Skip to content
AirfryerHQ

An unusual smell, an unusual noise, or scorch marks on the plug mean stop using it and contact the manufacturer.

Requirement — Appliance and electrical safety

An unusual smell, an unusual noise, or scorch marks on the plug mean stop using it and contact the manufacturer.

How to tell, without a thermometer

  • No burning or hot-plastic smell during or after use
  • No new or changed noise from the fan
  • No discolouration or scorching on the plug pins or the socket face

If it has not got there: Switch off at the socket, unplug, and stop using the appliance. Contact the manufacturer with the model and serial number from the rating plate. Do not attempt to open or repair it.

Important: If the appliance has scorched a socket, have the socket checked by a qualified electrician before anything else is plugged into it. A damaged cord or plug needs no further sign: Philips, Instant and Tower each say in their manuals not to use the appliance at all if the plug, the mains cord or the appliance itself is damaged, and Philips adds that a damaged supply cord must be replaced by Philips, its service agent or a similarly qualified person.

Why this is the rule

The failures described in the UK recall notices do not begin as fires. They begin as an appliance that smells slightly wrong, or a plug that is warmer than it should be, or a noise the fan did not use to make — and they are entirely survivable at that stage. The escalation path exists because the temptation at that point is to use it once more and see. Electrical Safety First's advice is unambiguous: switch off immediately and contact the manufacturer, and check the plug and socket regularly for burn and scorch marks rather than waiting to notice them.

This outranks any cooking time on this site. Where a cooking recommendation cannot be reconciled with a rule like this one, AirfryerHQ does not publish the recommendation — not with a warning attached, not greyed out, not at all.

Evidence and confidence

High confidenceSupported by authoritative or independently tested sources, and consistent across them.
Applies to
Specific to this type of appliance
Why this rating
Stated directly by the national electrical-safety body, with a published regulator alert showing the kind of progressive internal fault that makes early escalation worth doing.
Last reviewed
2026-08-13

What this does not cover

  • Says nothing about how to distinguish a failing fan bearing from a fan that has always been loud, which is the judgement a reader actually has to make.
Sources (5)

  • Philips Airfryer HD925X (HD9252/91, HD9252/70) — User Manual (PDF)

    Versuni Netherlands B.V. (Philips Domestic Appliances) — Manufacturer manual (United Kingdom)

    Relied on for: That the appliance is not to be used if the plug, the mains cord or the appliance itself is damaged, and that a damaged supply cord must be replaced.

    States this directly

    Passage read and verified

    Retrieved 2026-10-10 from dam.versuni.com

    First read in August 2026 from a retailer's manual library, when the manufacturer's host refused requests. The manufacturer's copy is the same file, byte for byte. Re-reading it corrected two errors in our first reading, recorded on the passages below.

  • Tower T17067 4L Digital Air Fryer — Safety and Instruction Manual (PDF)

    RKW Ltd (Tower Housewares) — Manufacturer manual (United Kingdom)

    Relied on for: That the appliance is to be taken out of use immediately if the supply cord or the appliance is damaged.

    States this directly

    Passage read and verified

    Retrieved 2026-08-13 from argos-support.co.uk

    Retrieved from Argos's manual library for Argos product 947/6769. The document carries no revision code.

  • Instant Vortex Plus 5.7L with ClearCook, and with ClearCook and OdourErase — User Manuals (PDF)

    Instant Brands (EMEA) Limited — Manufacturer manual (United Kingdom and European Union)

    Relied on for: That the appliance is not to be operated if the power cord or plug is damaged, or after it malfunctions or is dropped or damaged in any manner.

    States this directly

    Passage read and verified

    Retrieved 2026-10-10 from instantpot.co.uk

  • Electrical safety advice for air fryers

    Electrical Safety First — Electrical-safety authority or body (United Kingdom)

    Relied on for: That the appliance should not be used if there is an unusual smell or noise, that the manufacturer should be contacted, and that plugs and sockets should be checked regularly for burn and scorch marks.

    States this directly

    Passage read and verified

    Retrieved 2026-08-13 from electricalsafetyfirst.org.uk

  • Product Recall: Tristar Multi Crispy Fryer Oven (2303-0055) (PDF)

    Office for Product Safety and Standards — Recall or safety notice (United Kingdom)

    Relied on for: That internal components loosening during use can make accessible metal parts live — a fault that develops over time rather than being present from new.

    States this directly

    Passage read and verified

    Retrieved 2026-08-13 from assets.publishing.service.gov.uk