this post was submitted on 25 Mar 2026
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probably nobody will care, but I'm sad at the passing of my microwave. It was born in July of 1983, and died march 24th, 2026. I had bought it used in 1992 and it faithfully served me and my family for many years until today, when the keypad decided to partially quit working. Rest in peace Zappy, you will be missed.

I'm looking for a new keypad but unsurprisingly the parts for this ancient thing are no longer in stock so I doubt I'll be able to resurrect it without some sort of miracle. I know it's just an appliance but it still makes me sad to see it go.

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[–] tgirlschierke@lemmy.blahaj.zone 8 points 1 day ago (1 children)

that's like, 10 confederacies. you should put up a statue dedicated to your microwave

Except this thing was actually useful and did some good for all those years lol!

[–] nroth@lemmy.world 8 points 1 day ago

There's probably a ribbon cable from the membrane. You could try buzzing out the keys and making one or adapting an ordered standard part

[–] lichtmetzger@discuss.tchncs.de 8 points 1 day ago* (last edited 1 day ago) (2 children)

I also have a microwave from the 80s, got it from my dad and he bought it when he was young.

I hope it never dies. I love the Star Trek-like touchpad and the beautiful CCFL display. 😍

It's a Panasonic as well, I even have the ridiculous microwave cookbook somewhere, which contains a lot of really bad meal photos.

[–] Tollana1234567@lemmy.today 3 points 1 day ago

we had one from the early 90s or 80s also panasonic, it last 30+years, then we bought a newish one few years ago, and it died in 2 years. it was the famous overheating one, that looks likes it catching onfire it was 100$, and then it suddenly stopped working lol. the current one we spent a little more and it was working fine.

[–] nickiwest@lemmy.world 3 points 1 day ago

My mom still uses the Panasonic microwave that she bought in the '80s.

Meanwhile, I've been through four microwaves since 2000.

[–] TheLamb@lemmy.blahaj.zone 5 points 1 day ago

Nooooo rip, Zappy did a good job

[–] Tollana1234567@lemmy.today 2 points 1 day ago* (last edited 1 day ago)

remember PYREX, they went cheap and using soda lime glass laminated instead of borosilicate. pyrex vs PYREX, its still being sold in the EU. there are borosilicate glassware from other brands, but none of them seem to match Pyrex, just better than the soda lime variants.

OXO is just very overpriced borosilicate, if you are interested probably the closest to PYREX. i did seem some pyrex lunch containers are borosilicate?

[–] lechekaflan@lemmy.world 17 points 1 day ago* (last edited 1 day ago) (1 children)

For that microwave to last that long is the testament to its durability. Actually, up until the 90s most appliances were built like tanks and so why some people hold onto them, partly they were IMHO easier to repair than supposedly "smart" appliances.

I also remember how Sony TVs during the 80s that were sold included detailed electronic schematic diagrams helpful to technicians.

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[–] over_clox@lemmy.world 61 points 2 days ago (6 children)

There's a way to rewire that with either a toggle switch, or using the door switches themselves (3 switches, by law).

https://repairfaq.org/REPAIR/F_micfaq.html

[–] Rocketpoweredgorilla@lemmy.ca 55 points 2 days ago (4 children)

Lol I was actually thinking of jury-rigging something together to trigger the dead buttons. I can still set the timer for anything under 9 minutes and 99 seconds, but the "ten minute" button and the "Engage" buttons are stone dead, even when checking the continuity with the tester. I've already got the panel out and will probably fiddle with it this weekend if I got time and see what I can do. I'm not letting my baby go without a fight...partially because I don't want a new microwave, partially because I'm sentimental, and partially maybe I'm just a little bit mental.

[–] Beacon@fedia.io 33 points 2 days ago (12 children)

Just be careful if you open it up, because I've heard microwaves have capacitors inside that can hold a lethal amount of electricity for months or years since the last time they were plugged in

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[–] harrys_balzac@lemmy.dbzer0.com 11 points 1 day ago (2 children)

If I don't find this story dull, what does it say about me?

[–] Rocketpoweredgorilla@lemmy.ca 9 points 1 day ago (1 children)

You're an enlightened individual?

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[–] ChickenLadyLovesLife@lemmy.world 4 points 1 day ago (9 children)

The furnace in my house dates to 1987. It just survived another cold winter. My plumber says a new one would use about half as much gas and that parts are no longer available for the old one. I wish I knew whether to believe him or not.

[–] prime_number_314159@lemmy.world 4 points 1 day ago (1 children)

Gas furnaces from 1987 when new could convert 75-80% of the chemical energy in gas into heat within your house. They lose some efficiency over time, but not that much - I would expect it's still getting 70-75% of the chemical energy converted into heat within your house.

The maximum efficiency available today is around 96% on the same metric. If you need 100 units of heat today, you are burning 133-143 units of gas. With the best possible furnace efficiency today, you would only need to burn 104 units of gas, which is 22-28% less - certainly not "about half".

There are multiple special requirements for the best possible efficiency, and they are more expensive, both to purchase and to install. You might be able to save money on bills, depending on gas rates in your area, and the total cost to purchase and install a high efficiency furnace. I can't really answer that without a lot more information.

As for parts availability, there should be a model number and a manufacturer indicated on it somewhere. These days, most things service professionals have access to are also listed on the internet for sale. That one is easier to convincingly check.

Yeah, I'm inclined to think parts are available but my plumber would never bother looking for them. The guy I was going to rent the house to said he had tons of spare parts for my kind of furnaces and I was prepared to give him a break on rent if he kept it going. Unfortunately I didn't get the house renovated in time for him to move in (and I'm still not done) so I can't really expect him to do anything for me.

[–] toddestan@lemmy.world 3 points 1 day ago

Newer ones can be a lot more efficient, but the high efficiency ones aren't just drop-in replacements either because they require additional piping to the outdoors which can be a big issue depending on where in your house the furnace is located.

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[–] Gammelfisch@lemmy.world 3 points 1 day ago

Made in Japan! RIP Zappy.

[–] lessthanluigi@lemmy.sdf.org 2 points 1 day ago

You should get a 4-in-1 microwave/airfryer/convection-oven/broiler. I have one and I have not looked back.

[–] TwilitSky@lemmy.world 8 points 1 day ago

I am barely older than this microwave and am now worried.

[–] FollyDolly@lemmy.world 11 points 1 day ago (2 children)

My toaster oven just died. It was so old all the numbers rubbed off and we just ran it off vibes. Guests were like, how long to make toast? And I just told them turn it till it feels right. I'm going to miss that toaster oven, it was the best.

[–] moonshadow@slrpnk.net 2 points 1 day ago

What died? Dm me if you want to try fixing it. Super simple circuit usually, timer switch+element, thermostat if it's fancy. Guarantee we can keep it around sub-$20

[–] Slab_Bulkhead@lemmy.world 37 points 2 days ago (3 children)
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[–] Routhinator@startrek.website 5 points 1 day ago

Sadly your next one will be but a child when it dies.

[–] bridgeenjoyer@sh.itjust.works 13 points 1 day ago (4 children)

He served his time!!

My 40 year old heat pump died last week too

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[–] Jaimesmith@lemmy.world 5 points 1 day ago

43 years is legendary—Zappy lived a full, honorable life 🫡

[–] elucubra@sopuli.xyz 22 points 2 days ago* (last edited 2 days ago) (3 children)

My ex-wife threw away an Amana Radarange, which had a rotating reflector on the ceiling instead of a rotating plate, which I had bought in the 80's, before I "got" her. When I came home, I went to the recycling center, and was able to retrieve it. I installed it in my home office to reheat stuff, but mainly for sentimental issues.

She had a habit of throwing stuff out because she decided I didn't need it.

Good riddance (her, I mean).

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[–] merdaverse@lemmy.zip 11 points 1 day ago (1 children)
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[–] robocall@lemmy.world 4 points 1 day ago

I care. My condolences for your loss.

[–] Evil_Shrubbery@thelemmy.club 18 points 1 day ago* (last edited 1 day ago) (8 children)


(I was wondering how it looks like.)

Also:

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[–] tipicaldik@lemmy.world 27 points 2 days ago (5 children)

We recently had to replace a $500 Electrolux microwave that was only 11 years old. We mistakenly thought that brand was supposed to be higher quality :(

My mom had a microwave that lasted for decades. I left home in '81, so it was bought prior to that. She was still using it when she passed in '16. That thing was huge. I remember that before my dad would sit down to the table to eat, he would open the door on it to just the right angle so he could continue watching the TV in it's reflection. The only thing wrong with it was the top and bottom rows of red LED lights had quit shining which made it a little tricky to tell how much time was left on it, but that never bothered my mom. Also, they didn't have turntables in them back then, so you had to frequently turn the food. Mom bought a wind-up platform that you'd sit the food on and you could hear it in there ticking away while it slowly turned your food. She had to give up about 2.5 inches of height for it, but that oven was so big it didn't matter...

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