ovens are tiny and have weaker vents, this feature is very important. When this sort of microwave is loaded with food, it quickly becomes hot from the outside, threatening the safety of your equipment. As a result, it’s best to split the meal into many batches to prevent overcrowding the oven.
Thin Insulation
Some microwave ovens have poor insulation that cannot tolerate continuous heat production. Cooking in a lightly insulated oven for lengthy periods causes it to heat up rapidly and overheat. If you buy a microwave oven, be sure it’s from a reputable brand and that the insulation is strong enough to withstand the increased heat.
If your old microwave has thin walls and you often experience overheating, always use a low-medium cooking setting. Keep anything flammable away from your microwave, and keep it clean. These techniques will keep your microwave safe from many problems caused by overheating.
Conclusion On Microwave Gets Hot On The Outside
It may be perplexing and terrifying when you don’t understand how technology works. It makes sense to search for information to avoid any mishaps because of this. We hope that the information above was helpful to you!
Hiiii! My name is Ruth and I am an experienced chef with a passion for food and cooking. My love of baking began when I was nine, and I have since been refining my skills in the kitchen ever since.
