What Do You Do If Your Roomba Won’t Charge?

The relief that comes with having a machine vacuum your house is just terrific. You don’t have to worry about moving your arms around and sweating over the job.

Honestly? It’s quite entertaining watching a robot vacuum go about doing your chores. However, it's not so fun when the robot you relied heavily upon refuses to work.

The same can happen with your Roomba vacuum when it doesn't want to charge or turn on. In case you're wondering what do you do if your Roomba won't charge, you're at the right place.

Below, we discuss some tricks that can fix whatever is not letting your Roomba charge. We'll also talk about how you can maximize the device's battery life. Read on!

What Do You Do If Your Roomba Won't Charge?

In all honesty, there are many reasons why a Roomba refuses to charge. After all, it's a complicated machine.

From simple issues like dirty charging contacts to a faulty system or battery, the causes are numerous.

Trying a few tricks can help you recognize the problem and eventually fix it. Here are issues that might be the problem and ways to resolve them:

1. Switch to Another Power Outlet

Sometimes, the problem isn't the machine but in the power outlet itself. A short circuit or a blown-up fuse can prevent the Home Base from charging the device.

To address this, try connecting the charger to another outlet to ensure that the problem doesn't lie in your power outlet.

Also, move and push the plug a bit more into the outlet to see if the light turns green on your Roomba.

Be careful not to accidentally touch the holes on the outlet when doing this.

2. Check the Charging Contacts

A Roomba has charging contacts on its bottom that attach to the ones on the Home Base.

As you may have noticed, the robot’s charging contacts are pretty close to the brushes attached.

Hence, dirt and debris from the brushes during the vacuuming process can quickly accumulate on the charging contacts.

This is one of the most probable reasons why a Roomba refuses to charge.

Luckily, you can easily resolve this issue by cleaning the contacts with a dry and clean cloth.

Repeat the steps with the contacts on the Home Base, as well. If this doesn't work, try using steel/wire wool on the contacts.

Make sure not to rub too hard, though, as you could end up damaging the surface of the contacts.

3. Reboot Your Roomba

Sometimes, rebooting helps fix minor bugs in the systems.

To reboot the Roomba 700, 800, or 900 series, simply press the “Clean” button for 20 seconds.

After this, you'll notice a white light circle the button. Once it shuts off, it means the reboot is done.

For the Roomba 600, 500, and e series, press the “Home” and “Spot Clean” button and hold them both for 10 seconds.  Give it a minute or two to get back on track.

After this, you should hear the rebooting tone. Try charging the device afterward.

4. Check the Springs

The Home Base for your Roomba has charging contacts that are basically simple springs.

Often, these springs get stuck in one position and need manual coaxing to free themselves.

If you notice that one of the springs is not emerging as far as the other one, try using your fingernail or something similar to pull it out.

Just make sure to be gentle and not pull it out entirely from the Home Base.

5. Replace the Battery

Roombas have rechargeable batteries that eventually degrade over time. This could be a possible reason why the device just won't charge.

Luckily, these batteries are replaceable and readily available. It's recommended, though, that you buy the official Roomba replacement battery for your model.

To replace the battery, follow these steps:

• Flip over the Roomba and locate the five screws across the bottom that hold the battery's cover.

• Unscrew them with a screwdriver and take out the old batteries from the device.

• Drop in the new ones, and you should hear the rebooting sound.

• Replace the cover by screwing the screws on top of it.

6. Replace the Home Base

If none of the above fixes work, then chances are, you need to replace the Home Base. It's also probable that the issue lies in the vacuuming robot itself.

If it’s functioning just right but still won't charge, a faulty Home Base could be the problem.

Hence, it's worth investing in replacing the Home Base before purchasing a whole new Roomba. It's readily available online and costs around $80.

If you're unsure, try charging the Roomba through another Home Base that a friend or neighbor owns. This will indicate whether the problem lies in the Home Base or the Roomba itself.

How to Ensure a Long Battery Life for Your Roomba

You can take some precautions and steps to ensure that your Roomba's battery doesn't deplete faster than it should. You can try to:

• Keep the device at a cool storage location.

The heat from the sun or other external sources can damage the robot's battery. As such, you’d want to keep it away from these heat sources.

• Clean the brushes if you notice a lot of dirt and debris on them. 

Dirty brushes use up more battery to clean your house. Give your Roomba an easier time by making sure the brushes are free of debris.

• Drain the battery.

This means that you should use the Roomba until it needs to charge to start working again.

Also, make sure to charge the Roomba as soon as it's done vacuuming to save the battery from damage.

• Keep it docked.

When you're not using the Roomba, make sure it's docked at the Home Base. However, don't keep it there for too many days. Instead, use it frequently.

Conclusion

Roombas automate cleaning and vacuuming the house, making your life easier, but they do need care and maintenance to function correctly.

Sometimes, you can do everything right, and the Roomba will still act up.

In case you're wondering what do you do if your Roomba won't charge, try some of the tricks we mentioned above.

Make sure you've tried everything like checking the springs, ensuring the charging contacts are clean, and rebooting and hard rebooting.

If your Roomba still doesn't charge, it might be time to either replace the Home Base or the battery.

Contact the Roomba customer care service if you're unsure of what you should do.