no, it doesn't. Just more water changes
.

this.

Yeah, I know! I'm whining because I don't want to have to tend to my defrosting food every few minutes. I'm a spoiled, stupid old lady and fuck this newfangled programmed crap!

/rant :rolleyes: :p:

yes. but..... it's better/faster if you rotate it.......

Heh. That's what he said. :D

and did the rotation happen?

Oh, you betcha. ;)

Bought a Sharp in 1973, big sucker with the carousel and knobs, for almost $500. It lasted 25 years and 1 month.
Replaced it the same day with another Sharp, I think it's 1.8 cubic feet, big power, carousel, buttons for auto-defrost, auto-reheat, popcorn, potato, so easy even I can do it, Less than $150.

Plus I have a spare glass carousel plate in case I break it.
And used the carousel turntable drive with a small platform for spray painting objects 360 degrees.
You can use the unplugged one as a kitten proof bread box.

Power flicker probably caused the microwave to turn on suddenly, spooking the cat, and causing it to knock over the trash.

If the microwave seems to work fine now, I would also have a hard time tossing it. But it's the smart thing to do. You WILL get another power surge in the future.

I'm late to the game, but definitely toss the microwave. I thaw meat in the kitchen sink, that way I don't have to change the water in a small volume container.

Alternatively, if you are very confident in your diligence, you could plug it in, use it, and be sure to unplug it every time you are done. Or plug it in to a switched power strip you turn off after every use. But I don't like that power strip idea because I know that I would forget to turn it off. Unplugging is a bigger ritual you would notice not performing.

Unplugging is what I do to my table saw, and it's like locking the door when you leave the house. I do it every time. Great ritual.

No house wiring is involved in this mystery (if AC electric lights do not flicker or change intensity when major appliances power cycle). Posted were electrical fables invented by many who forgot to first learn how electricity works.

If you had a surge, then a microwave is damaged - no longer works. And some of other less robust appliances (ie GFCIs, clocks, central air controller, door bell) are damaged.

Not one reason is given to suspect house wiring or a surge. So those wild speculations are binned immediately. Honest replies also say why with numbers.

We even saw this once in a factory where a toxic gas (phosphine) was vented into an area of construction workers. Fortunately a bird fell dead before those construction workers got too close. That is when I was brought in.

Sometimes power does not fully turn off or on. Intermittent and quick AC offs and ons cause DC voltages to vary to intermediate voltages. (What glatt calls a power flicker.) Computers that run on 5 volts get disoriented when that voltage is below 4.8 and does not fall to zero. Then the computer can start babbling; executing code that makes no sense.

In our case, a babbling computer powered open every valve venting a large tank of toxic gases. In your case, it simply instructed one relay to close and stay closed.

Your PC is not a real time computer. So it does not need this major human safety device. That computer inside a microwave is real time. So a watchdog timer literally creates a heartbeat. If the real time computer does not issue the proper heartbeat every few milliseconds or seconds, then a watchdog timer cuts off power to everything.

But back then, despite even telling this to some people's face, some so called designers would ignore the warning and not implement that watchdog. Or would write code in a manner that even a babbling computer would still act as if functioning properly.

In short, your microwave either does not have or did not properly implement a watchdog timer. So quick AC power interruptions caused a babbling computer chip to power on the microwave with nothing to time it (power it) off.

Can we say that with certainty? No. Do you have symptoms to justify that event? Yes. Did anyone support their conclusions with the always required reasons why and perspective? Obviously not. So this is your only possible answer that has any credibility.

Back then, watchdog timers were typically separate chips provided by companies such as Dallas Semiconductor. Today, that essential human safety function is standard in all single chip computers.

And yes, this many decade old (that well understood concept) is clearly something new to you and others. So understand it will require at least three (or more) rereads. And maybe only after asking a few questions.

So you are saying the power fluctuation caused it, and the microwave has always had this problem? It's as good today as the day it was new. But it will likely happen again if the power fluctuates in the same way in the future?

One with a turntable might not?

If you read what was written, with comprehension, you'll see that no one was blaming house wiring for the malfunction.

False. That's only if there's a large surge:

Again, no one said they suspected house wiring was the cause. As for there being no reason to suspect a surge - False:

And then there's a potential problem from cumulative damage that can make a very old microwave more susceptible to a small external surge before or after a power outage:

Obviously, tw has acquired "electronic rust," which gradually degraded his internal circuitry and it is ultimately failing … not one brain left in his poor old head.