How to repair an air fryer at home?

Air fryer device

The convection oven is a modernized version of the household convection oven. Streams of air heated to high temperatures play an active role in cooking here. Structurally, a typical device of this type consists of:

volumetric glass bowl;
a quartz lamp with a grille enclosing it;
an electric fan responsible for air circulation inside the bowl and protecting the motor from overheating;
temperature controller sensor based on a bimetallic plate;
a control and data display unit, which includes a mechanical timer, a temperature control knob and a pair of lights indicating the state of the switched on equipment.

The operating principle of an air fryer is not much different from the operation of an ordinary iron. The quartz lamp gives off its energy to the circulating air and the food placed in the bowl. When the set temperature is reached, the regulator opens the electrical power supply circuit to the lamp. Repeated cycles of switching on and off make it possible to maintain the required heat treatment mode with sufficient accuracy for a period of time set by the timer.

Careful housewives, getting used to the operation of a new convection oven, try to determine the degree of readiness of a dish based on its appearance, which is facilitated by the transparent walls of the bowl. As you gain experience, the role of the timer becomes the main one.

Common problems with air fryers

Air fryer repair may be required in various situations. Despite all its apparent simplicity, its most vulnerable part is the electrical circuit. It consists of switches on the control unit and handle. From them, current is supplied through a timer to the winding of the fan motor.

Doesn't respond when turned on

The absence of a response from a household appliance when turned on indicates changes have occurred in the electrical circuit. The following are subject to inspection:

fork;
power cable;
a leaky closure blocker, which is usually located in the handle of the air fryer;
all internal components of the electrical circuit.

Any home craftsman can eliminate visible defects such as broken wires or disconnected contacts. Replacing failed electrical devices will require the purchase of similar parts, their correct installation and connection. With due care and precision, this should not cause serious problems either.

Most often, the convection oven does not turn on due to a broken fuse that blocks operation when the lid is open or not tightly closed. When you press a working device, you should hear a characteristic click.

If there is no sound, test it with a multimeter by connecting to the contacts or two wires suitable for it. When you press the microswitch, the tester should display a change in its resistance from infinity to zero. To replace the fuse, you will have to disassemble the air fryer cover.

Doesn't heat well

The absence of heating or its insufficient intensity indicates deviations in the operation of the heating element, which is a halogen heater for your convection oven or an ordinary heating element. In this case, it is necessary to inspect it for the presence of visible defects, to “ring” the device itself and the sections of the circuit leading to it. The heating device should be replaced with a similar one.

The fan doesn't spin

When an air fryer does not have a fan working, it loses all its operational benefits. Symptoms of such a malfunction are:

uneven heat treatment of food, expressed in the lower layers of the dish not being cooked;
absence of the characteristic sound of a running motor.

Sometimes the cause of failure is a broken wire or disconnected contact. If it turns out that the motor has failed, you will have to replace the motor or the entire set along with the fan.

The control unit has failed

A malfunction of the control unit may result in the inability to turn on the device or in its refusal to switch modes. The biggest problem is caused by the breakdown of touch devices . In this case, expensive equipment will need to be replaced by a professional technician.

Most of these faults can be corrected with your own hands when repairing an air fryer, but if you are not confident in your own abilities, contact a repair shop.

Be careful! Often, a carelessly inserted plug into an electrical outlet or a loosely closed lid can lead to unnecessary concerns about the performance of the air fryer.

Major breakdowns of household appliances

Device failures mainly relate to the thermal fuse, heating element and control unit. If the device does not work, and you have checked the correctness of the selected mode, the tightness of the lid, the serviceability of the power cord and the socket, then you need to look for the reason:

in the thermal fuse;
in the heating element;
in the control panel.

The first two types of faults can be easily repaired by yourself if you have the necessary spare parts, but the third is difficult and dangerous. To eliminate it, you will need the help of experienced craftsmen and high-quality repair of the air fryer.

DIY air fryer repair

If you are convinced that the connection is correct, that there is voltage in the socket and that the lid is tightly closed, but the convection oven refuses to follow your commands, you need to check the functionality of its electrical components. To do this, the entire electrical circuit and its individual sections are “tested” with a multimeter in order to detect the source of the malfunction. During the inspection and to replace rejected components, you will have to disassemble the household device.

Disassembling the air fryer structure

How to properly disassemble an air fryer? Perform a series of simple operations sequentially:

Make sure that the appliance plug is unplugged from the socket;
Unscrew several screws and remove the quartz lamp grille;
Remove the outer fan impeller;
Remove all partitions that prevent access to the motor and quartz lamp;
Disconnect the wire connectors of the faulty element and replace it.

Before assembling the repaired convection oven, make sure that the contacts of the replaced part are secure. Assembly is carried out in reverse order and ends with operational tests.

Replacing an element

If the heating element fails, replace it with a new part of the same design and power. To do this, you completely disassemble the device, insert and fix the spare part purchased in the store using available fasteners, carefully make all connections and reassemble the air fryer.

Design features of the air fryer

An air fryer is a kind of oven with air draft, a mixture of a heater and a fan. A special grille performs the function of a heating element, which in turn is blown by air currents. The primary heat source is an infrared lamp. All these important parts are separated from the glass bowl where the food is placed.

The design usually consists of several elements:

sealed glass bowl;
a quartz lamp, covered with a grille and slightly lowered inside the bowl;
a fan consisting of lower and upper blades (the lower ones work to blow food, and the upper ones cool the motor);
partitions between the blades with holes for air exhaust;
bimetallic plate for temperature control;
control unit and display system.

The lid is usually equipped with a functional handle that completely cuts off the power when opened. Cooking begins only when the appliance is hermetically sealed. Problems may be associated with the listed elements, so repairing an air fryer with your own hands often begins with diagnostics.

The control unit has failed

Well, the last, most complex malfunction is when the control unit - timer, thermostat, power button or mode switching - does not work. In this case, the opposite situation may even occur when the convection oven does not turn off. Most often, this situation occurs with touch screens; although they are convenient, they are more susceptible to breakdowns and expensive repairs.

The only thing you can do is check the integrity of the contacts and ring the touch panel with a tester. If it really doesn’t work, the repair will be beyond the capabilities of a novice electrician, so you will have to take the equipment to a service center. Don’t be afraid, because the situation when the convection oven does not work due to a malfunction of the control unit is very rare and only occurs if you bought a cheap Chinese model of the device.

So we have listed all the most popular malfunctions of this type of household appliances. As you can see, it is quite possible to repair an air fryer with your own hands, so if the device does not work, now you know what to do to repair it yourself!

How to replace the air fryer fuse with your own hands

Review of existing models

Common Problems

Any DIY repair to an electric grill or similar device requires familiarity with the internal workings. The electrical circuit consists of a switch on the cover and handle. From it, a signal goes through a timer to the motor that starts the fan. Relays and quartz lamps are connected in a parallel circuit.

We often encounter the following problems:

the device does not turn on and does not respond to control;
The device heats up poorly;
The air fryer fan does not spin;
The main control unit is broken.

Typically, a chicken carcass weighing about 1.5 kg is cooked in about 1 hour. The degree of readiness can be observed through the transparent walls. If the time period increases noticeably, this indicates possible malfunctions. There are also other problems - the convection oven simply does not respond to pressing buttons or other malfunctions occur. But your device can still be repaired.

The fan doesn't spin

You may also encounter a situation where the air fryer does not fry the bottom of the dish or does not heat up at all due to the fact that the fan is not spinning. In this case, equipment repair comes down to the fact that it is necessary to disassemble the case and visually inspect the contacts connected to the fan. If a wire breaks somewhere, solder it. If the fan does not work completely, it is better to replace it with a new one with the same parameters and dimensions.

So that you understand the importance of good fan operation, we will now briefly describe its operating principle. When the heating element heats up to a certain temperature, the fan starts spinning and blows hot air towards the food. If the fan does not work properly, a situation may arise when the air fryer does not bake well or does not fully cook the food from below.

Quick DIY air fryer repair

If the heating element fails, you can simply buy a new heating element. A regular steel model is inexpensive and can last for ten years. However, the disadvantages include slow heating and high energy costs. You can spend a little more but buy more efficient carbon or halogen heaters.

If the problem is with the thermal fuse, then usually the convection oven does not turn on at all. A short-term power surge in the network often leads to this problem. Although, before taking serious measures, it is better to also check the outlet and wiring.

Disassembling the air fryer with your own hands is carried out in several stages:

the quartz lamp grille is unscrewed;
the lower fan blades are dismantled;
the partition between the blades is removed;
the upper “cage” is removed (the motor of the device opens behind it);
the quartz lamp is removed, attached with brackets to the partition;
If you need to replace a quartz lamp, you need to remove the cable connectors.

Before starting work, you should carefully inspect the air fryer body and find all the screws that are hidden in deep grooves or behind decorative plugs.

The steel blades should be removed from the back, where the grip nut is usually located. This will be much more convenient and safer.

Don't forget that before you start repairing your air fryer, do a full diagnostic. There are several reasons that can be confusing:

the socket is out of order;
the device is incorrectly configured or the wrong mode is selected;
The lid is not closed all the way.

Sometimes it is cheaper to replace one or another part than to buy a new convection oven. You can repair it yourself quickly and efficiently.

See also -

Which is better, an air fryer or a slow cooker?

When you find that your air fryer does not start working, do not rush to call the repair shop. There are many minor problems that the owner can detect and fix. If you know how to hold a screwdriver, reading this article will help you save on minor repairs and avoid serious damage to any representative of this type of household appliance.

Repairing an air fryer if it does not respond to being turned on

This is the first problem that most users may encounter. In this case, there is no need to panic, since the reasons for the breakdown of the air fryer may be the following:

The electrical plug is not connected to the outlet or has simply become loose. Lack of power supply very often causes its breakdown. When inspecting the cord, pay attention not only to the place where it is connected to the plug, but also to the place where it is connected to the device itself. Air fryer repair in this case consists of replacing the cord.

The socket has failed. You need to check the socket using an indicator screwdriver. Perhaps the air fryer does not turn on precisely because of it.
You have set the mode incorrectly. If the display on the device lights up, but nothing happens after pressing the start button, then you have set the operating mode incorrectly.

The handle is not lowered all the way. Today, the manufacturer equips many devices with a protective handle. It protects the air fryer from unexpected activation. If the handle fits completely, then it will be impossible to turn on the air fryer.

If all the points that we have indicated do not suit you, then you should perform a more complex repair of the air fryer yourself. Similar breakdowns can occur if the microwave does not heat food.

To test the device you will need a multimeter. With its help, you should perform a “dialing” of each element. If the air fryer does not work due to the thermal fuse being blown, then it should be replaced. If everything is fine with the fuse, then you need to check the remaining elements of the circuit.

Air fryer device

volumetric glass bowl;
a quartz lamp with a grille enclosing it;
an electric fan responsible for air circulation inside the bowl and protecting the motor from overheating;
temperature controller sensor based on a bimetallic plate;
a control and data display unit, which includes a mechanical timer, a temperature control knob and a pair of lights indicating the state of the switched on equipment.

Main causes of device malfunction

If the device has obvious damage, including mechanical damage, the service center technicians do not recommend using the device for its intended purpose. Main causes of malfunction:

The glass bowl of the air fryer is damaged;
the quartz lamp does not light or there are signs of damage;
there is damage to the grille;
the electric fan malfunctions or does not work at all;
the temperature control sensor shows incorrect operation;
The control unit is not working correctly, including signs of damage to the timer.

It is important to remember that the air fryer only works with the lid tightly closed. If you have closed the device tightly, but there is no effect from the operation, contact the Mbtechnologic service center, where a technician will determine the malfunction of the equipment. Based on the free diagnostics, a repair map will be developed and recommendations will be given for carrying out complex, service or simple repairs of the air fryer.

Common problems with air fryers

Doesn't respond when turned on

The absence of a response from a household appliance when turned on indicates changes have occurred in the electrical circuit. The following are subject to inspection:

fork;
power cable;
a leaky closure blocker, which is usually located in the handle of the air fryer;
all internal components of the electrical circuit.

DIY air fryer repair

Disassembling the air fryer structure

How to properly disassemble an air fryer? Perform a series of simple operations sequentially:

Make sure that the appliance plug is unplugged from the socket;
Unscrew several screws and remove the quartz lamp grille;
Remove the outer fan impeller;
Remove all partitions that prevent access to the motor and quartz lamp;
Disconnect the wire connectors of the faulty element and replace it.

Before assembling the repaired convection oven, make sure that the contacts of the replaced part are secure. Assembly is carried out in reverse order and ends with operational tests.

Replacing an element

Components of air fryer breakdowns

As a result of frequent and intensive use of household appliances, the equipment is subject to wear and tear, resulting in malfunctions in the operation of the device, which cause discomfort to its users.

Remember, a timely technical inspection will help reduce the number of air fryer breakdowns, but it is impossible to eliminate the likelihood of their occurrence.

If you detect a burning smell, extraneous sounds, or sparking during operation of the device, you must immediately disconnect it from the power source, check the location of the electrical device elements, the tightness of the lid, and the correct connection of the device to the network.