The 7 Reasons Why Your Air Fryer Keeps Stopping

Air fryers are the newest kitchen appliance craze, and for a good reason. But they don’t come without frustrations, and there’s a fairly common one. Which is why we’re here to list all the reasons why your air fryer keeps stopping—for no apparent reason. 

But there are very good reasons, and in most cases, they should never be ignored. 

Your air fryer may keep stopping because it’s overheating, there are power supply issues, your timer settings, exceeded cooking capacity, faulty components, lack of ventilation, user error, and different safety features. 

Let’s go through them so you can get back to stress-free cooking. However, note that while in some cases there’s an easy fix, in others, there could be a more serious problem.

#1 Your Air Fryer Could be Overheating

Air fryers have built-in safety mechanisms to help prevent overheating. So if the internal temperature of your air fryer hits or exceeds a predetermined limit, it may automatically shut off to avoid damage or fire hazards.

So what could cause it to overheat?

Check for Airflow Obstructions

Your air fryer has vents to help circulate air during the cooking process. If your vents are blocked, this can lead to inadequate airflow and eventually cause it to overheat.

Your model may be different, but most air fryers have large vents at the back of the unit. Check to make sure that sufficient airflow is possible.

You should check your owner’s manual for the specific clearance requirements on your make and model. However, it’s generally recommended to leave at least 4 to 6 inches (10 to 15 centimeters) of space around the sides and back of your air fryer. This allows for proper circulation, allowing the unit to draw in air, circulate it, and then expel the hot air generated during cooking.

#2 You Could be Overloading Your Air Fryer 

An overloaded air fryer could also lead to overheating since a basket that’s crammed with too much food will impede airflow and make the heating elements work harder. Additionally, your food won’t cook properly!

Always Follow the Manufacturer’s Guidelines 

Just because you saw a picture of an air fryer filled to the brim with French fries, that doesn’t mean you can do the same. Check your user’s manual for the maximum recommended capacity for your model and avoid exceeding it. 

#3 Faulty Thermostat 

Since the thermostat regulates your air fryer’s temperature, if something goes wrong, it could cause your unit to overheat—and shut itself off. 

Take its Temperature 

If you do have a faulty thermostat or sensor, there’s not much you can do about it. However, after your unit has run for a while, you can use a thermometer and take the temperature of the basket. Just open it up and quickly stick a thermometer inside. 

If the reading is far above what you have it set at—or even high above what the unit’s max temperature is—stop using your air fryer. Call the manufacturer and see if there’s anything they suggest. 

#4 Defective Heating Element

Perhaps the problem isn’t with your thermostat’s inability to regulate temperature but with the heating element itself. If the element isn’t functioning properly or it’s damaged it could draw too much power, which would generate excess heat.

Regardless of the reason why your air fryer overheats, it may shut off unexpectedly.

Reach out to an Appliance Repair Technician

There’s nothing you can personally do to fix a broken or malfunctioning heating element, so your options are limited. You can have your unit replaced if it’s still under warranty, have it diagnosed and hopefully fixed by a repairman, or you need to buy a new air fryer.

#5 Power Supply Issues

If there’s a problem with the cord, your outlet, your circuit, or anything electrical related, it may cause your air fryer to turn off unexpectedly.

Inspect Your Power Supply

Do a visual inspection of the power cord and make sure there’s no damage or wear and tear of any kind.

You can also test the outlet by plugging another appliance into it, and finally, make sure that your air fryer is not tripping your breaker or blowing a fuse — which would cause it to shut down unexpectedly.

#6 Faulty or Worn-Out Components

You probably love your air fryer and use it every day. But, like any device, it can experience wear and tear over time. Malfunctioning or damaged components, such as the heating element or thermostat can cause the fryer to shut off unexpectedly.

Check Your Warranty

If you’ve determined there’s no other reasonable explanation for your air fryer to keep shutting off unexpectedly, you might want to see if it’s still within warranty. Additionally, you can check to see if this is a problem inherent to that particular model by doing a Google search.

Keep in mind that nothing is built to last anymore, so even if you’ve had a product for only a year or so, it’s not uncommon for it to begin to break down — and this is especially true depending on the quality of the brand you purchased.

#7 Safety Features

Finally, your air fryer may have some additional safety features such as an automatic shut off after a certain period of inactivity. Typically, this won’t happen while you’re cooking something, but it can happen if you’ve simply powered on your air fryer and then haven’t interacted with it since.

Shutting off could simply be a power-saving measure.

Don’t Let Your Air Fryer Sit Idle

Refrain from turning on your air fryer and then getting involved in something else before filling the baskets and setting your cooking schedule. There’s a good chance your unit will have shut off by the time you get back to it.

Conclusion

For the most part, your air fryer should work trouble-free. However, as pointed out above, there are a variety of reasons for your air fryer to keep shutting off or stopping unexpectedly. This could be in response to something you have done, faults with the unit, or safety features.

To recap, these are the seven things to consider:

• Your air fryer could be overheating
• You may have overloaded your air fryer
• You could have a faulty thermostat
• Your heating element may be defective
• You may have power supply issues
• Components could be faulty or worn-out
• Built-in safety features may be kicking in

Clearly, some of those are easy to rectify, while others may mean your air fryer is toast. Either way, hopefully, the information presented here helps you determine the problem you’re facing.

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