Air Fryer Producing a High-Pitched Noise? Read This

Is something in your kitchen screeching at you – and not your toddler demanding a meal? 

If you have an air fryer and it’s producing a high-pitched noise like a whine or screech, you’ve come to the right place. 

First up, air fryers may produce a high-pitched noise because of issues with the fan, the bearings, loose components, a faulty motor, airflow restrictions, and more. Whatever the reason, the noise can be disturbing but we have a possible fix for each issue.

Keep reading, and we’ll get into a little bit more detail. But a warning up front. Having some mechanical skills will be good, so if you don’t, you might want to consider a small appliance repair shop. If it comes to that, it might be more cost-effective for you to simply purchase a new air fryer.

What You’ll Need 

• Screwdriver or reversible power drill

#1 Fan Issues 

I don’t know if the fan in an air fryer has a fan belt like your car does, but that’s what this makes me think about. The fan belt in a car that needs to be replaced makes a terrible screeching noise.

The fan in your air fryer may be misaligned, damaged, or have some sort of obstructions blocking. Any of those could cause it to produce a high-pitched squealing sound.

Try the following steps.

Check for Damage 

Make sure your air fryer is unplugged, and then access – at least visually — the fan. The fan or fans are typically located at the top of the unit, so you’ll likely have to turn your air fryer either on its back or upside down. 

Make sure there’s nothing stuck in or on the blades. If so, remove. Check for any damage on the blades, and if you find any they may need to be replaced. So you’ll have to check your manual to see if there are parts available.

Finally, if any of the blades are simply misaligned, carefully adjust them to the right position.

#2 Bearing Problems 

Both the fan and the motor in your air fryer will have bearings. And over time, bearings can wear out or simply get dirty, leading to noisy operation.

You can try the following step but if you have worn bearings in the motor, I’ll tell you right now, it’s probably better to just purchase a new air fryer.

Try this. (Refer to the video in the previous section for steps to tear down your air fryer.)

Clean and Lubricate 

Make sure your air fryer is unplugged. Refer to your manual and see if they offer any teardown instructions. If so, access your fan or motor bearings and lubricate them with a food grade lubricant. If they are excessively worn or damaged, I recommend purchasing a new air fryer.

#3 Loose Components 

It’s possible that the high-pitched noise is caused by a vibration. If you have a loose component or screws, the natural vibration that happens while your air fryer is operating could extend to those loose parts, vibrating and making noise as well.

Try the following.

Inspector Air Fryer

Power off and unplug your air fryer and then carefully inspect it for any loose screws or components. Tighten anything that may need tightening.

#4 Internal Obstructions

Are you keeping up with deep cleaning your air fryer every four or five uses? If not, you may have some old, burnt bits of food stuck in there somewhere that could be interfering with moving parts. Or something else may have fallen in there at some point and be behind the noise. 

Deep Clean It!

Take your air fryer apart and clean all the components with mild soap and warm water. Look for bits of food that may be stuck somewhere, like up in the heating element. Remove anything that shouldn’t be there. 

#5 Breville Smart Oven Air Fryer BOV860BSS

If you have this model Breville air fryer, you may be hearing a high-pitched noise that only a few people in your household can hear. Don’t worry, you’re not going crazy, you just may have the hearing capabilities of a dog! 

Seriously though, there are a lot of reports of this noise, but it seems the Breville refuses to acknowledge there’s a problem. The interesting thing is that the noise goes away when the interior LED light bulb is turned on. This would lead me to believe the noise is from some kind of interference, but that’s just a guess. 

What can you do? 

Option 1: Return the Unit 

If the noise is making you crazy, and your unit is still within the return window, send it back. However, if Breville doesn’t acknowledge that this is an issue, they likely won’t even take it back if it’s still under warranty. 

Option 2: Take it to a Repair Shop

If you like the unit and it works well, you might try taking it to an appliance repair shop. They may be able to diagnose the noise and fix it, but it will cost you. 

#6 Restricted Airflow 

In order to work efficiently — not to mention properly — your air fryer needs enough airflow via the intake and exhaust vents. If their clogged or dirty, this can hinder airflow and causes the unit to make whistling sounds.

Here’s what you need to do is stop the noise.

Clean the Vents

There are hundreds of videos and tutorials online with instructions on how to properly clean and air fryer, unfortunately, few, if any, instruct you to keep the vents at the back of the unit clear as well.

Using a soft cloth or brush make sure to regularly clean the vents ensure proper airflow and prevent dust and debris build up.

#7 Issues with the Heating Element

If your heating element is damaged, perhaps because you haven’t been regularly cleaning it or for some other reason, it may produce unusual noises as it heats up. This could also happen if you have a faulty or malfunctioning heating element.

Here’s what you need to do.

Step 1. Inspect the Element 

Unplug your air fryer and turn it on its back or top, whichever gives you a good visual. If your heating element appears physically damaged or something else looks out of place, you may be able to replace the element.

Step 2. Look for Replacement Parts 

If there are replacement parts available for your unit, your user’s manual will have that information. And if there is a replacement part for your heating element, they’re easy to replace.

Solving An Air Fryer With A High Pitched Noise

It isn’t that common for an air fryer to make high-pitched noises, but it does happen. We’ve discussed seven probable issues.

To recap, check for the following:

• Fan issues
• Bearing problems
• Loose components
• Internal obstructions
• Revel Smart oven issues
• Restricted airflow
• Issues with the heating element

Hopefully, one of those will address in six your noisy air fryer! While you’re here, why not check out our related posts below? Perhaps we can help you with something else.