In 2010, Philips introduced a small-scale countertop convection oven to the market and it wasn’t long before the hype had begun. You can think of an air fryer as a convection oven that tries to mimic a deep fryer but without the oil. Just like the convection oven, the air fryer depends on the circulation of heated air to cook and brown food.
It’s an appliance that I’ve come to use on a frequent basis since three or four years back. Do you know what happens when you use something regularly for a long period of time? You run into problems. These problems and, more importantly, solutions then become things I can write about to help others! With that said, let’s get going, shall we?
If your air fryer doesn’t turn on, confirm that the device is plugged into a functioning power socket, that a timer is set, and that the basket is placed properly. Try unplugging the device for 10 minutes to let it reset then plug it back in and power it. If the unit still doesn’t power up, check the air fryer’s cables for cuts or damage. If the cables are intact, ask for a replacement.
Because there are so many models, it’s quite hard to say what’s wrong without troubleshooting that specific unit.
Sometimes, the issue can be fixed with very little effort by simply going through the potential causes one by one. Other times, the device may need to be replaced or fixed by a certified technician.
Let’s look at the different things that can cause an air fryer to stop working.
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Make Sure the Air Fryer Is Plugged In
The most obvious and important part of troubleshooting any electrical device is to check that the unit is plugged into a power socket. You may think that this step is something that every human should be able to understand by themselves, but no. Sometimes we’re stressed, tired, distracted, or just having a dumb-day.
I worked in IT for several years and you’d be surprised if I told you how many times I visited our clients, who were experiencing trouble with their monitors, computers, or docking stations, only to find that their device wasn’t plugged in properly.
If your unit is properly connected to a wall socket and still doesn’t power up, try unplugging the device for a moment and then reinsert it into the socket. When reinserted, the device will show signs of being connected and react when it’s powered up. If this doesn’t happen, continue reading.
Make Sure the Air Fryer Is Connected to a Working Socket
It’s possible that you’ve spent quite a bit of time troubleshooting the device itself when in fact, it is the power socket that the unit is connected to that’s faulty. It’s important to ensure that the socket is functioning properly. If it doesn’t, then we’re wasting our time trying to fix the air fryer when it’s the socket that’s messing with us.
The easiest way to check if the socket is working as it should is to connect another device to the socket. If that device is powered by the same socket, then you know it’s something wrong with the air fryer and not the socket itself.
Another alternative would be to move the air fryer from the initial socket to another one. If the air fryer powers up all of a sudden, then you know the previous socket was causing the problems.
However, you may want to keep your air fryer where it was placed in the first place, so simply moving the air fryer may not be the answer you’re looking for. Instead, get in contact with an electrician and have them fix your socket.
Make Sure The Air Fryer’s Basket is Placed Properly
This isn’t true for all models but generally, if an air fryer’s basket is placed correctly, the air fryer won’t start. For instance, if the air fryer’s basket somehow prevents the door from shutting, the device won’t allow you to start a cooking program. Make sure the basket is put in place before you close the hatchet, then try powering the air fryer.
Check the Air Fryer’s Cables For Damage
Don’t forget about the device’s cables, they will have to withstand a lot of wear and tear over the years. They’re stretched, bent, twisted, squashed, and moved around all the time. This can cause damage to the cables, which could, potentially, make them incapable of transmitting power from the outlet to the device.
Look closely at the cable and the cable’s head to expose any cuts or damage to the cable. If the cable is damaged and faulty, it may prevent the cable from transmitting power from the socket to the air fryer. If the cable is damaged you should get in contact with someone who can replace the cable since most air fryers don’t have a serviceable connection for the cable.
If the head is faulty, unscrew it and replace it with a new one. Make sure the new head is an original. Be careful when handling cables that are damaged. Use caution and avoid touching anything other than the insulation.
Check The Cable’s Fuse
In a scenario where both the cable and the cable’s head are both intact, there’s still one more thing to do with the cable before moving on to the next step – checking the cable’s fuse. If the fuse has blown, it doesn’t matter if your cable is in pristine condition, it will not work.
Depending on what type of cable you have, your cable may or may not have a fuse. Not all plugs are created equally and they differ in design greatly depending on where you are, geographically.
In the UK, many plugs have built-in fuses that can be changed. The same may not be true for a lot of other countries. Take my expertise with a grain of salt, as I am no electrician, but here’s how you could identify if your plug has a built-in fuse that can be replaced.
If your plug looks like this it will most likely have a fuse that can be changed.
If your plug looks like this it will probably not have a fuse.
By opening up the plug, you can check to see if your plug has a fuse and if it has blown. If that’s the case, simply replacing the fuse may get your air fryer up and running again. It may seem like a lot of work but it isn’t, there’s a ton of good material available online on how to swap a fuse and it if turns out that that’s the problem, you’ll save both time and money.
Oh, and you’ll have learned a new skill and can brag about being the backbone of the household every time you and the family enjoy air-fried food.
Contact the Manufacturer to Get Your Air Fryer Replaced or Fixed
If you have tried everything else to no avail, then you need to contact the manufacturer or the store that sold the air fryer to get it replaced or fixed. I wouldn’t recommend opening up the air fryer at home, especially if you have less expertise than the task demands.
I’m far from an electrician or engineer of any kind so I’ve decided to let someone else take care of most of my devices, therefore, I recommend anyone else in my shoes to do the same.
Furthermore, you may void the warranty by opening up the air fryer on your own, and you don’t want that. If you void the warranty you may have to pay a price equal to, or greater than the air fryer actually cost to purchase in the first place. Therefore, it may in some cases be more lucrative to purchase a new air fryer than to repair one – unless your air fryer is still under warranty.
If your device is still covered by warranty, chances are the manufacturers will cover the cost of the reparation or replace your unit with a brand new one for free.
To find out if your product is still under warranty, visit the manufacturer’s website. If it’s a larger corporation make sure to visit your country’s version of the website. Once there, check for labels such as “support”, “warranty check” or “support & warranty” – there you will find more information.
Another option is to visit the retailer that sold you the air fryer and see if they’ve got documentation regarding the warranty. Amazon, for instance, has a section called “Warranty and support” where they either state the information or redirect you to the manufacturer’s website.
Why Does My Air Fryer Keep Shutting Off?
Some may even get their air fryers going for a little while before they crash. From what I’ve gathered by doing research, it seems that most users are able to run their air fryers for 2-3 minutes before they shut down. When restarting the air fryer, it runs for an additional 2-3 minutes before it shuts down again. Even after unplugging the air fryer, it still continues to crash.
Browsing the web, contacting manufacturer’s and drawing from my own experience, I was able to come up with these different reasons why an air fryer may shut down after a couple of minutes:
- Your air fryer may shut down if it’s turned on for several minutes without starting a program.
- Your air fryer may have an auto shut-off function that prevents the air fryer from overheating. If the air fryer gets too hot, the auto shut-off will turn off the air fryer to let it cool.
- Your air fryer may shut down because the door is coming loose and thus not being able to close properly.
- Your air fryer may shut down because you’ve accidentally moved the basket. Make sure the basket is in place.
The reason may vary depending on the model. I recommend checking the user manual to see if it the troubleshooting guide has any useful information. Most troubleshooting guides include problems, possible causes and solutions and can, therefore, be quite helpful.
Thank you for reading! If you have or are experiencing any of this right now, feel free to comment how you approached the problem. If you’re carrying information that I haven’t included, please add it to the comment section so we can create the most helpful guide available online.