I have a 1600 watt microwave oven and I have a 1500 watt inverter. So naturally the oven draws too much current for the inverter to provide.

Where is the power being drawn out of the transformer, by the wire connection to the magnetron? I think the magnetron is what is the main power consumer?
What if a large power resistor was put in the rectified line to the magnetron? Would that drop the required current use?
If I wanted to go from 1600 watts to 1400 watts, or maybe 1200 watts what would I use or do?

 

For safety's sake I wouldn't advise messing with a microwave . There are high currents and very high voltages involved. Get it wrong and the results could have fatal consequences for you and the microwave. Isn't your life worth more than the price of a new, lower power, microwave ?

 

Connect to the AC power to the microwave through a variac and reduce the AC voltage down to the level that will put the current draw into what your inverter will allow. Then test and see if the microwave will still work properly.

If not get a higher capacity inverter.

 

Also see the variac smoking.

 

Disconnect the magnetron.

 

Get a different microwave. Used ones are cheap on Craig's List or in thrift stores.

Ken

 

Also see the variac smoking.

They do make variacs capable of high power. Just like there are standard transformers capable of tens of kilowatts. http://www.ebay.com/itm/NEW-5-KVA-V...432?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item541bef5868

 

They do make variacs capable of high power. Just like there are standard transformers capable of tens of kilowatts.

Those variacs cost more then a small microwave...

 

The OP did not mentioned anything about cost being a criteria he was interested in.
He was only interested per his post in reducing microwave power so it could run on his 1500 watt inverter.
Just answering what he asked and not trying to guess between the lines. And better than modifying the microwave internals.

 

Guessing about what's between the lines is a major part of what we do here. Few OPs lay out all the details of what , why, how that actually promotes an easy answer. Usually, they less info they put into the request, the more guesses and off the wall suggestions that will be forthcoming.

Ken

 

MOD NOTE: As has been noted, modifying a microwave oven is potentially very dangerous. Running one out of spec may also pose safety issues. The suggestions have already been made to either get a microwave that is compatible with the available inverter or get an inverter that is compatible with the available microwave. Hopefully the TS has gotten some useful information.

I think that's about as far as the conversation can go without violating the ToS regarding dangerous topics, so I am closing this thread.