Microwave's vent close to refrigerator

[vizakenjack]

< Mentor Note -- Post edited >[/color]

1. Homework Statement
So do you know how a microwave has air vents on the side?

How much of a distance must be allowed between the vent and the side of refrigerator in order for the Microwave not to overheat?

Is 10 cm enough? Would putting an aluminum foil on the side of the fridge help? Like it'd absorb whatever radiation(?) waves from the vent, and not let the side of the fridge overheat... or not let the microwave get its waves waved back... so it'd overheat... or like waves must not be obstructed, because then they superimpose on each other and it'll block other waves coming out from the vent and then the mw would overheat rapidly...?

It's just right now the MW seems to get hot on the right side (opposite side of the vent), when I touch it at the bottom, and on top.

Homework Equations

I have no idea. Like, does only the air come out from the vents? How about electric/magnetic fields?

The Attempt at a Solution

Suppose it's a 800W microwave. Uhm... Dunno what to say next.

 

[berkeman]

10cm seems like it should be adequate. You might check the Owner's Manual for a typical microwave oven to see if it specifies a distance. Do you have a specific model of microwave oven in mind?

 

[gneill]

There should be no "waves" from the vents of a microwave. All the microwave radiation is contained in the "guts" of the oven. The vents are for air circulation to cool the electronics, so it's just conventional cooling requirements like any other piece of electronic equipment.

The manufacturer will have made recommendations regarding minimum clearances to allow an adequate amount of airflow according to whatever stated or unstated assumptions they've made about the rest of the operating environment. As @berkeman states, your owners manual should lay out those generic recommendations. If you have a particular situation that you're unsure about, contact the manufacturer and describe your setup.

 

[fresh_42]

I've measured my distance. 3 cm. And I haven't had any problems, yet.