Having a Roomba around the house can be a complete game-changer. For anyone with a busy schedule, owning a Roomba gives you one less thing to do after a long day. Once your Roomba is charged up, it can work independently without needing you to intervene.
A Roomba’s average charging time is 120 minutes after the battery is fully drained. Roombas are designed to charge quickly and run for long periods and should be stored at their ‘home base’ to ensure they’re charged and ready for use.
Roombas are meant to be self-sufficient during their cleaning times, unlike other vacuums. However, it is up to you to maintain the Roomba and ensure the battery remains effective. This article will detail how to ensure your Roomba stays in tip-top shape for a long time, so read on!
How Long Does It Take To Charge a Roomba?
Roombas should be docked at their Home Base to keep them ready for use.
It takes a minimum of two hours to charge a Roomba, though you can leave the Roomba charging overnight for 12 to 16 hours. Your Roomba may need to charge longer for the first time, but it should take only two hours for every subsequent charge.
After charging, the Roomba will work for about two hours before needing to be recharged.
Should I Let Roomba Fully Charge Before First Use?
When you first get a brand-new Roomba, you must ensure it is fully charged.
You don’t have to charge Roomba before first use. All Roomba are shipped with a partial charge, so you can use them without charging. However, if you use the Roomba without charging, it will stop cleaning faster than normal. Let Roomba charge for three hours (180 minutes) to avoid this.
Plug the Roomba at the home base and let it charge fully before its first clean. You can even leave it charging for up to 12 hours.
How Do I Know if My Roomba Is Charging?
You can charge your Roomba two ways: Putting it on the charging home base or using the cord to plug it into a power outlet. Once the Roomba is connected to power, it uses lights and icons to indicate whether the battery is charging and how much battery life it has left.
You know your Roomba is charging if you see a flashing yellow light when you press the ‘Clean’ button when the Roomba is plugged in at the Home Base. A solid, green light means the battery is fully charged. And a solid red light means the battery is dead and needs to be on the charger.
If a Roomba has been left off the charger for too long, it will flash a yellow light quickly, indicating it’s in its “refresh charge cycle.” Do not interrupt the Roomba in its refreshing cycle, as the cycle helps conserve energy and extend battery life.
Can I Leave My Roomba Charging Overnight?
It would be best if you plugged your Roomba in after every cleaning cycle to ensure the battery stays in good condition. Charging after every cycle can mean keeping it charging overnight as long as it is in a dry, cool place.
You can leave your Roomba charging overnight if it is brand new, as this will ensure it gets an aggressive charge for its first-ever cleaning cycle. But you shouldn’t leave your Roomba on the charger if you don’t plan to use the Roomba for over a week.
If you are not going to be using the Roomba for over one week, you’ll need to put it in vacation mode or store it away from the power supply or the Home Base.
To store the Roomba off charge, either fully charge or drain your batteries depending on whether they’re yellow or blue/black. Then remove the battery from the Roomba and store it in a dry, safe space.
Is There a Lower Power Option?
There is a lower power option on the Roomba. The option is known as Reduced Power Standby Mode. This mode is commonly known as the vacation mode and involves turning off everything except charging. This option allows the Roomba to use less power when it’s inactive.
You can activate this lower power option by holding ‘Spot Clean’ for 15 seconds after your Roomba has been docked at Home Base.
How Long Should a Roomba Battery Last?
Like most other vacuums, a Roomba will typically last for a few years with no issues.
A Roomba battery should last about two to three years. Well-maintained Roomba batteries may even last as long as five years, but you have to take steps to maintain the batteries and extend their lifespan.
How Do I Extend My Roomba Battery Life?
Extending the life of your Roomba is a straightforward process. It involves a few maintenance habits and routines that will help keep your household assistant solid and durable for multiple years.
You can extend your Roomba battery life by keeping the brushes clean, ensuring the Roomba is charged and active, and you exhaust the battery completely. Always store your Roomba correctly in a clean and dry environment, and never use water for cleaning.
Here’s a little more information about these methods.
- Keep its brushes clean. Too much debris buildup will make the battery work harder and harder to spin the brushes, taking a massive on the Roomba’s battery life.
- Charged and active. Always charge your Roomba after a cleaning cycle, but don’t leave it on the dock for days without rerunning it. An active Roomba is a healthy Roomba.
- Run down the battery. It’s good to exhaust the battery of the Roomba completely. Let the Roomba clean until it has used up all its charges, then recharge it fully. This process of draining and charging helps the battery last longer.
- Cool and dry. Storing your Roomba can make or break the condition it stays in. Keeping your Roomba in a humid atmosphere or direct sunlight will naturally wear it down quicker. Keep it in a cool, dry area where it can rest and charge appropriately.
Not adopting any of these habits will make the Roomba run slower and the battery work harder. You’ll have to replace the batteries more often or even the entire Roomba itself. However, following these simple steps will help you get the most out of your Roomba’s life.
Final Thoughts
A Roomba is an excellent addition to have around the house. It can help do some of the heavy lifting of housework and is very simple to use. Roombas are built to have long battery lives and short charging times, so they can be used very often, lasting around 120 minutes per session.
