Air Fryer Not Heating Up? Here’s All 6 Known Causes

Is your air fryer not heating up? It might be the symptom of a greater concern. Here’s all 6 known causes.

Air fryers are life-changing. Once you try preparing anything on them, going back is nearly impossible. I never thought I’d be able to enjoy my favorite snacks without the grease and excessive oil that comes with them.

If you’re anything like me, you love eating delicious foods while also taking care of your health. It’s a win-win situation that would not be possible without air fryers. They’re simply essential to any modern kitchen around the globe.

So, what happens when yours starts failing? At the very least, your meal plans are ruined. If your air fryer is not heating up, there could be several culprits behind the occurrence, from a faulty power source, to a blown thermal fuse.

These appliances are much more complex than they seem, so trying to fix whatever’s wrong with them, can be challenging without the proper steps to follow. Don’t worry, though, I got you covered.

Below, I’ve prepared a list of the most common reasons why your air fryer might not be heating up. I promise that, by the end of it, your appliance will be as good as new, and you’ll be back to enjoying grease-free delicacies.

Are you ready? Let’s get to work!

Fixing a Failing Air Fryer

It’s important that we go about this troubleshooting process in an orderly manner, from external, to internal factors. By doing this, you’ll avoid performing unnecessary repairs, and spending money you might not have to. Without further ado, let’s explore the possible culprits.

For a good part of these repairs, you won’t need any kind of tools, but it’s always a good idea to keep a screwdriver close, and a multimeter, if you have one. The latter will help you determine whether a component is still viable or requires immediate replacement.

#1 You Have a Faulty Outlet

Test your outlet for continuity

The first possible reason behind your air fryer not heating up, could be a bad wall outlet.

This is not extremely common, but it’s not unheard of either. If this is your problem, you’ll likely be experiencing electrical issues like tripped breakers, short circuits, and other disruptions. Not to mention, that your air fryer probably won’t even turn on.

Solution: Carefully unplug your appliance and let it cool down, if required. Once it’s cool enough to handle, take it to a different section of the house and try plugging it back into another outlet. This should take care of the issue.

If you’re feeling confident, you can use your multimeter to test the outlet for continuity and be 100% certain that it’s faulty. This is optional, but recommended.

#2 You Have a Damaged Power Cord

Bad practices could be causing damage to your power cord

If testing your outlet did not work, you’ll have to move on to the next link in the power supply chain, the power chord.

While on the outside it may look thick and sturdy, there are many small cables contained inside your appliance’s chord. These can be very easily damaged by seemingly negligible bad practices, such as keeping them tangled, stored away in a small space, or pressed against other objects.

A damaged power cord can cause a lot of problems, out of which, an absence of heat should be the least severe. If the part is not functioning properly, it could cause a short circuit and fry your appliance!

I would advise against using it until you have replaced the cord.

Solution: Repeat the steps from the previous point, and test a different outlet. If this does not solve the problem, you will have to get a replacement cable online. You should be able to purchase it for less than $20.

In case you have a spare lying around, you can save some money and test your air fryer with it. Provided that doing so resolves the issue, you can now continue operating the appliance normally.

#3 Your Air Fryer’s Tray Is Open

Make sure everything’s sitting tightly

Air fryers are very modern machines, which means that they have all sorts of safety features built into them. After all, they’re basically metal fans that produce scorching hot air, so any countermeasures manufacturers can implement, are welcome.

If you recently took your air fryer apart for cleaning or just removed the basket to serve your latest air-fried meal, there’s a chance that you might have left it partially open after putting it back into place. This would explain why your appliance is not heating up.

Solution: Make sure everything’s sitting tightly inside and around your air fryer. I always push the basket of mine two times just to be safe.

#4 You Have a Broken Temperature Switch

There might be nothing wrong with how your air fryer generates heat, but if the component responsible for activating the process fails, the temperature will never rise.

If your air fryer is not heating up, you might be suffering from the consequences of having a broken temperature switch. These are usually designed as dial knobs and placed at the center of your appliance.

When this component fails, even cranking your dial knob all the way up to the hottest setting won’t matter. You’ll still be left with a lukewarm air fryer.

Solution: You’ll have to replace the switch. To do so, follow these steps:

1. Unplug your appliance and let it cool down, if needed

• Locate the screws at the top (or the bottom, depending on the model) of your appliance.

• Remove them with a screwdriver and expose the appliance’s guts

• Find the switch behind the external dial knob and gain comfortable access to it

• Test it with a multimeter for continuity

Remember, no continuity means the component is toast, and needs replacement.

#5 Your Thermal Fuse Is Blown

Overheating can cause blown fuses

It may sound counterintuitive, but excessive heat can cause your air fryer to not heat up at all. Confusing, right? Let me explain.

These appliances are equipped with a nifty little component called a thermal fuse, which is responsible for detecting excessively high temperatures during your air fryer’s operating cycles, and “blowing” to prevent further damage.

By doing this, the fuse kills all electrical continuity and the unit cools down.

While having a blown fuse is usually a sign that your appliance was protected from overheating damage, it also means that you’re stuck with a nonoperational air fryer.

Solution: Follow the steps from point #3 to expose your appliance’s guts and locate the thermal fuse. It should look like the picture above.

Unlike other components, determining the viability of a blown thermal fuse does not require a multimeter. All you have to do is look for blackening and a broken filament, signs of a tiny explosion inside the fuse’s glass body.

You can find a replacement at any hardware store near you.

#6 You Have a Faulty Heating Element

A faulty heating element can wreak havoc in the blink of an eye

If addressing the potential causes above did not help, it’s time to look at the heat source of your appliance. The heating element.

This component is solely responsible for transforming the electrical energy your air fryer draws from the power outlet, into heat to cook your food. When it fails, it can either not produce enough heat, leaving you with your current problem, or generate too much, causing overheating.

If this is the culprit, and I had to take a guess, I’d say your heating element failed, overheated, blew your thermal fuse, and brought you here.

Solution: Follow the steps from point #3. Your heating element should be a big spiral-shaped metal coil at the top of your appliance, next to the fan.

Repeat the process with the multimeter and determine if it’s still viable. If it’s not, you’ll have to get a replacement that fits your make and model. This is not super simple, as they come in all shapes and sizes, but a quick Google search could help you find the right one.

Conclusion

Having your air fryer fail to do the one thing it was designed to, can defeat the purpose of owning it, and leave you extremely frustrated.

As you’ve learned, this issue could be caused by different factors. The components inside your air fryer are interdependent, which means that having one fail, can trigger a chain reaction.

Luckily, addressing most of these issues is fairly simple, all you need is patience, a screwdriver, and a multimeter if you have one. That being said, safety should always be your top priority, so, if at any point you feel doubtful, do not hesitate to call a technician.

Thank you so much for reading. If you found this article useful, why not keep the learning going and check out our outer wonderful resources below?

Bon Appétit!