I think I just broke my house.

[Trekker4747]

All I wanted to do was heat up some soup in the microwave.

I put the soup in, enter the time I want to cook it for, and pressed start...

*click*

The microwave goes dead. And so does the coffee maker. And the under-counter radio. All of the lights, however, still work. The dishwasher, the stove, the refrigerator. Everything but the outlets in this one corner of the house is working. I checked the breakers, none were flipped off, I even turned them *all* off and turned them *all* back on. No dice. What the hell did I do?

Did you still have it in the tin can?

Nobody is that stupid.

I suspect you'd be surprised.

Infact, I suspect that a can in the microwave wouldn't cause any problems at all as there's no sharp points on which the microwaves can arc. For example, a spoon can survive in the microwave without causing problems while a fork cannot as the tines on the fork are tiny enough from which the microwaves can arc off of.

 

[JonathonWally]

Did you still have it in the tin can?

Nobody is that stupid.

I suspect you'd be surprised.

Infact, I suspect that a can in the microwave wouldn't cause any problems at all as there's no sharp points on which the microwaves can arc. For example, a spoon can survive in the microwave without causing problems while a fork cannot as the tines on the fork are tiny enough from which the microwaves can arc off of.

Go put a spoon in the microwave so you can be proven wrong.

 

[Trekker4747]

Nobody is that stupid.

I suspect you'd be surprised.

Infact, I suspect that a can in the microwave wouldn't cause any problems at all as there's no sharp points on which the microwaves can arc. For example, a spoon can survive in the microwave without causing problems while a fork cannot as the tines on the fork are tiny enough from which the microwaves can arc off of.

Go put a spoon in the microwave so you can be proven wrong.

I've done it before.

Nothing happens.

 

[Rÿcher]

weird how the inside of the microwave housing is made of metal without arcing back and frying the magnatron, huh?

 

[Crusher Disciple]

Have you got a sonic screwdriver?

 

[Trekker4747]

weird how the inside of the microwave housing is made of metal without arcing back and frying the magnatron, huh?

And the faraday cage inside the door, too.

You only get "sparks" when there's something for the microwaves to arc off of, like the points of a fork or a crumpled up piece of foil. Smooth surfaces do not cause arcing.

 

[trekkerguy]

weird how the inside of the microwave housing is made of metal without arcing back and frying the magnatron, huh?

And the faraday cage inside the door, too.

You only get "sparks" when there's something for the microwaves to arc off of, like the points of a fork or a crumpled up piece of foil. Smooth surfaces do not cause arcing.

If the can were opened with a can opener before being put in the 'wave it may have had sharp edges on the lip.

 

[Timby]

What the hell did I do?

You put the can of soup in the microwave, it arced and destroyed the outlet. It's a miracle that you didn't set the house on fire.

Or perhaps you did set the house on fire, and you don't even know it yet. Start loading some possessions into your truck, just to be safe.

In any event, everyone knows that the proper way to heat soup is on the stove. Some people just have to learn the hard way. Keep the fire department on speed-dial.

Wow, give me a little credit here. The soup was in a bowl, not in a metal can, and I didn't have time to wait for the stove.

Someone's sarcasm detector is broken.

 

[JonathonWally]

You put the can of soup in the microwave, it arced and destroyed the outlet. It's a miracle that you didn't set the house on fire.

Or perhaps you did set the house on fire, and you don't even know it yet. Start loading some possessions into your truck, just to be safe.

In any event, everyone knows that the proper way to heat soup is on the stove. Some people just have to learn the hard way. Keep the fire department on speed-dial.

Wow, give me a little credit here. The soup was in a bowl, not in a metal can, and I didn't have time to wait for the stove.

Someone's sarcasm detector is broken.

In his defense, it could have been on the same circuit as the microwave.

 

[Trekker4747]

weird how the inside of the microwave housing is made of metal without arcing back and frying the magnatron, huh?

And the faraday cage inside the door, too.

You only get "sparks" when there's something for the microwaves to arc off of, like the points of a fork or a crumpled up piece of foil. Smooth surfaces do not cause arcing.

If the can were opened with a can opener before being put in the 'wave it may have had sharp edges on the lip.

Well, yeah.

 

[MetalPants]

Did you still have it in the tin can?

Nobody is that stupid.

I know of a guy who bought a frozen pizza and tried to cook it still in the plastic wrap and box. He threatened to sue my Wal-Mart because it nearly caught on fire and it did damage his floor.

Yes, people are stupid enough to try and cook a soup can in a microwave.

 

[Captain X]

I suspect that there's either been a short in the wiring somewhere behind the wall or the breaker for that section of the house may need to be replaced. Usually breakers will flip with any surge, but I've seen them fail to do so and fry at least once before in my life when lightning struck nearby. Try unplugging everything, and hit the reset button on the outlets if there are any. Then try the breaker again, and if it works start plugging things back in, saving the microwave for last.

 

[Australis]

*Quick reread of OP* Ah, better change that.

So it's definitely something on that circuit, for those power points. Hmmm. Is the circuit breaker the old-fashioned fuse type you can pull out and take a look at? Tried swapping it with the one that works? If that fails, uhhh, some wall inhavitant has bit into the cable, and any minute now you'll be getting that 'rat on a stick' smell wafting through.

 

[Bears Discover Fire]

Could it possibly be the breaker switch itself that's gone bad? I had the circuit blow throughout my entire apartment a few years ago, and despite all appearances of the switches flipped into their proper positions, the main breaker switch on the side of the apartment that controlled my unit had simply gone bad and wouldn't reset. The apartment management had to replace it completely.

Maybe a call to the electrician is in order?

 

[RoJoHen]

Or you could simply move your microwave into the bedroom.

 

[Rÿcher]

Kinky but I don't think marital aids are what he's looking for

 

[RoJoHen]

No, but it might prove a worthy distraction until the power company shows up.

 

[Tim]

In addition to the breakers on individual circuits, have you checked for any high-current-rated fuses or breakers on the mains supply before it splits into the various circuits? However, those should still be located in the breaker box, near the top.

 

[Ar-Pharazon]

Revisiting the GFI idea, even if the microwave is plugged into a "normal" outlet, that outlet might be wired from the "load" side of a GFI somewhere else, and that GFI could be tripped. GFI's tend to get weak as they get older and are more likely to trip, even if you unplug something from one.

 

[Captain Intrepid]

Try reversing the polarity.

He's already doing that 120 times a second.