Instant Pot Air Fryer Troubleshooting! 11 Instant Pot Air Fryer Problems Solutions!

Like any other electric cookware, you will likely experience troubleshooting issues with your Instant Pot air fryer. That does not mean the pot is damaged.

A few tips here and there will get this magical pot up and working. Learning the hacks saves you from the hassles of getting a technician or buying a new pot.

With the tips, you don’t have to spend an extra penny on simple fixes that require no much more than pushing buttons, unplugging, restarting, and calling your customer care when the problem persists.

If you find a problem recurring on your Instant Pot air fryer, the troubleshooting requires expertise to handle it. It would be better to engage a technician to prevent further breakdown.

To keep you guarded, we have a list for you of several errors, possible causes, and what to do if your cooker goes berserk;

1. When Your Air Fryer Lid Is Powered But Does Not Turn On, Or It Turns Off While Cooking

Possible Cause: It could be a loose connection, a blown fuse, a damaged microswitch, or power loss. 

Fix: 

  • Remove the plug and re-plug the cord firmly on a 120 V electric outlet. 
  • Inspect the fuse, and the microswitch is intact. If you don’t have the technical know-how, have a technician check for you. 
  • You will have to replace the blown fuse or damaged microswitch.
  • For external power loss, you have no choice but to wait until there is a reconnection.

 2. Black smoke from your Air Fryer Lid!

Possible Cause: 

  • Burning food
  • Faulty heating element

Fix:  

  • Press Cancel to stop cooking. 
  • Unplug the pot and lift your air fryer lid when the black smoke stops. Wait for the cooker to cool, remove the food and clean thoroughly. 
  • If the food is badly burnt, you may discard it and begin with fresh ingredients. 
  • Use a neutral oil such as avocado, canola, or soybean. These oils have a high smoke point, thus great for air frying.  
  • For a faulty heating element, contact customer care for repairs.

 3. White smoke from the Air Fryer Lid!

Possible Cause: 

  1. Excessively fatty food such as bacon and sausages or adding lots of oil in the food.
  2. Very wet ingredients in the air fryer.
  3. The seasoning spread on the air fryer’s element.

Fix: 

  • Inspect the drip pan for fat or oil and remove. The best way to air fry is to avoid excessively fatty foods or adding too much oil to your ingredients.
  • It is better to prevent this problem before it happens. Dry your moist ingredients before putting them in the inner pot. In addition, do not add water when air frying food.  
  • Spray your food carefully before adding the seasoning to prevent dripping on the element.

4. Error code “LID”

Cause: The error code “LID” means that your air fryer lid does not detect the inner pot or Instant Pot itself. 

Fix

  • In either case, ensure that the Instant Pot has a stainless-steel insert that adjusts appropriately to fit the air fryer lid.
  • Do not use a ceramic insert with the air fryer lid.

Tip!

Contact customer care if the troubleshooting results from a faulty electric system. Attempting to repair a faulty Instant Pot air fryer by yourself causes more damage.

5. Instant Pot Air Fryer Lid Won’t Turn On! 

When you place the Instant Pot air fryer lid on the base, connect the power, and press ON, it automatically turns on. But that’s not your case. It won’t turn on.

The reason for your Instant Pot air fryer not turning could be due to a faulty microswitch or power loss.

Check whether other appliances like the microwave and refrigerator are running on or just your Instant Pot air fryer to rule out power loss. 

If the other electronics in the house are powered, the main problem is your cooker. Most electric cookware requires a technician to handle them; however, if you have experience in diagnosing and repairing, you can go ahead and solve the problem.

There are also instances when the problem is the non-compatibility of the lid and the pot. If you bought the wrong Instant Pot air fryer lid, it wouldn’t match the base. Turning it on is impossible. 

When purchasing an air fryer lid for your Instant Pot, go for the 6 quarts. Less or more quarts will not fit your pot. Learn more about Instant Pot air fryer lids in our previous guides. 

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6. Instant Pot Air Fryer Won’t Turn On! 

If your Instant Pot air fryer is not turning on, here are the plausible causes;

  1. No power connection: Fix the sockets, fuse, and microswitch. Check if there is a power connection on your main house switch.
  2. Non-compatibility: Re-check whether the lid you have matched your Instant Pot base.
  3. Jammed system: unplug, plug again and restart your Instant Pot air fryer.
  4. Improperly positioned basket: Position the basket correctly to seal it off in place.   
  5. Truckload of food in the basket: The air fryer won’t turn on if overloaded. Unload some goodies to help the appliance operate smoothly.

7. Instant Vortex Air Fryer Timer Not Working!

Air fryer timer lets you set cooking time for different ingredients. It is usually software that can misbehave at any time, even in the midst of the cooking process.

Instant Vortex is one of the hardiest air fryers on the market. If you follow the guidelines, the brand rarely gives you a timer headache. But in case the function is not working, you don’t have to panic. There are a few things you can check;

  1. Unplug the appliance, hold on for a couple of minutes, re-plug, and check whether the timer works.
  2. Locate the Smart Program control, touch, and press for five seconds. Your instant vortex air fryer will go back to factory defaults and reset the timer, cooking time, and temperature.  
  3. Malfunctioning timer: This problem requires technical know-how.

Tip!

It is best to report a malfunctioning timer to the manufacturer or seller outlet. Your warranty caters to such errors if it is still valid.

8. Instant Vortex Air Fryer Buttons Not Working! 

How long have you used your instant vortex air fryer? For the air fryer buttons completely stop working, it may be an issue with a faulty system or regular wear due to long time usage. 

For jammed software, try the troubleshooting tips like unplugging, re-plugging, and restarting your appliance. You can also long-press the start button to reset the display unit. 

Have you used the cooker for more than six months of daily or regular use? Your vortex air fryer buttons can break down due to normal wear and tear. 

Do not expect your appliance to last for decades without breaking down, even if it comes with a lifetime warranty (most brands, including Vortex, come with a limited warranty). 

Contacting customer service can help you sort out the issue quicker; otherwise, it is time to say goodbye to your pot if it is irreparable. 

9. Instant Pot air fryer keeps saying “End”!

Your Instant Pot air fryer should display “END” after cooking time is over. Is this happening immediately after turning it on, midway, or before the required cooking time? If yes, then there is an error.

The problem is not a rare hitch with Instant Pot air fryers, and it happens with most appliances with software settings. 

Fortunately, if it is not complicated, you can DIY by resetting the cooker. Reboot the Instant Pot air fryer by touching the start button. Press it for five moments and release it to reset.

Alternatively, you can unplug your appliance from the power source, re-plug it, and restart it to clear the error.  

However, you should not experience it every time you roast, bake, broil or cook with your gadget. In such a situation, Instant Pot customer care ought to know and advise you appropriately. 

10. Instant Pot Air Fryer Stuck On Off!

Another common problem with an Instant Pot air fryer is sticking on off. That means your cooker will not start air frying. A mechanical breakdown is possible. Or it could be that you are doing things the wrong way.

Relax and go through your appliance’s user manual to see if everything is in place. Reading the manual will prevent misuse and further damage. Check out these few things before contacting customer care;

  • Check Out For Food Residues And Grime On The Element:

 The right way to clean is to wipe with a cloth and mild soap. Clean your air fryer when it is unplugged and cool down.   

  • Check If The Main Switch And Sockets For Power Connection.

Sometimes you may struggle with your Instant Pot air fryer, not knowing that there is a power loss in your area. Your gadget will be struck on OFF and not start when there is no power connection. 

  • A Faulty Switch Or A Blown Fuse

These cause a disconnect between the power source and your cooker’s functionality. If you are not good at checking electric power, get an electrician to confirm and solve the problem.

  • Wrong Lid Dimensions And Brand

Is this your first time using an air fryer lid on your Instant Pot? A possible issue could be that you bought the wrong top that does not appropriately fit your pot’s base.

The first thing would be to check the air fryer lid specifications to see if it matches your Instant Pot’s specifications.

Contact the seller to exchange the correct lid for your Instant Pot for you. To avoid such annoying mishaps, order the right air fryer lid for your Instant Pot.

As we have before in our Instant Pot air fryer lid guides, the right size for this pot is 6 QT. Smaller or larger capacities will not work with this particular model. A little keenness when ordering will save you such disappointments and your cash too.

11. Instant Pot Duo Crisp Air Fryer Lid Error!

The Duo Crisp Air Fryer combines hot and rapid air circulation to cook your food to a crisp look and flavor that deep-frying offers. It works with little or no oil.

With this combo appliance, you can pressure cook, steam, slow cook, or use the Sous Vide intelligent programs.

The air fryer component in this duo saves you from adding an extra pot to your countertop. Besides saving on space, you save money and time.

In addition to the above cooking programs, the Instant Pot duo crisp air fryer lid has added benefits as it roasts, air fries, bakes, dehydrates, and broils your food, among other Smart Programs. It comes with a basket, inner pot, and other accessories. 

But this magnificent duo can display a LID error unannounced. Your appliance continuously beeps to alert you of this error and many others, including C1, C2, C6, C7, and other air fryer display errors.

Such errors are normal and should be in your least of worries. The LID error means the lid is not appropriate to match the program you have selected. To eliminate the error, open the lid and close it.

Instant Pot Duo Crisp Air fryer lid error also happens if you Sauté your food. Never Sauté using your appliance to avoid such errors.

Conclusion 

We are sure that you can now handle common troubleshooting issues for Instant Pot air fryers. You just need to cancel and restart your cooker whenever the timer misbehaves.

A display of END before time is easy to fix with a factory default setting. If your pot displays a LID error, you probably have the wrong air fryer lid for your pot. Look out for the lid size to make sure that it is the right one. Also, you can try to open and close your lid to eliminate this standard error.

Other regular issues include stuck OFF and Standby mode errors. Reading your Instant Pot air fryer user manual thoroughly before using arms with operation safeguards and fixes for troubleshooting.

Keep reading our guides on Instant Pot air fryer lids to enlighten yourself and prevent damaging your Instant Pot air fryer, among other home appliances.

1 thought on “Instant Pot Air Fryer Troubleshooting! 11 Instant Pot Air Fryer Problems Solutions!”

  1. I have the instant pot Duo Crisp 9
    It comes on then shuts off saying pot and all the displays on the front of it are flashing green I’ve tryed everything I know to do and can’t get it going

    Reply

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