PhoneSoap Basic troubleshooting: no light, no start.

Rule out power first: a different outlet, a different wall adapter, and a second cable. Most units that look dead are on a weak adapter or a failing cable.

If power is confirmed and the bolt still does nothing, the bulbs have either gone dormant or burnt out. Leave the lid open in a bright room for 5–10 minutes or shine a flashlight into the bay, then run a cycle. Silver or black ends on a bulb mean it is burnt out and the unit needs service under the lifetime bulb warranty.

A cycle that cuts out early usually means a bulb is failing or the unit is overheating from back-to-back runs. Give it 15 minutes between cycles and try again. If it keeps cutting out, contact us with your order and serial number.

Basic has no charging electronics, so a red or dead bolt is almost always about the bulbs or the power feeding them.

1. Dormant bulbs are the usual answer after a stretch of non-use: lid open in daylight for 5–10 minutes, or a flashlight into the bay, then run the 10-minute cycle.
2. A cracked tube — check both bulbs end to end.
3. A burnt-out tube — silver or grey at the ends.
4. Heat from repeated cycles: unplug, leave open 20 minutes in a ventilated room.

If none of that brings it back, the bulbs need our bench. Bulb work is done in house and carries a lifetime bulb warranty — start a claim with your order and serial number.

Cable only, no wall plug. Use any standard USB wall adapter or a computer USB port, and avoid the very low-output adapters that come with small accessories — they are a frequent cause of a unit that will not start.

That points to an intermittent power connection in the port or the cable. Test a second cable first; if the behavior stays with the unit, it needs service.

Expected behaviour, not a fault. Basic starts a run whenever the lid closes so the bay is always freshly sanitized when you put a phone in. It uses no heat and very little power, so an empty cycle costs you nothing.

PhoneSoap Basic runs a 10-minute cycle and shuts off by itself. Basic sanitizes only — there is no charging port inside, which is the main difference from PhoneSoap 3.

Bulbs are sealed and wired inside the unit, so they are not sold separately or swapped at home. They are covered for the life of the unit — send your order number, serial number, and a photo of the bulbs and we will take it from there.

Basic draws very little, so a unit showing nothing is nearly always the outlet, the adapter, or the cable. In order:

• Is the socket live? Test the outlet with a lamp or another device.
• Is it in the right port? Power goes into the port marked Power on the back.
• Is it in the right mode? Confirm a cycle should be starting on its own rather than waiting on a button press.
• GFCI outlet? On a bathroom, kitchen, or garage outlet, press Reset on the outlet itself and test again. A tripped GFCI is a common false alarm.
• Adapter and cable. Swap in a wall adapter and cable you know work.

If none of that brings it up, the unit needs service. Contact us and we will troubleshoot it with you and set up a return if we need to.

We always attempt a repair first. If we cannot repair the unit, we send a replacement. Bulb replacements and repairs are handled in house, and bulbs carry a lifetime bulb warranty.