Do you own a robot vacuum cleaner? If you do, then you know just how awesome they are! Not only do they help keep your floors clean, but they also make doing the vacuuming a lot less work.
So do you have a Roomba? If so, you know the importance of keeping it charged!
But it can be hard to tell if your Roomba is charging correctly – sometimes it seems like it’s not taking on a full charge, even if the battery indicator says otherwise.
In this post, we’ll outline some tips to help you determine whether your Roomba is charging correctly – so you can rest assured that your vacuum is always ready to clean!
But, did you know that there are two incorrect and one correct technique to charge your robot vacuum? If not, don’t worry – I’m here to teach you everything you need to know about charging your Roomba! So read on, how do I know if my Roomba is charging?
Table Of Contents
- How To Tell If Roomba is Charging?
- What To Do When Your Roomba is Not Charging?
- How Long Should Roomba Batteries Last?
- How To Reset a Roomba?
- Why is Your Roomba Beeping During The Charge?
- How Long Will Your Roomba Last on a Single Charge?
- How To Troubleshoot Other Robot Problems?
- Is Your Roomba Stuck?
- How To Clean Your Roomba?
- FAQ About How Do I Know If My Roomba is Charging
- Final Verdict
How To Tell If Roomba is Charging?
If you own a Roomba, then you’ve also probably asked yourself how to tell if my Roomba is charging? At least once. But finding out requires some troubleshooting!
Fortunately, there are a few easy ways to quickly determine whether or not your vacuum is charging correctly. Here’s what you need to know!
Charger not connected
The first thing you should check when telling if your Roomba is charging is whether or not the charger is plugged in. If your robot vacuum doesn’t have a battery that charges wirelessly, then chances are it’s going to need to be plugged into an outlet to charge. So make sure it’s plugged in!
If your Roomba is plugged in, then you’re ready to move on. If not, make sure the charger’s cord is securely connected to the wall and the robot.
Charger light not on
One of the easiest ways to tell if your Roomba is charging is by looking at the charger. If you’ve got a robot vacuum that uses a dock, then there should be an LED light near the charging dock’s center (or along the side). If this light is on, then your Roomba should be charging!
The charger is plugged in, but the robot won’t charge.
If there isn’t an LED light or indicator light on your Roomba (or if they all appear to be working correctly), then there might be something wrong with the charger.
To determine whether or not the problem lies with your Roomba i7 vs i8 or its charger, you should try to test both. If your robot charges when plugged into another outlet, then there’s a good chance that it’s the charger that needs repairs.
On the other hand, if moving the plug to another wall doesn’t do anything, then there’s a strong possibility that your robot vacuum is dead.
The charges other devices, but not a robot
If you’ve checked that your Roomba’s filter is clean and you’ve tried charging it in another wall outlet, then there might be something wrong with the charger or cord.
The charger is plugged in, but the charging light doesn’t turn on.
If you’ve checked that there’s no physical damage to the charger or cord, then it might be time to contact iRobot support. If possible, try charging your iRobot in another wall outlet before contacting support.
This will help expedite the process, as it can be challenging to determine if there’s something wrong with the robot vacuum itself.
What To Do When Your Roomba is Not Charging?
Even though there are a few ways to tell if your Roomba is charging, sometimes it’s just hard to figure out whether or not the robot vacuum is taking on a charge. If you think that your vac might be having some issues, here are a couple of things to try:
Check to make sure everything is plugged in. This includes the power cord, hose, and any devices or accessories that might be attached to your Roomba.
Try charging your iRobot vacuum in another wall outlet. Sometimes outlets go bad. If you try charging it elsewhere and the LED light comes on, then chances are there is something wrong with the outlet.
Make sure that your Roomba has a clean filter. Without a clean filter, there’s more of a chance that the robot vacuum won’t pick up on the charge correctly.
Contact iRobot support. There are all kinds of different issues that can occur, and it’s often difficult to determine if there’s actually something wrong with your robot vacuum or if it’s just the charger.
Bring your Roomba into an iRobot Authorized Service Center. There, they can diagnose and address any issues that might be present with your robot vacuum and replace any damaged components beyond repair.
How Long Should Roomba Batteries Last?
If you’re wondering how long robot vacuum batteries last, the answer is that it depends. There are a lot of factors that can play into how much juice iRobot’s vacuums have.
If you’re interested in seeing the top factors that play into how often your robot vacuum battery should be replaced, check out our article on How Long do Robot Vacuum Batteries Last?
Regardless of what you’ve read elsewhere, it’s always best to make sure that you run your iRobot Roomba 5 times throughout the week to ensure that it’s always picking up debris.
Our infographic on How Often You Should Run Your iRobot Roomba can help you understand how often this should be done.
By making sure your robot vacuum runs five times per week, we’ve found that we can get anywhere from 1 to 3 years out of a single battery.
This depends on how often you run your vacuum and the model of Roomba that you have. If you’re looking to ensure that your robot vacuum has the longest possible lifespan, it’s always best to follow our advice above.
How To Reset a Roomba?
Whether your Roomba isn’t charging or there’s something else going on, it can be difficult to tell if the issue is with the vacuum itself or the charger. In this situation, you’ll need to reset your robot vacuum before you can continue diagnosing the problem.
Resetting your Roomba only takes a few minutes and will ensure that your robot vacuum is functioning properly. Here’s how to reset a Roomba:
Turn off your iRobot Roomba. If you’re using a newer model, hold down the power button for a few seconds until the lights turn off on the top of the device.
Power up your Roomba. You do this by fitting the charging dock connector on your robot vacuum into the power outlet.
Allow your iRobot to charge for at least an hour, if not longer.
Once it has enough juice in the battery, you should be good to go! If you have any questions regarding how to reset a Roomba, be sure to contact iRobot customer service for assistance.
Remove the charging dock from your robot vacuum.
If you have a New Generation or High-Efficiency model, hold down the power button for a few seconds until the lights turn off on top of the device.
Note: You can also reset your Roomba by using the “home” and “clean” buttons simultaneously. This will force your robot vacuum to restart (even if it’s not fully charged yet).
If you’re still having issues with your iRobot Roomba, contact our support team for assistance. We’d be more than happy to help you determine what the problem may be with your robotic vacuum cleaner.
Why is Your Roomba Beeping During The Charge?
If you’ve tried charging your Roomba and it still won’t charge, then try the following:
Clean out any debris in the charging base. If there’s an excessive amount of dust or dirt build-up, this can cause the vacuum to appear as if it’s not charging. It might even prevent the robot from docking securely.
Check that the charge contacts on your Roomba and charging base are clean and free of debris. The best way to do this is by using a microfiber cloth. Make sure the robot vacuum’s filter isn’t clogged, as this can also cause it to appear as if it’s not charging properly.
If you’ve cleaned out the charging base and verified that its contacts are clean, then there’s a chance that your robot is experiencing what iRobot calls a “full dock error.”
This occurs when dirt or debris gets stuck in the dust bin during the Roomba self-docking process. To fix this issue, you’ll need to take apart your Roomba and remove the debris.
If you’ve cleaned out your robot’s dust bin, charged it in another wall socket, tested its charger, and gotten rid of any build-up in its charging base, yet it still won’t charge properly, then there might be something wrong with your battery. In this case, you’ll need to reach out to iRobot support to get a replacement battery.
How Long Will Your Roomba Last on a Single Charge?
Every robot vacuum is different, but most can run for around an hour per charge. Some high-end models can clean larger areas without needing to dock and recharge. However, most models will need a recharge to finish a cleaning cycle.
Just remember that robot vacuums aren’t meant to replace your central vacuum, so don’t expect it to work for more than an hour before you have to refill or dock it.
Also, keep in mind that if you’ve let your Roomba’s battery die down too much, then it will take longer for the robot vacuum to charge back up to its average operating level.
How To Troubleshoot Other Robot Problems?
If you’ve followed the steps above and your Roomba isn’t charging, it’s time to try something different. The steps above are significant if there is an issue with the charger.
But what should you do if there isn’t anything wrong with the charger? How can you tell if your robot vacuum has an issue that a charger can’t fix?
There are a few different things to try if you’re having trouble with your iRobot. For example, making sure there is no debris jammed in the small wheel on the side of the Roomba is always a good idea.
It’s also essential to ensure that all of the filters are clean. If your Roomba picks up any pet hair, the filters may have gotten clogged.
If you’re still having problems with your robot vacuum that aren’t related to a simple charger or filter issue, try contacting iRobot support.
They should be able to walk you through the different steps needed to determine whether or not there’s an issue with your iRobot.
Is Your Roomba Stuck?
If you try charging your robot and it gets jammed, then you might need to reset the dock. If nothing else has worked, unplugging the Roomba, waiting 10 seconds, and plugging it back in might do the trick.
How To Clean Your Roomba?
A common issue with robot vacuums is that they don’t have a hose or attachments – so how do you clean them? Using a microfiber cloth and a gentle, upward motion, you can usually remove debris from your robot vacuum’s dust bin. If you do this, make sure that the robot vacuum is entirely powered off before attempting to clean it out.
When cleaning your Roomba’s sensor eye, you should also use a microfiber cloth and gentle motions. You can use a damp cloth for tougher stains to wipe away dirt or debris. If you have a Roomba that is wet mopping, you can use a cloth with a slight amount of water to wipe the sensors.
FAQ About How Do I Know If My Roomba is Charging
Q: How do I know if my Roomba is dead?
If your Roomba isn’t charging or it’s not holding a charge for as long as usual, then there’s a chance it’s dead. While this will require professional repair, you can ask yourself a few questions to help determine whether or not your robot vacuum is dead.
Q: How do I know if my Roomba needs repair?
If your Roomba isn’t charging correctly, you should first check the battery. If your robot is more than a year old and you’ve never had it repaired, then the chances are good that the problem lies with the battery.
Q: Is it normal for my Roomba to get stuck under furniture?
This is one of the most common problems people encounter when using a robot vacuum. While there are many things you can do to prevent your robot vacuum from getting stuck under furniture, you should also check to make sure it’s charging.
Q: How do I clean Roomba sensors?
Dust and dirt can accumulate on Roomba’s various sensors, so it’s essential to clean them from time to time. Fortunately, this only requires a few household items and a little bit of know-how. Here’s how to clean Roomba sensors.
Q: How often should I replace the filters on my Roomba?
Replace Roomba filters every three to six months for peak performance. Here’s how you can tell when it’s time to change the filter.
Q: How do I maintain my Roomba?
The best way to keep your robot vacuum healthy and perform at its best is by regularly cleaning it. Fortunately, this also helps extend the life of your robot vacuum by preventing dust buildup. For more tips on how to keep your robot vacuum in top shape, check out our guide.
Final Verdict
iRobot is one of the most popular and reliable robot vacuum brands on the market today. It produces a line of robot vacuums that are designed to work effectively in a variety of different homes.
If you’re having issues with your Roomba, then there’s no need to panic. With some simple troubleshooting steps and quick fixes for common problems, you should be able to get your robot vacuum working again in no time.
Related Article: Shark Robot Vacuum Troubleshooting – Top 15 Problems & Solution