PhoneSoap Basic troubleshooting: no light, no start.

A bolt that stays dark is about the bulbs or the power to the device. Four causes, to troubleshoot first:

1. Dormant bulbs — the usual answer after a stretch of non-use. Open the unit to natural light for 10 minutes, or shine a flashlight on the bulbs for 2–3 minutes. The video below shows how to do this.
2. Power. Try another outlet, another USB wall adapter, and a second cable. The wall adapter has to be rated at least 5V / 2A. Low-output adapters that you might have on hand for small accessories do not have enough power for the device.
3. A cracked or chipped tube — check both bulbs end to end. Cracked and chipped bulbs are not covered by the bulb warranty. A bubble in the glass is different — that is normal, almost every bulb has one, and it does not affect performance.
4. A burnt-out tube — silver or grey shading at the ends. Our bulb warranty covers burnt-out bulbs.

If none of that brings it back, the bulbs need our bench. Burnt-out bulbs carry a lifetime bulb warranty — cracked or chipped ones are not covered. Start a claim through our warranty system with your order and serial number.

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.

Cable only, no wall plug. Use a USB wall adapter rated at least 5V / 2A. Low-output adapters that you might have on hand for small accessories do not have enough power for the device, and a computer USB port is often too weak as well.

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

PhoneSoap products run upon closure to ensure the internal sanitizing bay is always sanitized and ready for future use.

There is no heat involved and the power draw is negligible, so an empty cycle costs you nothing and there is no need to unplug it.

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. Bulbs that are burnt out are covered for the life of the unit — use our warranty system to send your order number, serial number, and a photo of the bulbs and we will take it from there. Broken bulbs are not covered.

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 cable you know works and a wall adapter rated at least 5V / 2A.

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. Burnt-out bulbs carry a lifetime bulb warranty; cracked or broken bulbs are not covered.