It is no news that meals fried with air fryers are low in cholesterol and fat. No wonder, like several others, you’ve switched to air-frying your favorite meals. However, how do you fix a power air fryer if the fan is not working?
If your power air fryer’s fan isn’t functioning, you must confirm that the safety switch that controls the fan is turned on. If it is faulty, fix the thermal fuse. If this isn’t the problem, cleaning, repairing, or replacing the fan motor should fix the problem.
Here, we’ve curated the most effective methods to adopt when fixing your power air fryer fan. In addition, we also discuss ways to prevent this problem. By the end of this piece, you’d have little to no issues frying and deep frying your favorite dishes.
Reasons Why Your Power Air Fryer Fan Is Faulty And Their Solutions
The first step to restoring your power air fryer’s functionality is identifying why the fan stopped working. Doing this will make finding a solution easy.
1. Safety Switch Turned Off
Many times, the culprit to power air fryer fan issues can be traced to a faulty safety switch. Where is this safety switch located, you ask? It is located at the bottom of the basket included in the power air fryer packaging.
Placing the basket in its proper position should activate the switch, complete the circuit and trigger the fan to start working. However, if the fan does not work, the basket could be the origin of the problem, causing the safety switch to stay off.
Additionally, the root cause of the problem can be further traced to a faulty basket drawer, as it is responsible for keeping the basket from becoming loose.
Solution
Once you observe that the problem is due to safety switch issues, follow the below steps.
Step 1: Ensure Safety
It is absolutely important that you turn off your air fryer and disconnect the fryer from any power source to avoid mishaps.
Step 2: Confirm the Fan is not Running
By applying a little force on the basket, drag it in and out of the air fryer 3-4 times, then plug in the appliance to see if it would work. Usually, suppose a loose basket causes the problem. In that case, this troubleshooting method will automatically reset the switch, and the fan will work.
To check if the fan is running, listen closely. A running fan will make a faint noise, which confirms that the safety switch is activated. However, suppose the fan refuses to work after following this step. In that case, you must manually activate the power button after disconnecting from the power source.
Step 3: Manually Activate the Switch
If troubleshooting your power air fryer fan does not work, you can manually resolve the issue with a small butter knife or a credit card.
To do this, look closely at the bottom of the fryer; you will notice a small gap between the air fryer basket and the other component.
Insert your card or knife into this gap and toggle around this gap. Try this 4-5 times to ensure you clicked on the safety switch. You should feel the safety switch after a few tries, and all you need to do is press down on this switch until it fully activates.
Step 4: Test the Result
Once you are sure that you successfully activated the switch manually, you now have to test the fryer to confirm that the fan is currently running. Plug in the fryer and listen for the fan’s noise to ensure it works.
If you follow these steps carefully, you will resolve your safety switch issues quickly. If this does not work, it is best to contact your product manufacturer or a professional to help you look into this issue, especially if you need to change the fryer’s basket.
2. Faulty Thermal Fuse
Another potential cause of faults with a power air fryer fan can be traced to a faulty thermal fuse. This little device inside the air fryer is responsible for preventing overheating, and the fan will only work if it is functioning effectively.
How does the thermal fuse function, you ask? It operates by shutting off the power supply to the fryer whenever the heat created by the air fryer exceeds a limit specified by the manufacturer. This means power will not get to the air fryer.
By doing this, the thermal fuse can prevent possible fire hazards or damage to the other components in the power air fryer.
Solution
Once you are sure that the cause of your air fryer fan problems is thermal fuse related, proceed to replace it. Since it is located inside the fryer, you will require soldering experience and access to screwdrivers to access the thermal fuse.
3. Fan Motor Issues
Apart from the issues already discussed above, another reason why your power air fryer fan is not working could be that the fan motor is faulty. Faults with air fryer fan motors can be caused by debris affecting the efficiency of the fan’s motor or damaged and worn-out fan parts.
Due to continuous usage, gathering dirt and debris on and inside a fan’s motor is normal; however, when not cleaned, the air fryer fan will begin to rotate very slowly and, in some extreme cases, cease rotating altogether. Also, wear and tear of the fan motor is normal in the event of prolonged use or mishandling.
Solution
For debris-related problems, we suggest that you clean the air fryer fan occasionally to avoid dirt from accumulating in the first place. This is one sure way to increase the fryer’s motor’s average life span and allow unrestricted airflow.
If the problem is linked to damaged or worn-out fan motor parts, repairs or replacement must be carried out to get that power air fryer fan working again. Luckily, these fan motors’ spare parts are available for sale and are more economical than purchasing a new power fryer.
4. Faulty Power Outlet
One culprit to faulty air fryer fan issues that are often overlooked is a faulty power outlet. The power outlet supplies an electric current to your machine; hence, your air fryer fan will not function if faulty.
Be careful when dealing with power outlet issues, as this poses an electrical hazard. Instead of discharging the electrical current that is supposed to get to the fan, this current leaks out and becomes hazardous.
This means that if your power air fryer fan is not working, the fryer will not provide the hot air you require for your steak to cook properly without the usual excess oil.
Solution
Here’s how to confirm if a faulty power outlet is the cause of the problem
- Remove your air fryer plug and find another small electrical kitchen appliance you can plug
- Plug this device into the same outlet you removed the air fryer
- If it doesn’t work, it means it is indeed the outlet that is faulty
- To be sure, plug the air fryer into another working socket, and if it works, it confirms the suspicion of a bad power cord
- You can fix the outlet by calling a technician for repairs or fixing it yourself with easy DIY methods
5. Production Complications
Another reason your air fryer fan could not work could be production complications, especially if you let the air fryer sit unused for a couple of months. Several production errors can affect the functionality of the air fryer fan.
It could be a case of the manufacturer using substandard materials, which will affect the quality and operation of the fan, or a simple mistake involving connecting the wrong wires that will allow the fan to burn.
Whichever situation it is, you need to know that a manufacturer’s error can affect your power air fryer fan, and there is no way for you to know which air fryer has an error.
Solution
The solution to this issue is quite simple. Since this issue is not your fault, you should return this particular air fryer to the manufacturer and request a functional one. For this reason, we recommend purchasing air fryers with a manufacturer’s warranty.
Please take the time to test the new one you will get so you do not bring home another faulty product.
Final Thoughts
The choice to air fry your preferred meal stems from the option to avoid cooking with excess oil, which is why your power air fryer fan needs to be fully operational, whether you are making simple fries or chicken nuggets or baking a tasty cake with the air fryer oven fan.
When your fan stops working abruptly, consider the possibilities below as the reason.
- The safety switch is off
- The thermal fuse may be faulty
- Chance of a faulty power outlet
- A damaged/worn-out motor fan