Can a microwave oven be used to reflow solder joint?

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  • tmhobadcap
    Senior Member
    • Apr 2019
    • 146
    • CANADA

    #1

    Can a microwave oven be used to reflow solder joint?

    I heard somebody suggested a way of repair faulty led light bulb which I have never heard of. The way is to put the led light bulb inside a microwave oven and turn on the microwave oven for a few seconds. He said that faulty led light bulb is usually caused by poor solder joint between the led and the pcb. Putting the bulb inside the microwave oven for a few seconds will heat and reflow the solder joint making it works again.

    Is that possible? I do not want to try this unless I have a spare microwave oven.

    (I do not mean to suggest somebody to try this. It may be very dangerous. If you want to try, you are taking your own risk.)
  • R_J
    Badcaps Legend
    • Jun 2012
    • 9514
    • Canada

    #2
    Re: Can a microwave oven be used to reflow solder joint?

    In a word NO. The microwave energy will NOT heat the solder and any coils/ circles of wire will likely be destroyed.

    Comment

    • tmhobadcap
      Senior Member
      • Apr 2019
      • 146
      • CANADA

      #3
      Re: Can a microwave oven be used to reflow solder joint?

      Originally posted by R_J
      In a word NO. The microwave energy will NOT heat the solder and any coils/ circles of wire will likely be destroyed.
      Thank you!

      Comment

      • momaka
        master hoarder
        • May 2008
        • 12160
        • Bulgaria

        #4
        Re: Can a microwave oven be used to reflow solder joint?

        Originally posted by tmhobadcap
        I heard somebody suggested a way of repair faulty led light bulb which I have never heard of. The way is to put the led light bulb inside a microwave oven and turn on the microwave oven for a few seconds.
        Well, whoever that somebody is... take your broken LED light bulb and hit him/her on the head with it, then tell them you heard from someone else that this is an alternative way to fix a dead LED bulb too.

        Comment

        • petehall347
          Badcaps Legend
          • Jan 2015
          • 4421
          • United Kingdom

          #5
          Re: Can a microwave oven be used to reflow solder joint?

          you can use an LED light bulb in a microwave

          Comment

          • R_J
            Badcaps Legend
            • Jun 2012
            • 9514
            • Canada

            #6
            Re: Can a microwave oven be used to reflow solder joint?

            Originally posted by petehall347
            you can use an LED light bulb in a microwave
            If you mean the lamp that lights the cavity, yes you can because it is outside the cavity and not exposed to the microwave energy.

            Comment

            • Topcat
              The Boss Stooge
              • Oct 2003
              • 16951
              • United States

              #7
              Re: Can a microwave oven be used to reflow solder joint?

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              • ChaosLegionnaire
                HC Overclocker
                • Jul 2012
                • 3259
                • Singapore

                #8
                Re: Can a microwave oven be used to reflow solder joint?

                yea i've seen some weird and shocking things in my life. this one definitely takes the cake as one of the most weird and shocking i've ever heard! eek indeed!

                Comment

                • stj
                  Great Sage 齊天大聖
                  • Dec 2009
                  • 30901
                  • Albion

                  #9
                  Re: Can a microwave oven be used to reflow solder joint?

                  i thought the "rumor" somebody spread about fastcharging iphones with contactless charging in the microwave was better!!

                  Comment

                  • Matias80
                    New Member
                    • Nov 2020
                    • 7
                    • ARGETINA

                    #10
                    Re: Can a microwave oven be used to reflow solder joint?

                    The LEDs of the lamps are usually 30mA and inside they have 1, 2 or 3 LEDs, generating drops from 2.7v to almost 11v, I test them with a current limited laboratory source. Normally the LEDs burn out in those cases you can directly bypass and go

                    Comment

                    • brethin
                      Badcaps Legend
                      • Dec 2008
                      • 1907
                      • USA

                      #11
                      Re: Can a microwave oven be used to reflow solder joint?

                      This thread needs to die, it's like a Biden commercial full of shit and worthless.

                      Comment

                      • EasyGoing1
                        Shock Therapist
                        • Sep 2016
                        • 977
                        • USA

                        #12
                        Re: Can a microwave oven be used to reflow solder joint?

                        Originally posted by tmhobadcap
                        Is that possible? I do not want to try this unless I have a spare microwave oven.
                        Microwave ovens do NOT like metal ... it's a great way to make a bunch of sparks and potentially ruin the element.

                        Now, a CONVENTIONAL oven could potentially reflow solder at the right temp. I had a 2007 Mac Pro video card stop working, and I stuck it in the gas oven at like 400 or 450 I think (might have been higher I can't remember) for 10 minutes (might have been longer), then took it out and let it cool and it worked fine after that. I can only assume there were some micro-fractures in a solder joint somewhere. The computer was about 9 years old when I did that.

                        Mike
                        sigpic

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