Air fryer hot plug

[GGemma]

Air fryer plug is getting hot when used..tried 3 other sockets and all the same.!

Could it be a dodgy plug? Plugs moulded on. Cable coming out the plug gets hot too but only about an inch.

Could it be too much power on the ring mains that does all the downstairs sockets

We tried a kettle to see if that did the same inii and it did but that only runs for a few mins.

Should we consider getting a switch/ plug socket on the oven ring so it’s running on its own ring that has 45amps?

 

[littlespark]

What is the make, model and power rating of the air fryer? I don't want to say it, but you may have bought cheap tat... (i dont know!)

Ruled out a loose connection inside the socket as the same thing happens in other sockets.


I would avoid using it for now. It is a fire risk

 

[GGemma]

It’s a pretty common air fryer Ninja Af400uk, the flex is only 1mm as stated on the cable. Plug is moulded and cable is not removable from the fryer. Plug has a 13amp fuse in it. No signs of melting on the plug or the socket.

The cable at the plug end gets hot too.
Have had another comment on another forum that the the cable is running at max capacity
Its high powered at 2400watts.

 

[James]

It is going to get warm in normal use but if it is getting to temperatures where it is uncomfortable to hold in your hand then it is faulty.

 

[MDJ]

also to add to the guys already good questions above, is your air fryer pushed back against the plug? I have seen that before and the heat from the fryer is quite warm and if close to the wall where plugged in will feel the heat for sure.

 

[littlespark]

i take it it heats up when both drawers are on, but not when only single drawer (1200W)

It is very close to the limit of that size of cable, but i would expect the flex to be of a heat resistant type... so can take a little more.
The plug itself may not be heat resistant though.

The age and condition of the sockets in your house may be an issue if they seem loose holding the plug pins... but unusual for all the sockets to be the same.

Supply voltage being too high could be a problem... but that would need checked by an electrician with the correct test equipment


You may need to contact Ninja themselves and see what they say.... but to me, it doesnt seem to be designed very well.

 

[westward10]

It is above the limit of the cable but 1.0 is a common size for that range of appliance power. Is it hot or just a bit warm?

 

[GGemma]

It’s only got hot to the point of not being very hold able once but I was running the kettle at the same time:

Ninja are less than helpful. Its outside of the 1 year warranty so they can only recommend buying a new base which is basically the whole machine without drawers for £150 when I can buy a whole new one for £180.

It’s always pulled well away from the wall. Right to the edge of the worktop and to the side of the plug so the socket is visible and not behind the fryer.

I always use both drawers and never one.
The house is 80s but when we moved in 4 years ago we had a new consumer unit put in and he checked all the sockets as part of that as we got an inspection report with it.

 

[GGemma]

I always have both drawers running. We had a new consumer unit put in when we moved in if that’s relevant.

Should consider putting in an oven switch/socket where the oven is so I have a more powerful ring/radial to run the fryer off of?

 

[littlespark]

That won’t make a difference. You’ll still have 2400W going through the same flex and same plug.

 

[timhoward]

So the plug / flex gets hot in three different sockets (near each other?)
And the Kettle plug gets hot in this socket too when you boil a kettle.

It's getting a bit speculative and unlikely but if it were a broken ring and a loose connection nearby it could affect more than one socket.

@GGemma there are a couple of things you could do to help eliminate a fixed wiring fault.
If your cooker/oven/hob switch has a socket on it, try it there.
If you have different fuses / breakers for downstairs and upstairs sockets, try it plugged into the other circuit.

I have to say it sounds most likely that you will observe the same behaviour everywhere, but it if does then we can be reasonably sure the appliance is always going to do this whatever you do, and then the question remains whether this is by design or due to a fault.

 

[davesparks]

How hot is hot?
Is it noticeably warm, too hot to touch, so hot the plastic has gone soft?

 

[davesparks]

Should consider putting in an oven switch/socket where the oven is so I have a more powerful ring/radial to run the fryer off of?

No, it doesnt work like that.

If the plug is getting too hot then the problem is in the plug.

If the plug is just getting warm then it is perfectly normal

 

[Avo Mk8]

My view is that these Ninja products are reasonably engineered, the company is reputable, and does have the appropriate approvals from accredited bodies to put their products on the UK market.

Plugs/ connectors are allowed to get a bit hot when under high loads. The IEC connectors on kettle leads are spec'ed to 120Deg. C

From the picture in post #8 of the Ninja plug, we can see samples have been tested by a reputable accredited test body, and passed their BS 1363 based test including 14A for 4 to 8 continuous hours not causing a temperature rise exceeding 52 deg above ambient. I no longer have easy access to the standards, but this Farnell spec confirms those figures I believe:

https://www.farnell.com/datasheets/1662511.pdf

If the plug gets up to around 70 deg C, which can be hot to hold, it is still within spec (and safe according to the standard) (Touch temperature of plastic/rubber materials are allowed to be up to 70 deg C in various product standards)

The fact is connectors can get warm in use. It's just a question of how 'warm' is OK, and how 'hot' is not!
The heating test for the plug takes it up to 600 to 700 deg C, and it must stop burning within 30 seconds!

In this case there could be some underlying issue with the fixed wiring in the house that is exacerbating the heating effect, but I just wanted to point out that, as davesparks says, some heat is to be expected!

 

[GGemma]

I’m going to have to keep an eye on it as it seems getting warm is normal.

I have always had it plugged in behind a microwave but then pulled out the fryer to be well away from sockets.. this means I have always leant my arm over and pulled the plug out using the top of the plug but on the hot plug day the microwave was removed so I pulled it out further down the plug and noticed the heat which felt like too much to be honest but I’ll try running it upstairs and see what I end up with.

I don’t have a socket on the oven switch but considering getting one.

 

[Avo Mk8]

but I’ll try running it upstairs and see what I end up with.

It is possible that the particular socket you normally use in the kitchen is worn, or there's a wiring issue behind, contributing to the heating effect.
If a test 'cook' upstairs (for a similar duration that created the warm plug) shows a more normal result, then replacing the socket in the kitchen would be a good idea.