iRobot Roomba vacuum cleaner is the perfect home cleaning solution that can help you maintain hygiene effortlessly, literally. By automating a majority of the cleaning tasks, you get a clean and shiny floor at all times. However, this gets done only when the robot is charged completely and the cleaning bin is empty to undertake the next cleaning cycle. And, that gets done using the Roomba docking station.
A Roomba docking station is responsible for charging your robot device and ensuring that the trash bin is empty at all times. This ensures continuous and uninterrupted cleaning cycles without delay. If you are facing issues with charging your Roomba with docking station at your home, this blog will walk you through the troubleshooting steps you can follow. You will be able to discover the reasons behind the issue and ways you can fix them once and for all.
Common Roomba Docking Station issues
While dealing with an iRobot Roomba device, you might encounter issues with charging and docking itself. Reasons for the same can be varied, however, there are always steps you can follow to eliminate them.
No power to the Docking Station
- A Roomba docking station is useless until you have connected it to a power source. Therefore, the very first step when dealing with Roomba docking issues is to check for the power connections. Lack of power to the docking station will prevent it from performing any tasks. Inspect the Roomba docking station and its plug along with the wall socket and the circuit breaker.
- If there’s an issue with any of these parts, the docking station will not work.
- To ensure if the station is working, check if there’s a light blinking on it. Next, inspect the wall socket by plugging other appliances into it. You can also use another wall socket to connect your Roomba robot. If you still don’t see a power light on the Roomba docking station, check the circuit breaker in the main electrical box. If the same is in the OFF position, turn it to ON.
Roomba won’t charge
If the docking station is working yet, the Roomba is not being charged, inspect the charging contacts. It is possible that dust and other debris have clogged the charging pins and they are unable to make contact with the Roomba robot. All Roomba docking stations have these charging contacts that line up with those on the Roomba whenever it docks.
If the dust build-up is so severe that it prevents the charging contacts from touching each other, charging will get affected. You can fix the issue by cleaning the contacts. Disconnect the docking station from the wall outlet and clean the same without any issues. You can use a damped melamine foam sponge for cleaning purposes. While you are cleaning the docking station, also clean the charging contacts on your Roomba robot. Once the charging contacts are clean, the robot will start charging Roomba normally.
Roomba won’t dock
After your Roomba finishes a cleaning cycle, it returns automatically to the docking station with the help of an IR(infrared) sensor. However, if you are noticing issues with aligning your Roomba with docking station, there can be an issue with the sensor. The role of the IR light is to guide the robot to dock in a perfect position. However, when it’s not available, Roomba won’t dock like issues will be observed.
To resolve this issue, you can wipe the Roomba clean of any dirt or debris. Especially clean the area around the IR sensor to make sure it is clear. If doing that doesn’t help resolve the issue, there is a possibility that the IR sensor has developed a fault. You can replace the same by purchasing a new one or approaching the nearest Roomba service station.
Roomba docking station not evacuating trash
Some docking stations have a bin where Roomba can empty the trash when full. However, if you notice that this isn’t happening, you can follow some easy troubleshooting steps. If the auto-cleaning function isn’t working, there is a possibility that the plastic tube has clogged thus preventing the docking station from evacuating dirt from the robot.
You can unplug the Clean Base docking station and turn it over so the bottom is visible. Locate the clog in the drain pipe so you can remove it. Remove the five screws that hold the plastic tube in place. Once you have cleaned the tube, replace the same and check the cleaning function now.