\u00a9 2023 wikiHow, Inc. All rights reserved. wikiHow, Inc. is the copyright holder of this image under U.S. and international copyright laws. However, if not careful, microwaves can pose a fire hazard. Paper towels made from recycled materials can also (unintentionally) contain flecks of metal that might spark, according to the National Institutes of Health. We tested six over-the-range microwaves and found that theyre all very similar, but we like the GE JVM6175 because its easier to use than most. Thank you, you have successfully subscribed to our newsletter! The paint on the interior of the microwave might be chipped. Class action targets RV refrigerator fires, Class Action Alleges that GE Microwaves Have Control Panel Defect, Overspending on homes and cars lands many people in financial hot water. A list of open investigations and wikiHow is a wiki, similar to Wikipedia, which means that many of our articles are co-written by multiple authors. As mentioned, food remanent may result in a fire when heating. At GE, we rise to the challenge of building a world that works. Too many are simply trying to capitalize on affiliate revenue. "Woke up in the middle of the night to find my microwave running by itself. We talked to Sarah Copeland, Francis Lam, Tara OBrady, Lesley Tllez, and Emily Weinstein to get tips on how to get dinner on the table while parenting. Food safety information provided by the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Unplug the microwave to access the membrane switch and remove the cabinet altogether. Explore a career with us. Paula of Rowlett, TX. To report a dangerous product or a product-related injury, call CPSC's hotline at (800) 638-2772 or CPSC's teletypewriter at (800) 638-8270 or visit CPSC's Web site at www.cpsc.gov/talk.html. If it's a grease fire, you can throw some salt or baking soda into the fire to smother the flames. 6. Paper towels are fine for use in a microwave, though the same cannot be said for minute metal flecks, pieces of metal, and a ceramic container. So far there have. Thanks! Tune in or catch up on GEs latest investor events and reports. If you don't want to do that, you can put a box of baking soda in here overnight. This image is not<\/b> licensed under the Creative Commons license applied to text content and some other images posted to the wikiHow website. Wirecutter is the product recommendation service from The New York Times. This applies to almost any kind of appliance that goes above the rated ampacity of the breaker. Some other obscure reasons will also cause a fire in a microwave even nothing is in it. Can a microwave catch on fire when not in use? We independently review everything we recommend. Even the best microwaves, can run into major problems and catch on fire. Plaintiffs Joshua Edin and Carolyn Giandonato say the defect and the resulting damage is not a result of overcooking, as it could take only about 30 seconds for the product to overheat and produce smoke. If the paint is chipped, the interior metal will be exposed, causing the microwave to spark or arc. Metal with rough or pointy edges, like a fork or ball of aluminum foil, will almost always spark. But of all the safety hazards in your kitchen, microwaves arent near the top of the list. We are always transparent about where our information comes from so that you dont have to waste time and money buying the wrong thing. wikiHow, Inc. is the copyright holder of this image under U.S. and international copyright laws. This image is not<\/b> licensed under the Creative Commons license applied to text content and some other images posted to the wikiHow website. six of which involved serious fires. About 15,200. model burn your food, because it floats to the challenge of building a that! 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