Microwave Oven Testing

Reedsafe offer a complete microwave oven safety testing service. This service includes both electrical safety testing and a leakage / performance test and the good news is that whilst some companies charge extra to emission test a microwave, we will do it for free if we are already performing the PAT test at your site.

Microwave ovens can be the most intensely used and abused piece of electrical equipment in a modern catering kitchen and unless they are maintained and kept clean they can become corroded and dangerous. We have seen, on many occasions ovens in use with holes in the doors, broken door catches, missing seals, broken hinges, faulty turntable motors and even one oven with the door glass and metal gauze missing.

To test a microwave oven, firstly we visually inspect the appliance and then perform the usual electrical tests as described on the Procedures page. Once we know the oven is electrically sound, we check that the door interlocks work correctly along with the oven controls and switches. Then a measurement of the radiation level around the door and control panel is taken using our annually calibrated microwave leakage detector to ensure the 5 mW/cm2 limit is not exceeded as specified by BS5175.

Finally we test the performance of the microwave by placing two beakers of water in the oven and heating on full power for a pre-determined time. The increase in water temperature is used to calculate the output power.

The relevant test labels are placed on the oven and the results noted on our test sheet before a certificate is issued. The certificate can be emailed as a pdf file or simply printed out and posted.