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Take care when disposing of the microwave. If discarded incorrectly, it can cause a lot of damage.

Edited and resized image of Sarah Wardlaw is available on Unsplash

As with any electronics, there is a time when the microwave device reaches the maximum age of its useful life. What does that mean? It starts to give a lot of trouble, losing its main properties. Instead of being a tool that makes life easier in the kitchen, it ends up getting in the way.

• Microwave: operation, impacts and disposal

Another point to be highlighted is its difficulty in being recycled. This is due to the "brown" electronic circuit board, which is a complicated disposal piece and can only be properly disposed of outside Brazil. For these reasons, follow below some tips to understand when to discard a microwave (discarding it as best as possible) or if it can take a little longer:

• Microwave recycling: electronic board is the main problem

• The food takes forever to heat up - this means that the magnetron (the part responsible for the formation of magnetic waves) in the microwave is, most likely, starting to wear out. To test this, place a cup of water for two minutes in the microwave. If the water doesn't evaporate, it's time to replace it (when placing water to heat in the microwave, always be careful, it can reach high temperatures even without boiling and splash on your body when moved inside the cup);
• Numeric keypad jams - try cleaning the keypad and remember to turn off the microwave before cleaning. If the keyboard still doesn't work, check with a technician to see if a replacement is feasible;
• Sounds like a lawn mower - if your device is emitting loud and noisy noises, resembling a lawn mower, there are probably some serious problems that warrant replacement. Very loud sounds often indicate that the problem is with the power diode or the high voltage capacitor - unfortunately, both are expensive to replace. Before thinking about changing this piece, make sure the noise is not coming from any piece of food or metallic object on the plate;
• There are worn gaskets in the door - this can be due to the radiation leakage that the microwave emits. If you discover that there are worn gaskets around the unit, talk to a technician about the possibility of replacing these parts. If this is not possible, dispose of as correctly as possible and buy another one;
• You are over ten years old - if your microwave has been with you for over ten years and is starting to get into trouble, buying a new one is probably the best course. Remembering that the devices have a useful life between ten and 12 years.

Now that you know that your microwave is valid and when it needs to be disposed of, find recycling stations and give the best destination for your appliance.