Air fryers are coming back to the limelight and becoming one of the most popular cooking appliances today. These appliances fry food just like the deep fryers are slightly different from deep fryers because they use little oil to fry food. Air fryers are indeed helpful in our homes, but they also do run into problems.
In some cases, your air fryer may not heat up, and this is one of the common problems air fryers run into. There are lots of reasons that could cause your air fryer not heating up. In this post, I will go through some of the most common reasons why your air fryer may not heat up. Once you know the problem, you can be able to fix the problem.
10 Common Reasons For Air Fryer Not Heating up and How to Fix It Simple Way
1. It’s Not Plugged in Properly
The first and essential step when you notice that any electrical appliance is not functioning is to check whether or not it is plugged inappropriately. This may sound generic, but it will save you time and money; the time you will have wasted on other things and the money you’d have spent going for a repair.
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Check if the power cable has been plugged in correctly both in the socket and in the air fryer. There are a couple of air fryers that feature a detachable cord, so don’t overlook this step. If you notice that there is a power cable that isn’t plugged in correctly, please rectify the fault and see if your air fryer would now heat up.
Sometimes, there is a possibility that your socket could be overloaded. You always need to check your air fryer cable and check if the voltage would match the socket you have in your house. There are instances when your socket can handle either too little voltage or too much voltage. Check the manufacturer’s instructions and see how much watts your air fryer consumes.
2. The Power is Off
It’s sometimes funny how disappointed we can be when we realize that what has been causing us stress is a simple fix like just powering on your sockets or your air fryer. Let’s face it: there are instances when you could arrive home from work pretty much wiped and this is where problems begin. Your memory goes away, and your attention goes down the toilet.
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In this case, it’s almost obvious that you may be in a hurry not to power on your socket or even the air fryer. Check if the power is on, and if it is off, please make sure that you have switched it on. Please don’t blame yourself because it’s not your fault. Humans are prone to errors, and this is one of them – don’t crucify yourself.
If by any chance you are just using your new air fryer after purchasing it, it could be that you didn’t connect it to the power source correctly. If this is the case, you may want to check out the user manual that came with the air fryer and see how it should be connected to the power source. If you can’t find the manual, please reach out to the manufacturer.
3. The Lid Closed
This is also a scenario where you need to pull out your user manual from wherever you put it to help you solve the issue of your air fryer not heating up. Whether you want to put the lid on or you want to secure your frying basket, you will need a user manual at this stage.
There are some air fryers designed to work or function uniquely, and this is important. That said, some air fryers will require you to lock its lid before it can heat up to the required standards. That means that it will not heat up if you don’t close the lid.
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And as much as this might be frustrating, remember that air fryers have been designed to provide a cheaper option to frying food and to provide more safety when frying your food. Therefore, don’t get upset – instead, check to see if the lid is locked correctly and that the basket is in position.
4. There’s Is too Much Food in the Basket
I get it; you don’t want to cook one food over and over again, so you always resort to cooking too much food, hoping that you don’t get to the kitchen several times. This can be a good idea, but cooking too much food in the air fryer could cause it not to heat up. So before you start blaming the manufacturers, check to see if you are putting in more food than expected in your air fryer.
Packing your basket with too much food hinders its normal functioning. An air fryer requires air to function normally. So if you stack up too much food in the air fryer, you are limiting air circulation, which means that your air fryer will begin to have problems. Air circulation is critical to maintaining the right temperature for your air fryer to heat up.
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Air fryer manufacturers recommend that you cook one layer of food in your air fryer at a time if you want to get good results and minimize problems. Stacking up too much food can cause it to heat too much or even fail to heat up at all. When this happens, your air fryer will not give you the best results you need.
5. Are Your Settings Adjusted Correctly?
You probably have already looked at the power source, cable, lid, and everything else suggested, but your air fryer can’t just heat up yet. In this case, it would help if you checked your settings to see if there could be a setting that has not been adjusted correctly. There are a couple of air fryer cookers who have confirmed that lowering the temperatures could cause the problem.
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Check if the temperature is too low, and if it is, you need to adjust it appropriately. You can do this by restarting your air fryer and adjusting to a higher heat before you can proceed with the cooking. In most cases, this solution should work, and in any case, it doesn’t work, you need to check other settings to see what could be the issue.
Determining the right temperature may be difficult, especially if you are using the air fryer for the first time. Know what unit of measurement you need to use; whether Celsius or Fahrenheit. If you are a little bit confused, find your user manual and see if there is any information that could be helpful. If there isn’t, please reach out to the manufacturer through their website.
6. Is Your Heating Component Damaged?
At this point, you could be thinking of throwing in the toilet, but you need not to because, ultimately, I will help you find the problem that’s causing your air fryer not to heat up as expected. Rather than starting to panic, let’s assume that the problem is solvable, but it has just gotten more serious than we expected.
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There is a critical component in your air fryer, and that is the heating component. In some cases, it could be damaged, and you never know. Check and confirm if the heating element is damaged and if it is, you need to call the manufacturer immediately to help out. In cases where you still have a valid warranty, it would be best to reach out to the retailer to see if they could help.
Usually, the manufacturer should be able to help you with the problem. If your warranty has expired, you will have to resort to an electrical appliance technician to see how they could help you fix the issue of the heating component. In this case, you will have to spend some money out-of-pocket, but it’s worth it rather than giving up on it.
7. Longer Time Usage
Most air fryers homeowners will be buying are not for commercial use, which means that they won’t possess the qualities and features of a commercial air fryer. In that case, these air fryers will not work for an extended time. If they do, there are risks of the appliance not working as expected; in this case, not heating up.
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Air fryers meant for home use should not be used for more than 60 minutes because they are not designed to work that long. If you consistently use your air fryer for 60 minutes or more, you are putting your air fryer’s critical components, like the heating element at risk. In other words, you shouldn’t overwork your appliance – use it moderately.
8. Problem With the Air Fryer Door
If you have checked every other component and ascertained that everything is okay, you need to go further and check the air fryer door to see if there could be a problem with it. Sometimes, it could be that the door is not working as it should be and you may want to address it to ensure that it’s fitted appropriately.
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Just like any other appliances like an oven, you need to make sure that the door is closed tightly to get the best results. This is because leaving fresh air to come into your air fryer will look like there is no hot air in your air fryer, leading to the appliance not heating up as expected. In most cases, this would be a simple fix of just tightening the door of your appliance.
There are a few air fryers that will have no issue even if the door is open. These are unique models and might cost more. However, if you are not willing to spend more or you don’t have these models, for now, you might want to do the simple fix to enjoy the benefits of your air fryer. After all, one feature shouldn’t make you splash the cash if you have an alternative.
9. What About the Air Fryer Timer?
We had talked about the setting but didn’t mention one specific setting feature that is essential – the timer. There are a couple of fryer models that will come with the timer functionality. In most cases, these air fryers will not heat up unless you set a timer. If this is true with your fryer, you need to check the timer and adjust it appropriately.
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Failing not to adjust the timer setting could make the fryer not heat up, which could mess up your frying experience. Instead of blaming the manufacturer, check the appliance if there is any time that needs to be adjusted. In most cases, a user manual should help you because it can be challenging to figure out the right time to set on your timer.
Your air fryer setting will vary depending on the brand that you use. It is, therefore, essential to check out from your manufacturer to know the recommended timer setting. This will help you avoid unnecessary mistakes that you could make. At least, doing this should help solve the issue of your air fryer not heating up.
10. The Temperature of Your Air Fryer
Temperature is now getting specific to the setting of your air fryer. If you have tried out all the hacks I have listed above, you should check to see if the temperature you are using is not what is recommended by the manufacturer.
Air fryers have different temperature requirements, and again, this will depend on the air fryer you are using. Some models will feature a more straightforward dial setting while others might require you to press some other buttons to get the right temperature.
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Either way, this is still a simple process, and you shouldn’t be worrying about which one has buttons and which one does not. For brands such as Philips, a temperature of 40 degrees should mean that your air fryer isn’t working correctly.
Bottom Line
Air fryers are quite helpful both in commercial settings and at home. They also do need much care to ensure that they serve you well. This article, though, was specific to one of the problems an air fryer might face – the appliance not heating up.
I have given some of the most common issues and how you can address them. I hope it helps you fix the problem, and if it did, please leave a comment and let me know.
