Odd component in a microwave
dan, Thu Aug 10 2006, 03:24AMWell I took apart a microwave and I found a component I never seen before and I have taken apart quite a few microwaves in my time. It was located on top just outside the cooking cavity right by a vent screen. It looks like a small plate capacitor in the middle and a coil covered in white stuff around it. All of this has a cage around it. It was connected by four wires to the control board. The middle thing is looks like a capacitor since I measure infinite resistance and it literally looks like a thin piece of PCB with a connection soldered on each side of it. The wires that connect to what I think is the capacitor has some braided shielding around it while the coil wires are unshielded. I did not keep the control board because it would have taken too much work to remove it. It was welded inside of a shielding metal box and since it was almost garbage collection and I didn't want to keep the hunk o junk for another week. I'm guessing this is some sort of leakage sensor but how does it work? Why the inductor/capacitor combo?
Here is a pictuire:
Re: Odd component in a microwave
Bjørn, Thu Aug 10 2006, 03:29AM
If the capacitor was open to air it could be a humidity sensor to detect boiling.
Bjørn, Thu Aug 10 2006, 03:29AM
If the capacitor was open to air it could be a humidity sensor to detect boiling.
Re: Odd component in a microwave
dan, Thu Aug 10 2006, 03:45AM
Well I’m not sure if it’s a capacitor in the middle of it. It might be a moisture sensor as you said and once it's triggered must be reset by using the coil/heater to drive off the moister so it can return to its dry state. Never seen this sort of device in a microwave before.
dan, Thu Aug 10 2006, 03:45AM
Well I’m not sure if it’s a capacitor in the middle of it. It might be a moisture sensor as you said and once it's triggered must be reset by using the coil/heater to drive off the moister so it can return to its dry state. Never seen this sort of device in a microwave before.
Re: Odd component in a microwave
Dr. Dark Current, Thu Aug 10 2006, 08:57AM
IIRC old microwaves used a low voltage controlled HV relay as the HV rectifier. maybe this is what you got. (in that case there would be no HV diode in the microwave)
J.M.
Dr. Dark Current, Thu Aug 10 2006, 08:57AM
IIRC old microwaves used a low voltage controlled HV relay as the HV rectifier. maybe this is what you got. (in that case there would be no HV diode in the microwave)
J.M.
Re: Odd component in a microwave
dan, Thu Aug 10 2006, 07:10PM
There was a diode.. so it's probably a moister sensor.
dan, Thu Aug 10 2006, 07:10PM
There was a diode.. so it's probably a moister sensor.
Re: Odd component in a microwave
Tesladownunder, Fri Aug 11 2006, 05:29AM
I have seen them and assumed they were airflow detectors. If I recall they have a filament and a ? heat sensor. If no airflow for what ever reason, the system needs to shut down.
I will get it out when I get home and look again.
Peter
Tesladownunder, Fri Aug 11 2006, 05:29AM
I have seen them and assumed they were airflow detectors. If I recall they have a filament and a ? heat sensor. If no airflow for what ever reason, the system needs to shut down.
I will get it out when I get home and look again.
Peter
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