Lately, my wife and I have noticed the top of the micvrowave gets hot - not so that it burns, but uncomfortably warm to the touch. This happens especially when we’re ‘baking’ potatoes in the microwave.
Is something wrong? Are we irradiating ourselves? Or is there another explanation?
Are the vents being blocked?
No.
Has it always been hot, and you’ve just noticed it now?
If not… is the blower still running when the oven is cooking something? (The blower is usually pretty loud, so a silent microwave oven would probably draw your attention.) If the blower fails, the microwave tube will probably be destroyed.)
It’s possible that something in the electronics section might be overheating.
Also, when you cook things that put out a lot of steam (potatos, boiling water, etc.), the steam will heat everything in the air path.
PS
To detect a major leak of radio waves, get a fluorescent tube, cook a cup of water in the oven in a darkened room, and hold the fluorescent tube at different places on the surface of the oven. If the tube lights up, then you’ve got a significant microwave leak. But if the tube DOESN’T light up, there might still be some small leakage.