It is safe to run a microwave for 30 minutes at a time.
Microwaves usually have a running time limit of up to 1 hour in which they should not be run longer than an hour.
However some people prefer to allow the microwave to cool off after 10 to 15 minutes and then turn the microwave on again to finish cooking.
But you can safely run the microwave for 30 minutes at a time to cook your food or defrost your food.
As long as the microwave has something such as the food or liquid to absorb the energy it will be fine.
Standing in front of a microwave is not bad for you unless the microwave is leaking radiation or you have a pacemaker.
To know if your microwave is leaking radiation you can do a test with a NE-2 Lamp.
Hold the NE-2 lamp by the leads and pass the bulb around the window and sealing areas of the microwave oven.
The bulb should be touching the microwave oven to be as close as possible.
All microwave ovens leak small amounts of radiation but it's the actual gaps in microwave seals that you are trying to find.
Small leaks will not light the NE-2, but if the leak is large enough to ionize the gas inside the lamp, then it is large enough to cause concern.
Using this little lamp is just a cheap and quick test and is not meant to replace a MW meter.
Professional MW meters do not come cheap as most consumers will not be spending hundreds of dollars just to check their ovens.
Signs that your microwave is going bad are it takes longer to heat or cook food, the microwave is not heating up fast enough, the microwave stays on when the door is closed, the control pad is not working properly, you smell smoke smells, or the microwave makes burning smells.
Or if the microwave is 10 years old or older then it may be ready to go out on you and you should prepare to buy a new microwave.
A microwave should last between 5 to 10 years when used and maintained properly.;
However in some cases a cheap brand of microwave may only last a year depending on how often you use it.
I normally get around 5 years and sometimes 10 years out of a microwave.
My last microwave that I bought back in 2010 lasted for 10 years before it gave out on me.
It was a Walmart brand microwave and I got my money's worth out of it many times over.
Most often the control panel will go out before the actual microwave will go out and stop heating.
If you get 5 to 10 years out of your cheap microwave then you're doing good.