Are you unsure whether your iRobot Roomba is charging? Roomba operates on a battery and without charging, it is useless.
We will explore the indicators on the iRobot Roomba and the LED lamp on the charging home base, providing you with the necessary steps to get you to know whether your Roomba is charging or not.
iRobot Roomba E5 Vacuum
How To Know If Roomba Is Charging
Checking the LED Lamp on Charging Home Base
To begin, take a look at the charging home base. If the LED lamp on the charging home base is turned off and not flashing, it indicates that the base is currently not providing any power to your Roomba. This could mean that your Roomba is not charging.
Placing Your Roomba on Home Station
To verify if your iRobot Roomba is charging, I recommend you place it on the home station, ensuring that it is correctly aligned. You may also press the record button on your Roomba to initiate the return-to-home function.
Once your Roomba is positioned on the home station, keep an eye out for the charging indicators. If your Roomba is charging correctly, you should notice a LED lamp illuminated on the Roomba itself.
This indicator is typically located near the power button or on the top of the device.
You should also see the battery icon on the Roomba’s display turning green unless there is a charging error. The green color signifies that your Roomba is receiving an adequate charge and is in the process of charging.
| Roomba Model | Color | Charging Status |
|---|---|---|
| 500 | Amber Pulse | No battery |
| Red | Low battery | |
| Amber Pulse | Fully Charged | |
| Amber | Partially charged | |
| Green | Fully Charged | |
| 600 | Amber Pulse | No battery |
| Red | Low battery | |
| Amber Pulse | Charging | |
| Amber | Partially charged | |
| 700 | Red | No battery |
| Red | Low battery | |
| Amber Pulse | Charging | |
| 800 | Red | No battery |
| Red | Low battery | |
| Amber Pulse | Charging | |
| 900 | Red | No battery |
| Red | Low battery | |
| Amber Pulse | Charging | |
| White | Fully Charged | |
| i7 & i7+ | Red | No battery |
| Amber Pulse | Low battery | |
| Blinking white | Charging | |
| White | Fully Charged | |
| i3 & i3+ | Red | No battery |
| Amber Pulse | Low battery | |
| Blinking white | Charging | |
| White | Fully Charged |
Does Roomba Light Stay on When Charging?
While charging Roomba behaves differently for its different models. I have observed the following lighting behaviors which you can see below.
You can check the battery status by pressing the Clean Button on Roomba. It will show you the relevant light before turning it into the original light indicator.
i) For Roomba 900, 800, and 700 series:
The light indicator in these models stays on for 60 seconds and then it turns off.
ii) For Roomba 500 and 600 series:
The indicator light in these models pulses after every 4 seconds.
Why My Roomba Is Not Docking, Charging?
Symptoms of Roomba Not Docking or Charging:
- Erratic Movement: Your Roomba may exhibit unusual behavior while moving around your home, indicating that something is amiss.
- Charger Misplacement: You might find that your Roomba has taken the charger to random locations, instead of remaining docked securely.
- Difficulty Docking: When you try to manually dock the Roomba, you may encounter challenges in getting it to connect properly.
- Unexpected Charge Status: Upon returning to your Roomba, you may discover that it hasn’t docked as expected, raising concerns about its charging status.
Potential Issues:
How To Fix Roomba Not Charging
I have elaborated quick fixes in short points but you can get a full explanation about fixing Roomba not charging issue.
Understanding the Charging Process:
Upon placing the Roomba on its home base, the lights initially turn green, indicating a connection with the base. However, after approximately 60 seconds, the lights automatically turn off.
This is a deliberate energy-saving feature designed to conserve power while the Roomba charges. Therefore, it’s important not to mistake the lack of lights as a sign of malfunction.
Determining the Charging Status:
Additionally, if you have downloaded the iRobot app, you can also monitor the charging status from your mobile device. The app provides a convenient way to track the battery level and receive notifications when the Roomba requires attention.
Does your Roomba need a dock for the charge?
Yes, Roomba robotic vacuum cleaners typically require a dock for charging. The docking station, also known as the charging base or charging dock, serves as a home base for the Roomba when it’s not in use.
When the Roomba’s battery runs low or when it completes a cleaning cycle, it autonomously returns to the dock to recharge.
The dock is connected to a power source and provides a convenient and automated way for the Roomba to maintain its battery charge, ensuring it’s ready for the next cleaning session.
Although I have experienced charging Roomba directly without Doc, I won’t recommend it to anyone because, in the long term, it may have adverse effects.
What Does Blue Light on Roomba Mean?
Roomba shows different behaviors in the form of different patterns of blue light which are shown below:
- Blue Clockwise Spinner – Roomba is in Wi-Fi pairing mode
- Blue Counterclockwise Swirling – Roomba is spot cleaning
- Flashing blue – When dirt detection is activated
- Blue ping – Roomba detected a virtual wall
- Blue marching forward – Roomba is returning to the docking unit
- Blue sweep forward – Roomba is emptying the bin into the clean base
Important Suggestions Regarding Roomba Docking
If you manually want to move your Roomba® to another location, it may be difficult for it to find its Home Base, I recommend you allow Roomba® to complete its cleaning cycle.
If Roomba® appears to have trouble docking, make sure that Home Base® has been installed in an optimal location.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why Is My Roomba Blinking Orange?
If your Roomba shows a slow orange blink, it means it’s charging normally. For a quick orange blink, your Roomba has entered the 16-hour refresh charging.
Why Is My Roomba Light Flashing Green?
It means that your Roomba is unable to hold the charge and it needs a replacement battery.
iRobot Roomba 675 Robot Vacuum
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About Author
Mahnoor has graduated from AI Security Specific Program at PIASS. She has a special interest in technology especially Automated gadgets and Automated Robots. She has also studied programming and Windows security.
She is now serving as Professor at PIASS teaching a major in AI. She has got herself into content gathering and now at smarthomehut, she often writes about Alexa programming skills and how different automated related devices and how tackle their various issues.
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