Air fryers have become one of the most favorite kitchen appliances because of their great ability to make delicious and crispy meals with less oil.
No matter if you’re cooking up an Air Fryer Chips Recipe or grilling chicken, this appliance has made it a whole lot easier to enjoy healthier versions of your favorite foods.
However, with everything that comes into the kitchen, it does have its own set of breakdowns and faults.
Knowing how to troubleshoot and fix common problems will save you money and get you back up and in no time, air-frying your favorite foods.
Most common problems that occur with air fryers, and some repairs one could do to their appliance to keep it running smoothly will be discussed here.
Air Fryer Won’t Turn On

One of the most frustrating problems one can experience with his or her air fryer is that it just refuses to turn on. For this, many different things can be blamed, anything from a power connection that is faulty to an internal component that is broken.
How to Fix It:
- First, check if the air fryer is plugged in properly.
- Use this same outlet with another appliance to see whether it will work fine.
- Visually, check the power cord for any sort of damage. If there is some damage to the cord or plug, you may replace the power cord.
- If that’s something you aren’t comfortable with, then consult a professional.
Quick Tip:
- Check your power cord every month for damage.
- Sometimes, it’s just a bad junction that keeps him from turning on.
For more tips like these and air fryer meal inspiration, head over to Amazon to see the Best Air Fryer Cookbook for Beginners UK [TOP 7 Reviewed]!
Air Fryer Not Heating Properly
If your air fryer turns on but does not heat up like it is supposed to, there could be an issue with the heating element. In that case, the chips of your favorite air fryer chip recipe won’t be crispy enough.
How to Solve It:
- Turn the air fryer off and unplug it.
- When cooled, check if the heating element is broken or clogged with food.
- Use a dry cloth moistened with water to clean the heating element and let it air dry.
- If it’s broken, you may have no other choice but to replace it.
Quick Tip:
Keep the heating element clean, as grease may accumulate quickly there and reduce its efficiency.
Something’s Off With The Air Fryer Fan
The inclusion of the fan inside your air fryer helps circulate air around the hot air of food, which goes a long way to explain its efficiency in cooking. However, if the fan starts making strange rattling noises, there’s a possibility that debris might be caught inside or the fan is loose.
How to Solve It:
- Unplug the air fryer and turn it upside down so that the fan is visible.
- With a soft brush or cloth, carefully sweep out bigger, visible pieces of food or other debris.
- If this fan appears loose, try consulting your user’s manual for directions on tightening; alternatively, contact the manufacturer for support.
Air Fryer Turns Off While Cooking
If your air fryer is turning off during cooking, it may indicate overheating or problems with the power connection.
How to Fix It:
- Switch the air fryer off and let it cool down for 30 minutes.
- Please ensure that the air fryer may be operated in a well-ventilated area to prevent overheating. Check the power cord and the outlet.
- They work fine. The problem continues; there must be an internal fault, and then it may be time to contact customer support.
Quick Tip:
- Place your air fryer on a flat, heat-resistant surface that has enough area around it for ventilation.
Food Isn’t Cooking Evenly
Air fryers are loved for their ability to cook food even. If it seems like your food is coming out not cooked evenly, that may be a problem with the airflow or placement of the basket.
How to Fix It:
- Do not overcrowd the basket.
- Too much food doesn’t let air circulation take place properly.
- Halfway through cooking, shake the basket so that the food is moved around and cooked evenly. Make sure the air fryer is level and positioned properly.
Digital Display Not Working
A faulty digital display makes setting proper cooking times and temperatures extremely complex. This could happen due either to an issue with the power or within the display’s inner mechanical mechanism.
How to Fix It:
- Make sure that your air fryer is plugged in.
- If the display is still not working after trying the above, then unplug it for some minutes and reconnect to see if it can restart.
- Call the manufacturer or a professional if you can’t restart it.
White smoke coming out of the air fryer could be scary if you notice it. In any case, this usually happens because of excess grease burning inside the bottom of this appliance.
How to Fix It:
- Immediately shut off the air fryer and unplug it.
- Pull out the basket and tray to clean it of excess grease or food debris.
- For cooking with foods containing a lot of fat, add water to the bottom of the tray in the air fryer to prevent grease from burning.
The Basket Is Not Sliding In/Out Smoothly

If the air fryer basket doesn’t slide in or out smoothly, it may have jammed due to food stuck in the grooves or misalignment of the basket.
How to Fix It:
- Pull the basket out and look down into the grooves for debris from the food or grease.
- Clean the grooves and edges of the basket.
- Align the basket well before sliding it into its position.
Air Fryer Smells Like Burning Plastic
There probably wouldn’t be any more disconcerting odor coming from an air fryer than that of burning plastic. These particular odors are usually due to manufacturing residue or new parts that may heat up for the first time.
How to fix it:
- Before using the air fryer with food for the first time, let it run empty at high temperatures for 10 minutes to burn off any residual leftovers.
- Make sure no plastic parts are too close to the heating element.
Food Isn’t Getting Crispy
If your food isn’t turning out as crispy as it should be, the problem can either be too little oil or overcrowding.
How to Fix It:
- Spray your food lightly with oil to help crisp it up.
- Do not overcrowd the basket, as that will block much-needed air from moving around it to create crispiness.
Quick Tip:
- For extra crispiness, shake halfway through or flip the food.
Conclusion
Air fryers are a godsend for a world moving so fast and wanting healthy cooking. However, that doesn’t mean it will never have problems. From overheating with malfunctioning fans, most air fryer fixes can be done pretty easily when one knows the way to go about it.
By following these repair tips, keep your air fryers in prime condition so that they can keep on giving you perfectly crispy results, such as your favorite air fryer chips recipe.
Discover the Ultimate Air Fryer Cookbook for Beginners and enjoy a variety of mouthwatering, easy-to-make recipes that fit perfectly into your healthy lifestyle! Plus, don’t forget to check out our recently published articles for more tips, reviews, and air fryer inspiration.