iRobot Roomba Robotic FloorVac - Manual (Page 12)

Frequently Asked Questions
Q: Why doesn’t my Roomba clean my floor in straight lines?
A: Roomba uses an algorithm-based cleaning pattern to clean your home most efficiently. For all cleaning cycles except
Spot Cleaning, when Roomba starts cleaning it travels around the floor in a spiral pattern (see Figure 1 on page 4). Its
Non-Marring Bumper will contact a wall, or it may try to find a wall after spiraling for a while. Roomba follows the
wall for a short period of time, using its spinning, Edge-Cleaning Side Brush to move particles away from the wall and
into the Vacuum’s path. After cleaning along a portion of the wall or other object, Roomba criss-crosses the room in
straight lines. Roomba repeats this cleaning pattern until its cleaning time has elapsed. This sophisticated navigation
ensures that Roomba will clean your whole room as thoroughly as possible.
Q: Are pets and children safe around Roomba?
A: Roomba has been designed with a number of safety features, including automatically shutting off when it is picked up
or gets stuck. Children and pets should always be supervised around Roomba for optimum safety and cleaning per-
formance.
Q: Does Roomba clean corners and along the walls?
A: Roomba has a spinning, Edge-Cleaning Side Brush that cleans next to walls, most corners and other tough-to-reach
places.
Q: Will it go under kickboards, beds, and furniture?
A: Roomba has been designed to fit under the kickboards in your kitchen. If your bed or other furniture is more than 4”
off the floor, Roomba will happily clean underneath.
Q: What powers Roomba?
A: Roomba is powered by a NiMH Rechargeable Battery.
Q: How much suction power does Roomba have?
A: Roomba uses a unique, three-stage cleaning system. The spinning, Edge-Cleaning Side Brush sweeps debris from cor-
ners and edges of the room into Roomba’s main cleaning path. Two counter-rotating Cleaning Brushes sweep up larger
particles, while a small, extremely efficient squeegee vacuum sucks up the smaller particles. This allows Roomba to get
impressive cleaning performance using only 30 Watts, much less power than is required by traditional upright vacu-
ums.
Q: How long will the Battery’s charge last?
A: The life of a fully-charged Battery depends on the floor surface to be cleaned. A single charge can last from about 60
minutes (on medium pile carpet) to about 90 minutes (on hard floor surfaces).
Q: How many rooms will Roomba clean before the Battery needs to be recharged?
A: It depends on the floor surface to be cleaned. For typical operation, Roomba cleans three 14’ x 16’ medium-size rooms.
Q: How long does it take to recharge the Battery?
A: The built-in battery charger and Charger AC Adapter that comes with Roomba takes up to 12 hours to recharge
the Battery. The optional Rapid Charger accessory recharges a Battery in about two and a half hours. Contact your
nearest Roomba retailer for availability, or visit www.RoombaVac.com for online purchase options and more
purchase information.
Part of my Roomba has broken.
Please call Roomba Customer Support at 1-877-855-8593.
My Virtual Wall Unit is not working.
1. Check that new batteries are installed, and that the unit is turned on.
2. Make sure the Beam Emitter is pointed across the opening you want to block.
3. If that does not work, turn the Virtual Wall Unit’s Range Selector Switch up to the maximum setting for large openings.
4. Some very large openings require that more than one Virtual Wall Unit be used.You can purchase additional Virtual
Wall Units by going to your nearest Roomba retailer, or visiting www.RoombaVac.com for online purchase options, and
for more purchase information.
Roomba Battery will not charge.
1. Ensure that the Charger AC Adapter is plugged into a working outlet. Try several outlets to be sure.
2. Make sure that the Charger AC Adapter is fully plugged into Roomba. No metal should be visible once the plug is fully
inserted. See Charging the Battery on page 7.
3. Check that the Battery is properly inserted. To be sure, remove it, inspect the contacts on the Battery and in Roomba to
make sure they are not blocked by dirt, then reinsert the Battery. It should click into place on each side.
4. The Battery Indicator Light on Roomba (under the Battery Icon) should pulse yellow. If it does not glow at all, check all
the connections. The Battery Indicator Light will turn off when the Battery is fully charged.
My Roomba moves too close to or far from my walls.
1. If the Edge-Cleaning Side Brush does not clean close
enough to the wall, use a pen to push the Adjustment
Tab toward the rear of the Bumper (see Figure 28).
This will make Roomba follow closer to walls.
2. If the Edge-Cleaning Side Brush is bumping into the
wall, use a pen to push the Adjustment Tab toward the
center of the Bumper. This will make Roomba follow
further away from walls.
My Roomba Pro Elite doesn’t clean for long in MAX Cleaning mode.
MAX Cleaning Cycle enables Roomba to clean until its batteries are fully discharged. If the battery is partially discharged
when starting a MAX Cleaning Cycle, Roomba will not clean for as long as it would on a full charge.
1. Make sure the battery is fully charged.
2. Check that both sides of the Particle Bin are empty before you start Roomba.
I can’t find the answer to my question in the Manual.
1. Additional Troubleshooting Tips may be found by visiting the Support section of www.Roombavac.com.
2. Send email to [email protected], or call the toll-free Customer Support Line at 1-877-855-8593.
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Figure 28: Using a pen to adjust how close
or far away Roomba will follow walls.
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