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When you use a blender for any culinary task, the idea is to always blend the mixture until the desired doneness. It doesn’t matter if you want to make a smoothie, grind meat for burgers, puree baby food, crush ice, or chop salads. But now, why did my blender suddenly stopped working mid-blending? Does it mean the motor has failed? If not, what could be the issue and what can I do?
First, it’s unfortunate your blender for smoothies has stopped working while trying to meet your healthy eating habit. But like other machines, it can stop for several reasons and not just because the motor is faulty.
In this quick guide, I’ve put together these reasons and how you can fix them to get your blender working again.
The Various Reasons Why Your Blender Suddenly Stopped Working
We have two scenarios why a blender may suddenly stop working: the motor can’t power on or the blades won’t spin. The most common causes of the two situations include when:
- The Blender has Power issues
A blender may suddenly stop working if it encounters some power issue. The problem is easy to tell as the motor won’t power on, which you call tell with the power LED status off.
As a solution, confirm your blender is still plugged into the outlet. The outlet should also be working, which you can confirm by plugging a different appliance, charger, lamp, or voltage tester.
If neither of the devices works, it means that the power line is off. So, go to the circuit box and make sure the breaker isn’t off or fried.
- Thermal/ Overload Protection Activates
Your blender may also stop working when the internal thermal override system trips. The technology, which is available in about all blenders, including compact models like Nutribullet Pro and Nutri Ninja, triggers after overheating.
Some of the things that will cause overheating include:
- A too thick blend, like when you use the blender for making nut butter– fix by not blending your mixture too long.
- An overloaded blending jar to a point the blades can’t even spin properly- solve by maintaining the maximum fill line
- Longer blending time, especially when working with thick blends or overfilled jars can also easily lead to overheating. In compact portable blenders, even light mixtures can easily trigger the thermal protection system if operated for over 2 minutes continuously.
- Your room is a little hotter, either of environmental changes or because you have been baking in your oven- solve by making the place as cool as possible
- The blender ventilation spaces have blocked with dust and debris- fix by keeping the unit (motor base) clean and also make sure the ventilations aren’t blocked when blending.
- The internal fan isn’t blowing enough cool air- confirm it’s running properly and replace it if need be
- The Blender Blade has Jammed
If the blending blades are jammed, your blender will also stop working. The issue is most common when the blades have food stuck under or there’s no room to spin. And the fix for that is to just stop the machine and dislodge the stuck food.
The blending blade of a blender also tends to get jammed when the spindle shaft clogs with food debris. And the trick here is to clean the component thoroughly, then grease around the gear coupling when needed.
- The Blender Jar has Air Pockets
Air pockets forming around the blades can also cause your blender to suddenly stall and stop working. The issue is most discussed on high-power blenders, specifically when using Blendtec or Vitamix for juicing and smoothies. But it can happen in about any machine since the cause is usually with how you load the ingredients.
What happens is that the air pockets usually prevent the ingredients from reaching the blades. It’s easy to tell as the motor will power normally and the blades even spin, but the ingredients won’t be moving.
The trick to fixing a blender that has suddenly stopped working due to air pockets is to stop and stir your blend. In a blender like Vitamix or Nutribullet Combo with a tamper, you can efficiently pop the air pockets without having to stop.
- The Blender isn’t Assembled Properly
Indeed, your blender may fail to work if not assembled right. It often happens when the pitcher isn’t sitting properly on the motor base. But in a blender like Ninja Bl770 or Bn801, you could also have the issue when the lid isn’t locked right.
So, the solution here is as simple as making sure the jar sits properly on the base and the lid locks well.
Note: When working with Vitamix V1200 and A3500 or any other of the Ascent machines, the single-serve cups tend to fail to connect. But the trick is usually to close the extractor blade on the cup with the arrow on top aligning.
- The Blender has an Incompatible Jar
Any blender will require the container it was designed for to be able to blend. But with the latest smart technologies, a blender isn’t guaranteed to work even when the jar can fit on the base.
For instance, Vitamix Ascent and Venturist can’t work with either of the classic jars. The smart systems have a built-in NFC on dedicated jars so they can communicate with the base (has an NFC chip too).
So, make sure you use every blender (and not just Vitamix) with its specific containers.
- The Blender Drive Gear is Worn-Out
When the drive gear wears out, your blender won’t be able to blend despite the motor running. It’s more of an issue on most of these basic blenders under $100 with a plastic drive gear system.
But while many people don’t know about it, you can effortlessly change the drive gear in most well-known blenders today. And that includes not only the high-end Vitamix and Blendtec but also some regular blenders with a plastic drive attachment, such as KitchenAid and Magic Bullet.
- Blender Has a Faulty Motor
Lastly, your blender may suddenly stop working when its main parts have failed. A perfect example is when the motor burns out or the onboard fuse blows, which can happen because of an electrical overload or short circuit.
If the problem is the fuse, you can easily open up the motor base to access the internal part and replace it. But when the entire circuit board or the motor drive is damaged, start looking for a new replacement blender.
Don’t Panic! But Also Don’t Repair
As you can see, there are quite many angles as to why your blender suddenly stopped working while blending. But for the reasons we’ve just gone through, it necessarily won’t mean your appliance is completely damaged. So, it will be a good idea to troubleshoot the issue before you decide to throw away what is still a perfectly good blender.
But on issues like failing motor or worn-out drive gear and you feel the blender has served its years, don’t repair. Instead, replace the whole machine, and if possible, invest in a more premium product that will serve you longer.