Microwaves dangerous, anyone not have one?

[shael]

So I know people will reply to this thread and say they are perfectly safe etc etc

However, we have a 10 year old Bosch one that has been playing up for a couple of years but it's mainly just the display. We got out BG today and the man tested it and said you cannot use it any more it's dangerous.

The reading he got was 9.0. Apparently anything over 5 is bad.

Interestingly, we also had a freestanding one in our utility that is hardly used. That also had a dangerous reading.

The man said that after after 4 or 5 years they can start leaking microwaves.

The thing is, if you look up the possible effects of microwave radiation even from a low level consumer appliance it's not pleasant.

I'm shocked that there is no requirement to have these things tested. There must be millions of people out there who have dangerous microwave ovens. I know so many people with cancer and I feel stupid for not getting it checked sooner especially as we have young kids around.

I'm seriously tempted to not replace it.
Does anyone already do this?

You can totally live without one. I didn't have one for years and even now I do I very rarely use it.

It's not something I'm worried about. My microwaves don't last more than about 2 to 3 years, though. They're reasonably cheap to replace if you're thinking about getting it tested.

We also went without for several years. We only have one now bc my Mum passed on one after she replaced it. It lives in our garage and only gets used for DS's ready meals

That's interesting, we use ours most days and it's around 7 years old, fitted in so I'm unlikely to change it until we put a new kitchen in. So not likely to happen in my lifetime.

Due to move soon and am thinking of not having one. More due to lack of counter space and the fact that they are a dust magnet and ours seem to have become a dumping ground.

They are perfectly safe IF you keep the door seal clean. The flat surface around the edges of the door, and the matching surface of the body must be clean all round. If there is any grease or dirt between them when closed, that is where the leakage occurs. Your visitor should have told you this.

Haven't had one for 5 or 6 years. Mainly because we moved to a flat with not enough counter space in the kitchen. We have the space now but feel we manage ok without. We were thinking about getting one though because we thought it might save on energy costs to reheat leftovers rather than using oven or hob.

I don’t think I could live without one. They are so much cheaper to use than the oven for things like jacket potatoes and just so convenient to heat porridge, soup, beans, leftovers etc in the bowl/plate rather than having an extra pan to wash up as well. The only point on which I’m cautious is that I don’t microwave plastics.

I don't have a microwave, never have, but not because I'm worried about health. For me it's more about taking up worktop space, and the fact I've managed this long without one.

Mine broke and I slowly got used to not having one. I didn’t bother replacing it in the end

Utter twaddle. An undamaged, clean microwave is no danger and ageing doesn't make them dangerous either.

You need to report him for scaremongering and re-education.

This is just more of the same crap as the mobile phone hokum!

@SamphirethePogoingStickerist Thought that had been upgraded to birds are not real🤣🤣

Mine is about 14/15 years old. It is in the utility, and I don't stand hanging around in front of it when it is being used.

Oh! You are right. Batteries not included 😋

They use non-ionising radiation which is different from the kind of radiation you are exposed to from an x-ray.

The effective range is also tiny so unless you have your head next to the microwave while you're heating something, you're fine.

We didn’t have one for years until the DC came along and were perfectly happy, but it’s just too useful for reheating batch meals quickly with toddlers around. I’d happily get rid of it in a few years but less for reasons of safety and more because I hate how ugly they are and how much space they take up on the counter.

"I know so many people with cancer and I feel stupid for not getting it checked sooner especially as we have young kids around."

Microwave ovens can't cause cancer so I wouldn't be worried about that.
For an appreciable amount of microwave energy to escape the oven cavity it would require a hole at least 10cm across so the piffling amounts picked up by test meters are of no real consequence. When is the last time you heard of someone being harmed by a microwave oven?

Was the man from BG selling something by any chance?

We don't have an oven (long story) so absolutely rely on and love my combi microwave.

I was a bit worried about it and the impact on our health so when it broke, I didn't replace it. Of course I've missed it occasionally but not really enough to buy another. The things we did use it for can easily be heated in a pot or oven. It was a worry to me so I feel better without one.

And that unnecessary fear, anxiety is the reason all such disinformation needs to be met head on.

I'm not sure I'd be too concerned about this. And I'm definitely not living without one.

We have a built in one so it doesn't take up any counter space. Only use it very rarely, porridge, scrambled egg or softening butter. We never do proper cooking in it. Jacket potatoes really are not as good in a microwave as they are in a proper oven.

Most dangerous thing IME is that cooking containers can get unexpectedly hot. I melted some butter in a ramekin in there recently and got it out without using oven gloves. Burnt my finger tips quite painfully.

I am reminded of a slightly waffy babysitter we had years ago who claimed that if she had food cooked in a microwave it made her fillings hurt!

I put ours in the garage about 18 months ago and haven't used it since. Honestly don't miss it at all.

We don’t have one because we have no need for one. I think you’re fear mongering though.