Vitamix Smells like Burning? Here’s What To Do!

When you fire up your Vitamix, there are plenty of smells you expect to encounter. Maybe you’re juicing mango and pineapple, and a fruity aroma fills your kitchen. Or, perhaps, you’re making green juice, and the powerful and invigorating smell of kale and spinach being pulverized dances around your nose. However, if you smell anything burning or electrical, something has gone wrong.

In this article, we’re going to help you identify what might be causing your Vitamix to emit a harsh, burning smell during use. We’ll also cover some general usage tips to minimize your machine’s chances of producing a burning smell and keep your juicer healthy.

Diagnosing the Issue

The first step in finding the source of the burning smell is to assess how you’re using your Vitamix. Like many blenders and juicers, the Vitamix has an auto shut-off feature that stops the motor when it’s getting too hot.

This is an emergency failsafe and shouldn’t be relied on to keep your machine cool regularly. If your Vitamix engages the auto shut-off feature frequently, you need to find the root of the problem that’s causing it to overheat.

A common cause of overheating is running the blender at a low speed for an extended period. The best practice is to use your blender in short bursts, regularly taking breaks to prevent excessive wear and tear on the motor. Also, be sure to use the proper speed for the ingredients you use.

Running your Vitamix at higher speeds for smaller amounts of time is better for its longevity. If you are sure you aren’t pushing your Vitamix too hard and using the speed settings properly, it might be a different problem.

Use the Correct Blades for the Job

Some Vitamix models come with separate blades for wet and dry ingredients. Using the wrong blade can cause the motor to work overtime and cause it to give off a burning, electrical smell even if it isn’t running for very long. Dry ingredients like grains, cereal, or nuts require you to use dry blades, while wet ingredients like soft fruit and liquids will make the dry blades struggle.

It’s even worse to use wet blades for dry ingredients. Since the blades will interact differently with the wrong ingredients, you risk jamming and burning out the motor, especially if you accidentally use the wet blade set on dry ingredients.

Make Sure it Isn’t Overloaded

Now that we’ve covered the less obvious causes, let’s cover some simpler fixes. Overfilling your Vitamix is one of the most common ways to damage the motor. When the hopper is too full, the motor has to work harder than it’s designed to.

If you think this might be your problem, try blending a smaller portion of one of your usual recipes and pay attention to the smell. Overfilling the blender is likely the culprit if the smaller volume doesn’t produce the smell.

Keep it Clean

The last possibility is an easy fix, but it is something most people don’t like to hear. Keeping your Vitamix clean is essential if you want to get the most out of it in the long run. If you let residue and gunk build up, your recipes will taste weird, and your machine won’t function properly.

If you’re Vitamix is exceptionally unclean, the solid deposits could be clogging the motor and blades, preventing them from spinning freely. The extra force the motor has to apply to overcome sticky deposits of goop could easily cause a burning smell.

Give your Vitamix a deep cleaning, paying particular attention to the area around the blade housing. Make sure to get all the hard-to-reach places since they are the most likely areas for a build-up to form.

Conclusion

There are many reasons why your Vitamix might emit a burning smell when you use it. We hope this article has given you a clear path to follow when troubleshooting your machine. We covered most of the common causes, but this isn’t an exhaustive list. If you work through the entire list and still have a problem, contact the manufacturer. They might be able to help you figure out the problem, or your machine could be covered under warranty.

See also: 6 Proven Ways to Remove Burnt Popcorn Smell From Your Home

Featured Image Credit: Karen Culp, Shutterstock