iRobot Won’t Charge? Complete Fix Guide!

Whenever the iRobot won’t charge there are quite a few possibilities!

The reasons why the iRobot is not charging could be related to the charging ports, the base station, or a software-related problem with one of the devices.

Let’s learn more!

The iRobot will not charge when the charging ports are obstructed by hair, dust, and debris or when the base station or power source is not working. Users need to perform an inspection of the charging equipment to be able to draw a conclusion.

Why Won’t My iRobot Charge?

If your robot vacuum cleaner refuses to charge, there could be several explanations for this occurrence.

First of all, the charging sequence could be disrupted by unclean charging ports or an incorrectly inserted battery.

On rare occasions, your iRobot will refuse to charge if the internal battery has gone faulty.

Here are the more likewise causes for your iRobot’s inability to charge:

• Temporal battery malfunction.
• Unfunctional charging equipment.
• Software or hardware problems with the vacuum cleaner.

One way or another, you will find the solution to the charging issue with your iRobot:

How To Fix When Roomba Doesn’t Charge?

In order to solve the problem like a charm, follow the solutions in their order and do not skip any of the tips and recommendations.

With that being said, let’s jump right in!

Solution #1 Clean The Charging Ports

Regardless of your iRobot Roomba’s charging equipment, the charging ports must remain clean at all times to accept the power supply during charging sessions.

If the ports are obstructed, the robot won’t charge with the power adapter cable and the charging station.

Cleaning Roomba’s Charging Ports!

Here’s what you will need:

• A soft microfiber cloth (if possible).
• A regular clean and dry cloth
• Rubbing alcohol to remove the dust.

Once you have those at your disposal, here’s how to clean your Roomba’s ports:

1. Use rubbing alcohol to softly wet the cleaning cloth.
2. Use the cloth on the charging ports, located on the back side of the Roomba.
3. Make sure to collect all dust, hair, and debris, plus obstructions blocking the ports.
4. Let your robot completely dry up before connecting to a charger.

Alert: Connecting the robot to the power source with wet charging ports can damage the internal hardware and cause further complications.

Solution #2 Power Cycle Roomba

Another great fix to issues with your iRobot Roomba is to power cycle the device by removing and then placing the battery.

This will completely discharge the device, reboot the software, and hopefully fix the problem for good.

Follow these instructions to appropriately power cycle your iRobot Roomba:

1. Use a flathead screwdriver to loosen the edge sweeping brush.
2. Loose the other 5 screws that retain the bottom cover.
3. Pull the bottom cover towards you so it comes off.
4. Unclip the battery box located near the wheels of the robot.
5. Wait for 5 minutes.
6. Insert the battery and rebuild your robot.
7. Test the charging.

Notice: Keeping your Roomba OFF for longer always works better than not waiting long enough for the power cycle to work.

Solution #3 Use An Alternative Power Source

Before talking about the charging equipment of your iRobot Roomba, you should test charging the device at an alternative power source.

Its important to use a standalone outlet without a power divider to guarantee that the robot will not be impacted by external factors.

Verify that the power source is functional by plugging in another device!

As for users who charge their robots with a standard power adapter through the port, it will be easier for you to test with an alternative power source.

In contrast, users with a base station have to move the entire device to test charting the iRobot.

If the power source wasn’t the problem with your iRobot Roomba, proceed further!

Solution #4 Replace The Charging Cable

If you’re charging your Roomba directly from the power source, without the assistance of a docking station, you should test with an alternative cable.

Standard charging equipment consists of the following:

• A charging cable of ANY type.
• A standard power adapter “plug”.

Connect the charging cable to the adapter’s port, and then plug the adapter into a power source.

Roomba specifically, uses a 22.5V 1.25A AC adapter, which is standard for cleaning robots. 

You can get yourself a brand new charging adapter from Amazon at an average price range of $10 (prices vary on quality and manufacturer).

Tip: Test whether the charging cable used for charging Roomba is working beforehand!

Solution #5 Factory Reset Roomba Robot

A great solution for when iRobot won’t charge is to perform a factory reset on the device.

This will wipe up all software configuration, and settings but will keep the smart maps in the application so there is nothing to worry about. 

To perform a factory reset on your iRobot device, follow these instructions:

1. Make sure that your iRobot device is up and running.
2. Locate the Clean button on the iRobot device.
3. Press and hold the Clean button for 10 seconds.
4. Wait for the indicator lights to flash a couple of times.
5. Let go of the cleaning button.
6. Wait until your iRobot device reboots and finishes the reset.

Note: The reset is ready when your Roomba restarts!

Solution #6 Replace Roomba’s Internal Battery

If a factory reset also couldn’t help your iRobot device charge, you should replace the internal battery of the vacuum cleaner.

As with all other electrical units, vacuum cleaner robot batteries also have a certain life span after which, they can either go faulty or become unstable and unreliable.

Let’s learn more before proceeding:

What Kind Of Battery Does My iRobot Use?

Almost all vacuum cleaners of iRobot tend to use the 14.4V 3500mAh Ni-MH battery, which goes for a standard and approachable price range.

Averagely, you can get such a battery from Amazon for about $30 – $35. 

Note: It’s not recommended to use a second-hand battery!

How To Replace iRobot’s Internal Battery?

1. Loosen the edge sweeping brush using a flat-headed screwdriver.
2. Remove the 5 screws holding the bottom compartment up.
3. Lift the bottom compartment and put it away.
4. Unclip the old battery from within the robot.
5. Remove the old battery.
6. Position the new iRobot battery inside of the compartment.
7. Make sure it is secured and positioned correctly.
8. Rebuild the compartment of your robot.
9. Check if the device is going to work.

Tip: The battery’s logo must be facing upwards in the compartment. Use this as a visual indicator of how the battery must be inserted.

Solution #7 Get A New Charging Dock

If you’re going through this headache with your iRobot Roomba because of the charging dock, you should get it replaced.

If you’ve reached this far in our guide without resolving the problem, chances are that either your robot has stopped working completely, or the charging dock has also run out of life span.

Get a new charging dock for your Roomba from Amazon or you can also get it second-hand. Charging docks go for around $20 – $30 bucks based on your location.

If the new charging dock also doesn’t cut it, check your warranty if it is active and deliver the robot for repair to iRobot.

You should also contact their customer service beforehand.

Quick Recap:

Hence, the iRobot Roomba is not charging because the charging ports are obstructed or because the charging equipment is out of order. The problem could also be related to the internal device battery and users need to inspect all possibilities.

Wrapping Up:

Now that we’ve learned why the iRobot won’t charge and what the solution includes, it would be easier to determine the root cause.

We hope that this post was helpful and for more relevant guides, make sure to check our blog!