While air fryers seem extremely convenient, popular, and simple to use, they are still a machine that has moving parts, which means that from time to time, you may end up running into some problems that you will need to troubleshoot.
And while some brands may run into more problems than others, almost all problems can be solved by addressing your user manual booklet or double-checking the appliance when in use.
One of the most common problems that many air fryer owners ask is why is my air fryer not heating up?
Generally, air fryers don’t heat up because there is a problem with the heating element, however, other issues can cause it to not heat up. These reasons include the following:
- You forget to set the temperature.
- You forget to set the cooking time.
- The temperature is set too low.
- The door is blocked or not closed properly.
- There’s a connection error between the power source and the heating element.
In this article, I’ve included information that may specific to your air fryer as I’ve researched a couple of different brands.
Can You Overheat an Air Fryer?
While air fryers seem extremely simple to use, if you are not aware of how one works or are not paying attention to the user manual, it can be pretty easy to make mistakes during use.
These mistakes, if not caught early enough, can cause your air fryer to overheat or even catch fire if you’re not careful. To avoid overheating your air fryer, make sure to not do any of the following.
Overfilling Your Air Fryer With Food.
You want to avoid overfilling your air fryer basket with food. If you fill the basket past the maximum fill line, you are reducing the amount of space between the heater and the air fryer’s fan. In doing this, you can not only cause a fire but also cause your air fryer to overheat really quickly.
Filling the Basket with Oil/Other Liquids.
One of the easiest mistakes to make with air fryers is placing oil into the air fryer basket separate from your food ingredients. If you place oil into the air fryer basket separately, you can cause the unit to overheat or catch fire.
What you want to do is to take the recipe’s recommended amount of oil and mix it with your food ingredients first, then place the ingredients into the air fryer basket. Do not use any other type of liquid in your air fryer basket.
Placing Items on Top of the Air Fryer.
While most individuals are unlikely to do this, placing items on top of your air fryer to sit, can cause the unit to overheat. Why? You may end up blocking the inlet air intake which impedes airflow into the air fryer. If your air fryer cannot get enough air circulating, it will overheat.
Blocking the Air Outlet.
Similar to the point above, if you block the air outlet, your heated air will stay in the air fryer, causing it to overheat.
You want to make sure that your air fryer has at least five inches of space above it, behind it, and next to it on both sides. In doing this, you prevent anything from blocking the air outlet.
Using the Air Fryer for an Extended Period of Time.
Most air fryers that are used within the home are not commercial grade in function, material, or ability and as such, cannot withstand extended use.
If you use your air fryer for an extended period of time (longer than 60- 120 minutes) you are putting your air fryer’s internal components at risk of overheating. To avoid over extended use, always preheat your air fryer first so that your food immediately begins cooking when placed into the device.
What Else Can Cause My Air Fryer To Stop Working?
While overheating can certainly cause your air fryer to shut off or stop working completely, there are a few other issues that can be the culprit.
Check Your Power Supply.
A lot of the time an air fryer may switch on but not actually work. This is often caused by an issue with the electrical wiring of the unit which causes your air fryer to heat up improperly.
To solve this, make sure that the air fryer is plugged in properly and has adequate ventilation, make sure that the timer is working, and make sure that there isn’t an issue with the circuit breaker.
A Damaged Electrical Cord.
If your electrical cord that connects between the wall (power source) and your unit is damaged in any way, it can be the source of why your air fryer isn’t working.
A Damaged Heating Element.
If your air fryer’s heating element is damaged at all, it will not be able to heat up properly and thus, unable to work.
Use our troubleshooting guide to find out what’s causing your air fryer to malfunction.
Common Air Fryer Brands That May Have Issues With Heating Up.
Since most brands of air fryers are built with a similar design, it is likely that the majority of them will run into the same problems from time to time.
A lot of individuals have reported the following air fryers with this problem.
Nuwave Air Fryers
- Nuwave Air Fryer Not Heating Up. The NuWave air fryer will have issues with heating up if there is a power failure, temperature issue or defective outlet.
- Power failure. While the NuWave air fryer does not require a high amount of energy, it can cause power issues if it is plugged into an outlet with other power-draining appliances. Unplug those appliances and move them to another outlet to see if this is causing the issue.
- Improper temperature configuration. If the digital pad on the air fryer has been incorrectly configured for the proper cooking level, the performance of the oven is not going to work. To check the power level, hit the power level button, and reset it by pressing zero on the display panel.
- Defective outlet. Make sure that your outlet isn’t defective and is indeed receiving power. If the outlet is working, it might mean that your air fryer is not and therefore should be replaced.
Chefman Air Fryers
- Chefman Air Fryer Not Heating Up. The Chefman air fryer has issues with heating up if there are problems with the power source. This includes the following.
- Faulty power adapter. Make sure that the power adapter is plugged into the power outlet properly and that there are no issues with the electrical cord. If the device will not turn on and heat up, consider purchasing a replacement adapter.
- Mismatched power outlet. If the power adapter does not fit into your power outlet or has two different power prongs’ size, you will need a different power adapter.
- Wall outlet not producing power. Your power outlet may not be receiving power or may have a malfunctioning wire. Double-check that it is in working order.
Philips Air Fryer
- Philips Airfryer Not Heating Up. If you find yourself with a Philips Airfryer that does not want to heat up, there are three potential reasons for this.
- You have set no time. If you have forgotten to set the cooking time, your Philips Airfryer isn’t going to heat up. Double-check that you’ve set this to see if the issue persists.
- The temperature set is too low. Double-check to see what the cooking temperature is set at. If you’ve set it to cook at 104 degrees Fahrenheit (40 Celsius) than it is likely that your air fryer just appears to not be heating up. This is especially true if your kitchen environment is also close to this temperature.
- The heating element is broken. If you set the cooking timer for a temperature that is well above 104 degrees Fahrenheit and your Philips Airfryer is still not heating up, then it is likely that there is a problem with your heating element.
Faberware Air Fryer
- Faberware Air Fryer Not Heating Up. Double-check to make sure that your air fryer’s knobs are turned to the correct temperature and are functioning properly. Then double-check to make sure that the air fryer is connected to a functioning power outlet. If the heating coil does not turn red when the air fryer is on, there is a connection problem between the heating element and the power source.
The above-noted issues have also been cited for the Power Air Fryer brand. So make sure to double-check these issues before replacing the unit.