Smoke, smell or noise
The fan is loud, or something is rattling
Air fryers are loud by design — the noise IS the cooking method. A rattle or a scraping sound is a different matter.
Stop and read this first
Stop using the appliance. Switch it off and unplug it at the wall — not at the appliance — and do not use it again until the manufacturer has advised you. An air fryer draws 1.5-2.8kW continuously and a fault in one is not a domestic repair. Do not open it, do not run it to see whether it happens again, and do not plug it into an extension lead to test it somewhere else. If there is any flame, smoke that does not smell of cooking, a smell of burning plastic or insulation, visible damage to the cord or plug, or the appliance has tripped a breaker or an RCD, treat it as a fault rather than a nuisance.
What is happening
The fan in an air fryer moves air fast enough to strip the boundary layer off food, and that is inherently noisy: most machines run somewhere around the level of an extractor hood. The useful distinction is between a steady loud whoosh, which is the appliance working, and an intermittent rattle, scrape or knock, which is not.
Narrow it down
Each of these has an answer you already know, and each one rules something out.
Is the noise steady, or does it come and go?
- A steady whoosh that has always been there — That is the appliance doing its job.
- Intermittent rattling or ticking
- Grinding or whining, and getting worse — Stop and read the escalation below.
Does the noise change if you open the drawer, rearrange the food and close it again?
- Yes, it stops or changes
- No, it is identical
Why it happens
Commonest first. It is almost always the boring one, and a page that walks you through the exotic causes before the obvious one has given you a longer path to a fixed dinner.
Most common
The fan is simply loud, which is normal
High air velocity in a small chamber is the whole mechanism of air frying. A machine that is quiet is usually one that is not moving much air, which shows up in the food rather than in the noise.
What to do
- Nothing — a loud fan is the cooking method
Common
Light food is being lifted into the element or the fan guard
A scraping or ticking sound that changes when the food is shaken is usually something light being flicked around by the airflow. It is a noise symptom and a fire symptom at the same time.
More likely in: Basket air fryer, Dual-basket air fryer, Flex-drawer air fryer (one drawer, removable divider)
What to do
- Weigh down or secure anything light
- Unplug it, let it cool, and look inside
Common
The basket, plate or a rack is not seated properly
A crisper plate that has not clicked into the basket, or a rack sitting on one runner, vibrates against the metal around it. This is the commonest cause of an intermittent rattle and it appears and disappears as the machine heats and the metal expands.
What to do
- Take everything out and put it back properly
Occasional
The appliance is not sitting level, or its feet are on an uneven surface
A machine that rocks transmits fan vibration into the worktop, which amplifies it. This is why the same appliance can sound completely different in two kitchens.
What to do
- Check it is level and standing on all its feet
Rare
A mechanical fault in the fan
A grinding, whining or metallic scraping noise that is constant, gets worse, or is accompanied by any burning smell is a fault in a moving part inside a mains appliance.
What to do
- Stop using it and contact the manufacturer
The fixes in full
- Nothing — a loud fan is the cooking method
A steady loud airflow noise is what an air fryer sounds like. It is worth knowing because it means a machine that suddenly becomes quieter, rather than louder, is the one worth investigating.
- Take everything out and put it back properly
With the appliance cold: check the crisper plate has clicked fully into the basket, that racks are on both runners, and that nothing supplied with the machine is sitting loose in the chamber.
You will know it worked when: The rattle stops and does not return on the next cook.
- Weigh down or secure anything light
Loose leaves, thin slices of bread, unweighted parchment and light frozen pieces are the usual culprits. Anything a fan can lift can reach the element, so this is worth fixing for reasons beyond the noise.
- Unplug it, let it cool, and look inside
A scraping noise deserves a look before the next cook. Check the element and the fan guard for anything caught against them.
- Check it is level and standing on all its feet
Move it onto a flat, solid part of the worktop with the clearance the manual requires around and above it. Ventilation clearance is a safety requirement in its own right, not only a noise fix.
- Stop using it and contact the manufacturer
Stop using the appliance. Switch it off and unplug it at the wall — not at the appliance — and do not use it again until the manufacturer has advised you. An air fryer draws 1.5-2.8kW continuously and a fault in one is not a domestic repair. Do not open it, do not run it to see whether it happens again, and do not plug it into an extension lead to test it somewhere else. If there is any flame, smoke that does not smell of cooking, a smell of burning plastic or insulation, visible damage to the cord or plug, or the appliance has tripped a breaker or an RCD, treat it as a fault rather than a nuisance.
Evidence and confidence
- Applies to
- Specific to this type of appliance
- Why this rating
- No manufacturer in this catalogue publishes a noise troubleshooting entry, which is itself informative — the noise is expected. The causes are ordered by mechanism and the one that matters most, light food reaching the element, is the same mechanism the material records are built on.
- Last reviewed
- 2026-08-13
What this does not cover
- No manufacturer in this catalogue documents this symptom. The causes below are AirfryerHQ's reading of the mechanism rather than anybody's published troubleshooting table.
Sources (2)
AirfryerHQ assessment of airflow, element proximity and material behaviour
AirfryerHQ — Calculated or inferred by AirfryerHQ (Not jurisdictional)
Relied on for: The mechanism: airflow velocity, element proximity, thermal recovery and moisture behaviour in a small heated chamber.
AirfryerHQ's interpretation of what it says
Citation checked — the document exists and is described correctly
Electrical safety advice for air fryers
Electrical Safety First — Electrical-safety authority or body (United Kingdom)
Relied on for: That an appliance making an abnormal mechanical noise should be taken out of use rather than investigated, and that ventilation clearance must be maintained.
States this directly
Passage read and verified
Retrieved 2026-08-13 from electricalsafetyfirst.org.uk