When I walked through the aisles at Walmart, I first encountered the Roomba.
Those were the days when the brand was relatively unknown. As fascinated as I was with the prospect of a robot cleaning my house, I decided to purchase one.
There have been numerous upgrades to the Roomba since then and it now has an array of advanced features.
When my friend brought his 600 series Roomba to me and told me it wasn’t charging, I realized it needed reseating from the flashing lights.
My Roomba problems are also something that friends come to me for.
So I won’t say it’s because I have the knack for fixing everything around the house.
To help you troubleshoot your Roomba if it isn’t charging, I decided to make a troubleshooting guide.
To Rub alcohol and a soft cloth can be used to clean your Roomba’s charging port of dust, hair, or accumulated gunk.
Other adjustments may be necessary, such as replacing the battery or the charging dock, or resetting the Roomba to factory settings.
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Table of Contents
Contact points must be cleaned
I am sure you remember the iRobot advertisement for the Roomba 600 series, which had the slogan “Cleans hard so you don’t have to.”
Well, yes, your house will remain clean when you have a Roomba, but you’ll have to do some of the work yourself.
Therefore, the Roomba should be cleaned every other day in order to prevent many problems, resulting in a shorter lifespan.
An oxide layer may form on the electrical contacts of the charging port, causing dust and dirt to accumulate.
In You do not need a professional to deep clean your Roomba.
If you shop at Walmart or your local mom-and-pop store, you don’t need anything more than a few household cleaning products.
If 99% isopropyl (rubbing) alcohol should be used in conjunction with a dry cloth to clean any contact points.
It is also possible to clean the charging contacts using a microfiber cloth or melamine foam.
If After cleaning the device but still not being able to fix the charging problem, it’s time to begin troubleshooting.
Reset the Roomba
Hardware problems are not always caused by software problems. A bug may be causing the Roomba to not charge. Possibly, it is not charging at all!
We will therefore initiate a soft reset as our first measure. Restarting Roopaba does not restore its default settings.
Resetting your Roomba is as easy as the following steps:
- The device can be cleaned and docked by holding the buttons
- In response to the beep, release the buttons
- When you reconnect the Roomba, it should start charging.
Reset buttons are available on Roomba models in the 700 and 800 series. Roomba can be reset by pressing this button for ten seconds.
Alternate power outlets
Before moving on to more technical troubleshooting, we should check our wiring and sockets.
Connect the Home Base to a socket and you should see the power light flash.
If you do not see the light, the GFCI outlet probably tripped. Connecting to a new power outlet requires a tight connection.
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The docking station needs to be cleaned
If Insufficient power may prevent the Roomba from charging.
If dirt accumulates on charging contacts, they can become clogged. As a result, outlets and ports become inoperable.
It is important to clean the docking station periodically to prevent debris accumulation. This may lead to an earlier resolution of the issue.
Following are the steps to be taken:
- By flipping it over, the Roomba can be removed from the caster wheel
- Ensure the wheels are free of debris
- To clean the charging contacts, rub rubbing alcohol over them and wipe them with a soft cloth
Battery repositioning
It’s possible for the battery to move during shipping or for other reasons.
To check that the battery is installed correctly and determine whether to replace it or claim the warranty.
Removing five screws from the back panel will allow you to access the battery compartment. Install the battery tightly into the proper place. After reinstalling the screws, plug in the Roomba.
How long does a Roomba’s battery last?
Roombas cannot function without batteries. Therefore, a minor inconvenience will affect the robot.
A properly maintained Roomba can have longer battery life.
It usually takes one or two hours to run one or two times (it may take longer at first). The charging process also takes up to three hours.
The yellow pull tab must be removed before charging the robot. To ensure your Roomba lasts as long as possible, charge it overnight when you receive it.
Another excellent way to extend Roomba’s battery life is by removing the battery whenever you aren’t using it.
You might want to disconnect your battery while you are on vacation. After recharging the battery, use it until the battery is completely drained.
Replace the Battery
When the battery is not performing as expected or is defective, it can be replaced.
What is the best battery out of the many types on the market?
Batteries that are iRobot originals provide optimum performance. Maintaining your charger properly will extend its life and keep you from experiencing charging issues.
You can extend the battery life of your Roomba by following these tips:
- When the Roomba is used frequently, it can perform more cleaning cycles because it uses a rechargeable battery.
- Store and charge your devices in a cool, dry environment.
- Maintain your device by regularly cleaning it to prevent the accumulation of dust or hair
- Keep your Roomba continuously charged by plugging it into the charger every time you are not using it
It is important to practice patience while charging a new lithium-ion battery. Give it time to adapt to charging.
Install the base station on a level surface and plug it in. You should notice a glow when the base station is plugged in.
Once the Roomba is attached, wait for the base station to shut off and the Roomba’s light to flash and eventually turn off.
Indicates whether or not the device is charging. Let it charge for a few seconds.
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Factory reset your Roomba
If A factory reset is the only solution if none of the suggested solutions work. By doing a hard reset, your device will return to its factory default settings and be in like-new condition from a software perspective.
This method can be used to fix a virus or software bug that affects the charging of the device.
The factory reset of your Roomba only takes ten seconds. Follow these steps:
- Keep the Clean button pressed for ten seconds.
- The device should be restarted after the indicator lights flash
In You will lose all of your personalized schedules and settings if you reset the Roomba to its factory settings. This can be done by reprogramming the Roomba.
Get in touch with Customer Support
If A troubleshooting light will flash on your Roomba if there is a problem.
A number of blinks corresponds to the error code. You can get detailed information about eight different error codes using the iRobot App on your phone or PC.
If you would like to speak with a technical expert at iRobot customer care, call 1-877-855-8593. If you require assistance with your Roomba or have questions about the codes, please call 1-877-855-8593. Their website has additional information.
Claim your Roomba’s warranty
If None of the solutions resolved the charging issues. You may have a defective Roomba.
If you have a warranty claim, you can directly reach out to iRobot to get it repaired or replaced.
If you have problems with the internal circuits of your robot, iRobot or a third-party service provider may have to repair them outside of the warranty period.
As soon as you have exhausted all of your troubleshooting methods, call in the professionals to handle the troubleshooting.
Replace the Dock
In the same way that batteries can be replaced when faulty, docking stations can also be. Purchasing a new dock might be the solution if cleaning the dock didn’t help.
When your dock is under warranty, Irobot replaces it within a week. Also, you’ll find one on the free market that works with your Roomba.
Get a new Roomba or charge your old one
With a few simple hacks, you can kickstart a dead Roomba and run it for a few more cycles as long as the battery is still charged.
Lithium-ion batteries should not be jumped from a fully charged battery.
While it will not be as effective, the Roomba should still last a few days.
To connect the dead battery with the fully charged one, wire 14-gauge copper wire through its corresponding terminals. The cables must be taped together and held for 2 minutes.
The Roomba should now be turned on now that the battery is in place. It will now begin to charge.
Whenever you are troubleshooting, be aware of the charger’s flashing lights. The red light could indicate an overheating battery.
An incorrectly seated battery will flash red and green, indicating an incorrectly seated battery. More information about the codes can be found in the iRobot app.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does my Roomba have a charge?
If You can tell if it’s charging or not by the LED indicator on the CLEAN button.
- Solid red: No power
- Flashing amber: Charge is in progress
- Green: The charge has been completed
The fast pulsating amber light signifies the 16-hour charging mode.
Is there a way to tell when your Roomba battery needs to be replaced?
- The battery drains abnormally fast after a few minutes of normal operation.
- In the absence of docking, the Roomba will work for 15 to 20 minutes.
- Neither the power light nor the indicator is flashing.
- Soft or hard resets do not affect the performance of the Roomba.
Does the Roomba base light stay on during charging?
After flashing for four seconds, Roomba switches off the base lights to save energy.
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