Why My Instant Pot Just Says ON? [Fix]

Even though Instant Pot is an efficient kitchen device, it can sometimes display errors on its screen for no reason.

And one such common issue is – the Instant Pot just says ON.

I’m sure many of you have experienced this issue, but it’s not something you cannot fix entirely.

In this guide, let’s try to understand more about this issue and learn the solutions as well.

So, let’s begin!

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Why Does Instant Pot Just Say ON?

Instant Pot is designed to work in a certain way, and it follows the step-by-step method to carry out its tasks.

When you see an ON indicator on the device, it simply means it is taking some time to build sufficient pressure inside the chamber.

Sometimes, it takes less time, and sometimes, you will need to wait for more.

This is typical behavior from Instant Pot, and it entirely depends on different factors.

It includes –

Broken Sealing
No Sealing
Dirty Sealing
Dirty Valve
Liquid Amount
Food Temperature

These are some of the main reasons why your Instant Pot just says on.

In the following section, I have talked about them in detail and shared a few useful solutions to resolve this issue.

Let’s check it out now.

How To Fix Instant Pot Says ON Issue

Here’s how you can fix this problem –

1. Check The Sealing Thoroughly

It is one of the major reasons why the Instant Pot displays the ON message for a long time.

If the sealing on the lid is not placed properly or has become loose over the period, you will definitely face this issue in your device.

So, to confirm this problem, you will need to inspect the sealing well.

Make sure it fits the lid from all sides.

You can also remove the seal and put it back for better placement.

But if you’re finding it difficult to remove it from the lid, it’s better to keep it as it is.

Do not apply unnecessary pressure on the lid or sealing to perform this task.

Once you’re done with the preliminary inspection, you can try operating the device again.

This should help fix the problem.

If not, do take a look at the following suggestions.

2. Clean The Sealing Under Tap Water

When you remove the sealing from the lid, you should clean it with water.

Since the sealing keeps the food from coming out of the pot, you will always find some food particles stuck to its surface.

These particles can stay on the sealing for a long time and turn sticky in the end.

Due to this, it doesn’t work the way it should and might create issues while using the device.

Therefore, it makes sense to clean the sealing regularly with plain water or soapy water after each use.

3. Add Enough Water To The Pot

This is another common reason why you might see the ON issue in your Instant Pot.

When you don’t add enough water or liquid to the pot, it doesn’t create enough steam in its chamber.

As a result, there won’t be sufficient pressure in the system.

And that’s why the device will remain in the ON mode and try to create more steam and pressure in the system.

Now, it’s something you should try to avoid at any cost.

Otherwise, the food might get burned in the pot, and you will have a difficult cleaning task at hand later on.

So, whether you’re making curry or rice in the Instant Pot, add a good amount of water to it.

4. Do Not Add Too Much Food Content To The Instant Pot

This is another common problem!

Even though Instant Pot is good enough to prepare food in large quantities, you shouldn’t fill the pot with too much food content.

Adding more ingredients to the pot will obviously take more time to heat up and create pressure inside the chamber.

And it’s quite self-explanatory as well.

If you don’t have any other choice than to prepare more food at a time in your Instant Pot, you should expect the device to say ON for long.

Moreover, just be patient!

The device will finish its task as per the required amount, and you can’t speed up this process in any way.

Note: Although it’s a genuine reason, you may not experience the ON issue quite frequently because of it.

The frequent onset of this issue could potentially mean a different reason or issue in the device altogether.

5. Replace The Sealing

Tried everything?

Still, the Instant Pot says on?

In that case, you must consider replacing the seal of your Instant Pot.

It can easily wear off due to regular use, which can cause the device to stay on or work ineffectively.

You can order the replacement sealing ring from the Instant Pot makers or get it from online stores as well.

It’s quite cheap, and you can replace it on your own.

6. Clean The Float Valve

Float Valve can also trouble you with this issue if it’s not cleaned in a while.

This valve does accumulate food particles, which can cause problems later on.

So, you can remove the valve from your Instant Pot and clean it well under the tap water.

Once it’s cleaned, put it back on the device and ensure it’s placed perfectly.

If you don’t know how to do it, you can also find many tutorial videos on YouTube.

But it’s fairly easy and doesn’t require a lot of skills.

Well, these are the few things you can do to fix this issue in your device.

If the problem persists, you can talk to customer support.

It could be a technical or mechanical issue, which may need attention from the experts.

So, it’s better to get it checked with the official support team of Instant Pot makers.

They will surely help you in this situation.

Meanwhile, let’s have a look at the FAQs related to this topic.

FAQs

1. How Long Should Instant Pot Say On?

It takes about 5-10 minutes to increase the pressure inside the Instant Pot.

Sometimes, it may even take longer to build the pressure in your device.

Once it reaches the optimum pressure, the next stage of the pressure cooking process begins automatically.

So, you just have to be patient while the pressure builds up in the system.

2. Why Is My Instant Pot Taking Too Long To Come To Pressure?

There are many reasons why your Instant Pot takes a bit long to the pressure building stage.

The most common reason for this issue is the amount of liquid present in the system.

If the liquid is higher than the normal quantity, the system will obviously take more time to heat the liquid and build the pressure subsequently.

This may also happen with frozen food, as it takes more time to get to room temperature.

Other than that, I have listed a few more reasons above and ways to fix this issue.

So, you can check them out as well.

3. Why Is My Instant Pot Still Preheating?

Sometimes, the preheating process in your Instant Pot can go on for a long time.

It’s a normal process, and you don’t have to worry about it if it happens once in a while.

If it happens regularly, you may have to ask for the professional help from the makers.

4. Should Steam Come Out Of Instant Pot While Pressurizing?

Yes, you should expect the steam to release into the air during the pressure build-up process.

This is the ideal way for the system to work efficiently.

If the steam remains inside the pot and doesn’t come out, it could cause the issue.

Hence, the makers have designed Float Valve and Pressure Release Valve in the Instant Pot models.

5. How Do I Reset My Instant Pot?

You can hold the Adjust button for 3 seconds to reset the device to factory default settings.

However, make sure you perform this step when it’s off.

Do not perform it when the Instant Pot is in the middle of a task.

Over To You

Since Instant Pot is an electronic device, it can throw different errors and issues at any time.

But when it comes to the above issue, it can be solved at home without much expertise or skills.

So, do try out the suggestions and guidelines shared in this post.

If you are still struggling with the problem, do let me know in the comments.

I can try and help you out with a few more ways to tackle this issue.

Do share this guide with your friends and family if you like it.