Although there are several reasons why your Roomba is not turning on, the possible one might be a shift in the battery’s position. Especially if it’s a new Roomba that has not yet been activated, the battery’s location may have shifted during shipment. The best response is to remove the battery and place it back to ensure proper contact.
Roomba is not turning on – Possible reasons
For a Roomba that is not turning on, try to reset and cycle the unit by removing the battery, then press the clean button down for 5 to 15 seconds. Reinstall and charge the battery, then try to turn it on again to see if it works.
Go ahead to repeat the entire process a couple more times to see if there is any improvement or it works. It’s also possible that if nothing happens, you may need to purchase a new battery.
As we have mentioned, one of the main problems is a shift in the battery’s position. To be sure of this, plug in the home base and check the indicator light to see if it starts flicking about once every four seconds or stays on for about four seconds and moves away.
When the light does not come on, charge the Roomba in the second outlet. Also, check the cable of the charger on the home baseline for any damage. You may need to replace the charging base if it doesn’t still open.
The home base light might illuminate, but the robot vacuum is not charged. Now check if any dirt or debris is interfering with the charging communication. If there’s any, remove the debris from the charging contact with a soft dry cloth.
Remove the Roomba from the charging base, then turn the device over to take out the caster wheel. Ensure that there’s no debris restricting the caster wheels on the robot from reaching the charging contacts. Again, clean up the caster wheel if any dirt is found.
Place and leave the Roomba to charge for at least one hour on the home base. Now watch for the troubleshooting indicator to flicker. If this happens, monitor and pay attention to the error messages created by the Roomba.
Some of the potential problems that may cause the Roomba to either not charge on the base or hold the charge are:
- Problems with the power source
- The wrong type of battery
- Contact communication problems
The Roomba notifies you with error codes that can help you identify and solve the problem without complications.
What to do when the Roomba isn’t turning on
Just as several problems can cause the Roomba not to turn on, there are also different solutions to these problems.
Ensure the home base is connected to the power
When the Roomba is not charging while it is at the home base, there might be a problem with the electrical power. Confirm that the electrical source supplies power to the home base.
If the home base is plugged into a Ground-Fault Circuit Interrupters (GFCI) outlet, ensure it is not removed. A break in the circuit can cause dislocation and interrupt the power. However, confirm that the GFCI outlet has power and the plug is tightly sealed in the outlet. At this point, your Roomba should receive power and work right.
Understand the Error codes
When the Roomba is charging the way it should, you won’t notice any light, which means energy is conserved, and the device is charging correctly. However, when there’s a problem with the Roomba, it says “uh-oh” and flickers the troubleshooting light.
You need to watch the number of times it blinks and listen to the error code to know the exact problems the Roomba might have. There is a total of eight error codes. Using the iRobot application on your PC or mobile device, you get the solutions to the codes.
Error Code 1
Code 1 error is when there is no communication between the base station and battery. It can be caused by the yellow pull-tab being disconnected before placing the Roomba on the home base. Code 1 error can also be a result of the battery not installed correctly. Remove and reinstall the battery.
Error Code 6 and 7
The Roomba won’t charge if the battery is either too cold or too hot. The Roomba creates a notification for code six if it’s producing too much heat and code seven if the device is too cold or too warm. For this, keep the Roomba from the home base to rest for about half an hour until it’s back to room temperature. Then reconnect the Roomba.
Error Code 2, 3, 5, 8, and 9
These five error codes inform you of either problem of contact between the battery and the home base or difficulties with the battery itself. Cleaning the connection on the home base and the Roomba fixes this problem. Unplug the home base and massage it with an alcohol mixed cloth and a damp cloth.
Hard-reboot the Roomba
Sometimes the error code keeps changing, and it’s due to the Roomba processor having corrupted memory. Rebooting the device can fix this bug. Hold the CLEAN button down for 10 to 15 seconds, and release it when the light indicators float. The device will then restart, but all the schedules and other settings will not save, so you have to rework them out.
Charge new batteries
New lithium-ion batteries will need you to wake it up. Install the home base station on a flat floor, plug in the socket, and ensure the lights come on. Now place the Roomba on the home base station and patiently hold for a few seconds until the battery works.
When the light on the base station goes off, then the battery indicator on the Roomba begins to flicker, and then go off, then you know the battery is awake
Wrap-Up
The Roomba robotic vacuum cleaner has a reputation for making cleaning more comfortable and faster. However, as much as they make life better, it’s important to note that the Roomba can develop different problems at some points.
We can agree that the best way to keep these problems minimum is through proper maintenance and daily cleaning. However, there are problems like the Roomba not turning on that may require some work.