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If you go to use your NutriBullet and it doesn’t switch on – or it briefly starts blending before coming to an abrupt stop – your first thought might be that it’s broken and you’re going to need a new blender.
This can be particularly worrying as the standard NutriBullet warranty is just 1 year – much shorter than the warranties offered by rival blender manufacturers, such as Vitamix – so the chances are your machine won’t be covered for free repair or replacement.
Fortunately though, there are several reasons why a NutriBullet could suddenly stop working, and the good news is that most of these problems can easily be fixed at home.
So, before you start shopping for a new blender, check out these five common reasons why your NutriBullet might have stopped working.Â
5 Reasons Why Your NutriBullet Stopped Working
There are 5 reasons that may explain why your NutriBullet won’t turn on. Some of these are user error while others might be an issue with your blender.
A Power Supply Problem
If an electrical appliance doesn’t switch on, your first thought should always be that it may not have power.
The obvious first step is to check that your NutriBullet is plugged in and that there are no problems with the cables or with the power outlet.
Try connecting another appliance to test whether it switches on. If it doesn’t, the problem isn’t with your NutriBullet.
If the other appliance does switch on, but your NutriBullet doesn’t, then it could be an electrical fault. However, there are more possibilities too, so read on before concluding that it is a power problem.
Make sure you don’t put the motor base of your NutriBullet in the dishwasher!
The Activators are Not Being Pressed Down Correctly
A NutriBullet switches on when the cup is connected to the base and twisted into place.
This system relies on three tabs, also known as ‘activators’ which need to be pressed down by the cup.
If any one of these tabs gets stuck, so that it does not press down, or if you are not twisting the cup into place correctly, then the NutriBullet will not start.
If you suspect that the activators may be the reason why your NutriBullet is not starting then turn the power off, remove the cup, and gently clean the activators with warm water. You may also need to remove any small pieces of debris or add a little oil (cooking oil is fine) to lubricate the switches and get them moving again.
Once all three tabs can easily be pressed down, put the cup bag on to the base, twist into position, and the NutriBullet should turn on.
If it doesn’t, then the problem must lie elsewhere.
Overheating Motor
Your NutriBullet motor will naturally get hot when it is in use, and this heat can build up if the motor is under heavy use for an extended period of time.
As the motor has a safe operating temperature, excessive heat could be dangerous, so your NutriBullet has a built in system that switches off the motor when it gets too hot.
If your NutriBullet smells like it’s burning then it’s probably overheating.
If you haven’t used your NutriBullet for some time and it doesn’t switch on then an overheating motor is unlikely to be the problem. If the blender hasn’t been in use, the motor should be at room temperature and well within its safe operating range.
However, if your NutriBullet switches off suddenly, while you are using it – and particularly if you’ve been doing lots of blending – then an overheating motor is very likely to be the problem.
The good news is that you are unlikely to have permanently damaged the motor and it probably hasn’t switched off because it is broken. Instead, it will have automatically switched itself off before it got too hot in order to avoid permanent damage.
It will take some time for the motor to cool down, so the best thing to do in this situation is to unplug the NutriBullet and leave it switched off for an hour. Once the temperature of the motor has returned to a safe level, the blender will switch on again as normal.
If you need to use your NutriBullet urgently, then removing the cup and blowing cool air toward the motor using a hair dryer on a cold air setting may help it to cool down more quickly.
The Cup is Too Full
Your NutriBullet cup has a line that shows the maximum level it should be filled to. Filling the cup beyond this line could cause the NutriBullet to stop working.
The reason for this is that your NutriBullet needs space around its blades in order to move the ingredients freely around the cup and blend properly without the blades getting stuck.
To avoid this issue, only ever fill your cup up to the MAX line, or ideally a little bit less.
Hard Ingredients are Jamming the Blades
If you are attempting to blend hard ingredients but your NutriBullet’s blades are not spinning, the problem could be that the ingredients have jammed the blades. With harder ingredients, this problem can occur even if the cup is not filled to maximum.
Most blenders have a hard time blending fruit without liquid so you might just need to add more! Try checking out our list of NutriBullet weight loss smoothies if you need some good ideas!
To check whether the blades are jammed, switch the NutriBullet off, unplug it, remove all ingredients and check the blades closely to make sure they are rotating freely.
The best way to avoid jamming the blades when blending hard ingredients is to put the harder ingredients into the cup first, which means they will be at the top when the cup is turned upside down and placed on to the base. Ensure there is plenty of space in the cup, and ideally try to include liquid or soft ingredients in the mixture too.
Some NutriBullet models are more suited for hard ingredients than others. For example, NutriBullet advices against putting ice, nuts, seeds of other hard ingredients in the cordless NutriBullet Go blender. However, more powerful models, such as the NutriBullet Pro 1000, can crush ice easily.
NutriBullets can be used as a food processor, but sometimes blending hard ingredients can wear out the motor.
Common Questions to Troubleshoot if Your NutriBullet Blender Won’t Turn On
If your NutriBullet blender won’t turn on then you likely have an issue with your power source or outlet.
If your NutriBullet stops working mid-blending then it’s likely that the motor overheated or the blades are getting jammed on food.
The lifespan of a NutriBullet is usually 2-4 years, depending on how often you use it. The warranty only covers one year and if you use it daily, it will likely only last that long.
If your NutriBullet overheats and smells like it’s burning then immediately turn it off and wait five minutes. After waiting, you can try blending again.
Summary: Why a NutriBullet Blender Stops Working
In summary, the five most common reasons why a NutriBullet stops working are:
- There is a problem with the power supply
- The activators are not being pressed down correctly
- The motor is overheating
- The cup is too full
- Hard ingredients are jamming the blades
Fortunately, these problems can often be fixed at home, without the need to send your NutriBullet away for repairs or buy an expensive new blender.
