Put some new pots in microwave, followed instructions. After a while heard the smoke alarm going off in kitchen. Went out, smoke coming out of microwave, opened it up and the new pots were like bright red coals! The top and back of microwave is kind of black. The power stopped in microwave but now it is back on and the timer is working and light but haven't turned it on yet. Do I turn it on and try it?

It's really scared me actually to think that can happen.

What do you think I should do?

i think you can get really cheap micros nowadays, can't you? in the supermarket? i'd be tempted just to skip it and buy a new one.

btw when you say pots, you deffo don't mean metal ones, do you?

What pots did you use?

mine stopped once like that and then the power came back on - it was fine

Mind you - I als had one where flames were coming out of the vent - that wasn't fine

Do you mean potatoes?

I was thinking potatoes....

oh potatoes... ditch that micro, imo.

Did you prick the potatoes?

Sorry! Yes I mean new potatoes!!!!!

I don't think there were flames coming out of it as when I got to it it was just potatoes inside on fire!

Tommy, did yours set alight and then come back on? I am thinking it was probably just the potatoes that caught alight and not the microwave

yes, but the question is why did the potatoes catch fire?

Maybe i didn't put enough water in the bowl? Or put them on for too long? Probably my fault!

Oh sorry about your microwave but am PMSL at the 'pots' confusion

i would ditch the microwave. mind burnt out a couple of months ago. heard a slight band. checked insdei and there was a burnt patch near the light. all the paint then flaked off.

no - mine were 2 different microwave burning incidents...

the one with the flames, I threw away

what would happen if I did try it? Im sure it's fine!

How long did you put the potatoes in for? Maybe it was just too long for the size of spuds.

I've done similar (although not quite as spectacularly as yours seems to have been!) and the microwave has been fine after a good clean.

Bin it.

DS1 set fire to put microwave by putting a torch in it and setting it going. It went straight in the bin.

They were in there for about 8 minutes and I did cut the potatoes in half. Thing is though I don't want to bin it if it still works

how do you propose to prove that, though?

That's a long time for new potatoes cut in half ... that's about the time I'd do a large-ish baked potato for. I suspect that's what's caused it.

Try cleaning it up. If you're left with scorch marks you can't shift then you'll probably have to replace it - they will burn again. If it cleans up OK, try it with a bowl of water in there - you'll know straight away if it's not working OK because it will spark, and you can switch it straight off.

Well I will have to turn it on and see what happens. The packet told me 8 to 11 minutes depending on type of microwave!

Ok so just cleaned it. There is still some black on top that I can't get off. Still haven't turned it on though.

I set fire to DS2's tracksuit trousers in microwavw, trying to dry them in an emergency. All was well with the microwavw afterwards (not with the tousers though)

oh my god!!!!!! There is still hope fr mine then.

Can you plug it into an outdoor socket, with a circuit breaker on, in case it trips your whole house/sets fire to the ceiling?

Unplug it now. A few months ago I put some carrots in to reheat and there must have been some foil or something on them as they sparked. Threw them away and carried on using the Microwave for a few days. Then about 11pm one night I smelt burning and thought I had left the oven on. Went into the Kitchem to find the bloody thing had switched itself on and was smoking. The smoke alarm had not gone off but the room was full of smoke. I unplug mine all the time now.

yes it's all unplugged. Will leave it until tomorrow and plug it in outside as I don't want it tipping the whole house tonight! Are you still using the same one callmeover? That's shocking!

Just to update. It's working!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! But will turn off at plug from now on when not in use!

It sounds like the trip switch went, as it was getting too hot inside and sensed it, so turned off the power to prevent any further heating up iyswim.
This is good - like a kettle which has a boil dry sensor and trips itself.
However now you have used the facility once, it may not be as good as new, I mean it might have done minor damage - ie once a fuse is broken, it will no longer protect the appliance - though this isn't a fuse and it is still working, but there might be something inside it which is now buggered, meaning next time it overheats it won't turn itself off.
I am no expert, but I would be thinking of a new one - they can be got quite cheaply. I am a fire phobic freak though
Stories about tumble dryers setting fire to houses haunt my little brain. I read about one once on a white goods forum (I am not sad, honestly ) just after I bought mine, and guess what, it was the same brand, arghhhhhhhhh

Must get that deleted. Nobody must know about my non-MN forum addiction.