Roomba side brush not spinning

When your Roomba side brush stops spinning, the causes may vary. It could be a problem from the wires, the connectors, or the motors may be jammed. Compared to the upright or cylinder vacuums, the Robot cleaner takes less space and has become the best solution to vacuuming for several homes. 

However, as much as owning a robot vacuum cleaner is an excellent addition to your home cleaning arsenal, faults like these are what you may face at some point.

Why is the brush not spinning on Roomba?

While people sort for convenience, durability, and greater cleaning power, the robot cleaner now is a big player in the vacuuming business. The Roomba might become quieter than usual or stop picking up dirt when the brush is no longer spinning. Like we have said, the brush on your Roomba can stop spinning as a result of a jam in the motor caused by hair or other debris. 

In other cases, the fault with your brush that is not spinning can require you to get a replacement side brush module. However, if you have made the replacement and the Roomba side brush motor is not still working right, you may need to check the wire. The connectors also may be either damaged, corroded, or just loose.  

Using a digital volt-ohm meter (DVOM), you can check the connector and ensure that power is getting to the motor. If you discover any defects from here, you can make necessary repairs or perhaps consider replacing the entire engine. 

The most important thing to note in this case is to inspect the motherboard for damaged, loose, or burnt components.  

Why is Roomba’s side brush not spinning all the time?

Some other times, the Roomba side brush does not stop at once. It may spin, but not all the time. You need to check for any error codes. But if you are not getting any, then consider the age of your Roomba. 

For a Roomba that you’ve been using for a while or the once tasked with tackling dirt areas, the problem could be the same and may either require cleaning or replacing the side brush assembly. 

Open up the brush section and the motor compartment. This process would require a screwdriver to remove the screws on the plastic casing that holds the motors. In most cases, the brush’s movement restrictions are caused by wear on the plastic casing body. 

These wear restrict the movement of the gears causing the side brush to move only sometimes. However, check the bin and clean the main rubber brushes, corner brushes, and bin. Then try the device again. 

After cleaning, ensure the Roomba is off, then place a little bit of debris in front of the device. You can use pieces of paper, cereal, or small bread. Press and hold the clean option for about 3 seconds to erase the last cleaning job. Now press clean to take out the debris.

Another problem that causes the Roomba brush not to spin sometimes can be the training run. However, if you have done all these and the problem persists, you can contact the iRobot customer care.

You will need your robot charged for the customer care conversation, the serial number, and warranty claim or proof of purchase. 

Why is Roomba’s side brush not spinning after cleaning?

When your Roomba side brush stops working right after cleaning, obviously, that’s a problem. If the brush stops working or is no longer spinning correctly, you can always tell since the Roomba either wouldn’t pick up dirt at all or does it difficultly. 

You can also use a little bit of debris like some torn bits of paper or beads to test how the brush works. Then turn on the Roomba, press the clean three times before moving the device over the debris. 

If the device is not sucking up the debris, the issue could stem from two main problems. One is physical damage to the brush or the motor. The other problem is from a dirty brush or clogging between the brush and the motor caused by hair or debris.

You need to remove the screw that joins the side brush with the side brush module to expose the underneath of the brush and inspect the area for hair. Remove the dirt and reassemble the device; if the problem is solved, you are good to go. 

If the problem remains, you may need to repair or replace the side brush module. If you are still under warranty, you can also contact iRobot customer service to see what they can do for you.

Why Roomba side brush clicking?

The clicking from the Roomba side brush could be for several reasons. One of which is difficulties in the moving parts, and can easily be fixed by applying lubricants like silicone spray or similar. But you have to carry this process out carefully to not spill the lubricant onto the wheels or other moving parts.

The two primary moving parts of the Roomba is the wheel and the brushes. Spin the brush manually to be sure if the clicking comes from there or the wheels. If you can get it to click, then the problem is probably from there. The problem can be from lint or hair clogging up the side brush that needs to be pulled out.

The clicking can also be as a result of the mouse search feature being activated. But be careful about taking the Roomba apart if you haven’t known how to assemble it. If you still can’t get the clicking to go off, you can try calling the manufacturer directly.

Why Roomba side brush squeaking?

The squeaking is often caused by friction between the plastic and the metal parts. Using a bit of lubricant like WD-40 can be the right solution for this.

Here are a few steps that can guide you in handling the problem quickly

1. Your first approach is to turn iRobot on its side. Now remove the side brush. A screwdriver is required to take out the center screw and the other four screws holding the bottom panel and the body together. 
2. You would find the side brush motor and a blue housing held together by two screws on the edges in the chamber. The third screw has a different triangular-slit head display. Loosening the two bolts releases the engine to be taken out. For this approach, there are no leads to be worried about since the power is provided to the motor through two spring contacts beneath the engine chamber.
3. Now the third screw is your target; unscrew it. Here you have to be careful so that the head is not damaged. Using a flat-head screwdriver may not work in this case. However, unscrewing this portion may not be necessary since it’s the part that keeps the motor in the chamber. But you can as well do it. 
4. Blue motor housing has two-piece. On one end is a visible snap-latch. If you scrutinize the edge while following the other edges, you will find out that a thin flat-head screwdriver can be used on the other side of the housing. Carefully grasp one section of the motor housing and take it off. Do this gently to prevent damaging the snap-latch. 

One part of the housing has a few gears and an electric motor, while the other section of the housing has a metal axle and a larger gear. There is also a hexagonal piece protruding from both portions of the housing where the side brush bases. To be sure if the axle turns within the housing, rotate the gear with your fingers. If it’s stiff, use a plier. 

While this goes on, the axle will not rotate when it’s in the housing. Use a 9-volt battery to test the motor and inspect if it spins immediately; it’s freed from the other stuck gear.

1. Apply some WD-40 to lubricate the stuck gear before you twist the stuck section. After a while, the stuck gear becomes more comfortable to turn. Although to pop the gear out might be difficult, you can turn it continuously. If you check well, you would see some fine powdery stuff between the blue and white parts. Now you can replace the motor and clean the blue housing and get your iRobot Roomba working again.

How do I clean my Roomba spinning brush? – Roomba side brush care procedure – Step By Step

For a Roomba side brush that is not spinning, it is established that cleaning it is the right approach to resolving the problem. However, you may struggle without the proper procedures and a step by step guide. You should also note that there might be slight differences depending on the series of the Roomba.

However, here are a few steps that can guide you remove and clean your Roomba side brush quickly;

Step 1

Using a coin or small screwdriver, loosen the side brush. 

Step 2

Lift both yellow tabs to remove the brush guard

Step 3

Remove and clean every debris and hair under the yellow brush caps shafts and the post of the side brush

Step 4

Reinstall both the brush bearing and side brush, then close the brush guard.

How often should you change Roomba brushes?

As the robot vacuum comes in contact with floor-borne dirt, the surface like the wheels and brushes are most affected; debris and dirt build-up around these surfaces as they rotate. Like hair or string, and some other items are the challenges of these moving parts, making regular maintenance necessary. 

You should often remove them and check any objects wrapped around these robots’ brushes and wheels. If you have a cleaning tool, you can inspect and clean the brushes and head module at least once or twice a week.

During your inspections, if you notice damages on the brush, then replace it. Also, to ensure your robot vacuum’s efficiency, try to change the Roomba brushes between six to twelve months of usage.

Wrap-Up

As Roomba introduces a new trend of development regarding cleaning technology, some damages on the device cannot be avoided. However, with regular maintenances, especially on the moving parts like the side brush, these faults can be reduced. 

As much as you use your Roomba, try to perform regular cleaning and maintenances to keep the robot vacuum in a top-tip shape.