Can I Operate a Microwave Oven Without the Waveguide Cover?

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Microwave ovens and cooking devices are an important appliance in homes across the country. When waveguides are handled with care, they are both safe and aid in reheating food. Waveguide covers are a thin sheet on the inside of the port in the cooking chamber. If, by chance, your cover breaks or it needs to be replaced, you should use the microwave with caution.

Can I Operate a Microwave Oven Without the Waveguide Cover?
Image Credit: Rostislav_Sedlacek/iStock/GettyImages

What Does the Waveguide Cover Do?

A waveguide cover's main job is to transmit microwave radiation. It prevents steam and food particles from interacting with the electrical components within the microwave oven. The oblong cover clips into the hole where the microwave comes out. The main use is to prevent splashes and bits of food from getting into the cavity of the microwave.

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Where Is It Located?

A microwave oven's cooking chamber is not located center to the shell of the microwave. If you look into the inner wall of the oven chamber when you open the over door, you will see the waveguide on the same side as the control pane. The thin sheet will look like plastic or a thin piece of cardboard.

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How Do Covers Get Damaged?

If you use the waveguide properly, it should last. If you are not handling the microwave with care, the waveguide will break. The waveguide is brittle so it can be broken by dishes that are roughly placed inside of the oven. Although you can use a microwave oven without a waveguide, it should be replaced before continuing use of the oven.

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You can use your microwave without a waveguide, but when the waveguide is damaged, the steam and vaporized food particles collect on the oven's electronic components. The waveguide's main function is to protect the oven from steam and vaporized food particles will accumulate on the oven's inner electronic components. If this does happen, the circuit boards in the microwave will short and corrode. If the circuit boards short, your microwave oven will immediately stop functioning or lose power over time.

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How Do You Replace Your Waveguide Cover?

Microwaves have high voltage components. Even if the microwave is unplugged, you will still need special equipment to work on a microwave. If you're not a qualified microwave technician or you don't have the necessary tools to repair the microwave, it is highly recommended that you contact a service technician. Although waveguides are a bit expensive to replace, they're easy to find, and risking your health and safety is not worth it.

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