Roomba Battery Problems

The Roomba is a robotic vacuum, made by iRobot. One of the issues some users have with the Roomba is with battery performance. Sometimes it seems to need replacement too soon, sometimes a charged battery depletes too soon into the cleaning cycle, and sometimes it doesn't seem to want to charge or hold a charge. These problems can be caused by improper owner maintenance. For instance, when the Roomba isn't going to be used for a long time, the battery should be fully charged, then removed for storage. Short of replacing the battery, there are some possible fixes for battery problems. If these don't work, call the Roomba support line at [phone] or contact Roomba via their website's support center (see Resources). If the problem seems to be the unit and it's under warranty, Roomba will replace it.

Charging Glitches

Sometimes the charging process doesn't behave as expected. One reason could be that the battery is too hot. After it cools, the robot can begin charging. Another charging problem occurs when the Roomba seems to be fully charged, but the robot shuts down quickly into the cleaning cycle. Try charging directly from the power supply instead of the home base. If that fails, you might want to take your battery to a shop where it can be tested and recharged. The battery might work fine from then on. If the problem persists, it might not be a problem with the battery at all.

Power Light Doesn't Illuminate

Either the battery is dead or it's not seated properly in the robot. First reinstall the battery. There should be a click when you seat it properly. If that doesn't fix it, try recharging the battery. If the power light isn't illuminating while the robot is sitting in the home base, first ensure that all the cords are connected fully. If they are, try cleaning the charging contacts at the bottom of the robot.

Resetting the Roomba

To reset the battery, remove it, then hold down the power button for at least 5 seconds (you might want to hold it longer to be sure). For robots with only one button, press the Clean button instead. Put the battery back in, then charge it fully. Now run the Roomba until the battery is completely dead. Make sure the home base is unplugged so the robot doesn't try to dock with it. Fully discharging the battery might take several cleaning cycles in a row. Once the battery is dead, recharge it. Try this reset three times before giving up.

Draining, Then Charging

Unplug the Roomba from any charge source. Remove the robot's battery and set it aside for a while, at least several minutes. Put the battery back in, then run the Roomba until the battery is discharged. Make sure it can't return to its home base. Charge the robot for 24 hours (some on the iRobot forums suggest 72 hours). Drain the battery again. If your robot is running longer than it did before, you might be able to repeat the drain-then-charge exercise to get even more life out of the Roomba's clean cycle.

Extending Battery Life

Since the Roomba uses a rechargeable battery, the battery will last longer if you use the Roomba often. Between cleaning cycles, keep the Roomba charging. Keep the robot's brushes clean so that the Roomba won't have to strain to spin them. The strain uses more battery power. Once every few months, reset the Roomba and completely discharge the battery.

Charging

If you have a home base, keep the Roomba charging there between cleaning cycles. If not, keep the Roomba plugged in. Keep the home base on a hard, smooth surface, not on a thick carpet. The home base and Roomba should have space around it for ventilation. The home base should be in a cool, dry place and away from heat.

Resources

• IRobot Support Forums