How Long Does Roomba Take to Charge

There are different scenarios you might be faced with what have prompted you to inquire how long it takes a Roomba vacuum cleaner to charge from “0%” to “100%.” You need to know this before you decide to buy it. Well, we have done the assignment on your behalf and here you will find the right answer to “how long does Roomba take to charge.”

Before charging your Roomba you need to note some indications and understand what each of the indicators stands for.

In case you’ve docked your Roomba at the home base station and the green light for charging appears with the clean light or you’ve pressed the clean button and the charging light turns amber after staying green.

Either way, there is something you need to know when it comes to charging your Roomba battery, especially if you’re just getting it for the first time.

Firstly, you need to charge it for 12 hours notwithstanding the amount of battery you meet in it if it is new – It has to be fully charged.

But then, over time the charging time will stabilize and get shorter if you maintain it appropriately.

Now, with the proximity of how long does Roomba take to charge from 0% to 100%; just keep reading.

How Long Does Roomba take to Charge

How long does Roomba take to charge

We discussed earlier that you have to charge your new Roomba full before using it, however, for a used Roomba vacuum, it takes around 2 hours to fully charged.

The time might have a little time difference in terms of minutes and the state of the battery, but if the charging time is way below that, let’s say 20 minutes or 12 hours, then you should know that something is wrong with the Roomba battery and it needs fixing.

Recommended: Roomba battery not Charging

Let’s briefly answer some questions that might be of importance to those stuck with the question, “How long does Rooomba take to charge?“.

How can I Tell if my Roomba is Charging?

How long does Roomba take to charge

The charging status of your Roomba vacuum cleaner is indicated by a different coloured light.

  • If your Roomba displays a green light, it means it is fully charged.
  • If it displays an amber light, it means it is still charging but not yet fully charged.
  • If it displays an amber pulsing or a red light, it means the battery is low or empty.

The light may not show while your Roomba is charging. if it doesn’t, you can always check the battery status by pressing the clean button once.

Doing this will cause the indicator light to show the charging status, regardless of the model you are using.

You can also check the battery status of newer Roombas on the iRobot HOME app. When you launch the app, you’ll notice a battery indicator icon in the upper-right corner of the screen.

How long does it take the Roomba to Charge the First Time?

Most new Roomba batteries are not dead on arrival; you will notice that they have some charge when you first get them.

However, before you hurriedly start using it, What you need to do is charge it at a power outlet while maintaining the power level for 12 hours.

Doing this will keep the battery safe from damage and kickstart the battery runtime period.

How to Charge the Roomba without the Home Base

How long does Roomba take to charge

When your Roomba is finished cleaning, it automatically returns to the charging station for docking.

Now, if you do not want to charge your Roomba with the home base, you can do that by inserting it straight into the charger.

It comes with a dedicated charging port that is located on the side of the device.

Roomba Charging Light

To deplete the battery, the Roomba vacuum comes with a charging light.

The light is more of a digital representation of the percentage of the battery. However, you would not be able to know the exact level of the battery in terms of the percentage

You can only know if the battery is fully charged, low or empty. 

How to Repair a Roomba That Isn’t Charging

If your Roomba hasn’t changed after docking at the home base for some time, the battery might be defective.

Not only that but perhaps some of the components within the Roomba cleaner aren’t working properly. 

Since you’re here, I’ll go through all of the probable solutions to your Roomba not charging.

Clean off the charging contact.

Even if the metal strips are properly connected, the charging connectors (metal strips) that connect the charging station and the Roomba vacuum may become blocked with debris.

This, in turn, permits the electricity to be shut off.

Why? When nothing is in the way, specks of dirt are one of the reasons they aren’t joining.

You don’t have to worry since it occurs to people all the time because dirt accumulates on these connections, preventing the battery from keeping perfect contact with the contact points.

If you run across this problem, here’s how to repair it.

Fixing it:

If your Roomba isn’t charging, one of the reasons “why won’t my Roomba charge?” is that the charging ports are dirty.

In that case, you’ll need to clean the contact points, which I’ll show you how to do.

Clean the contact points with a dry towel.

  • If that doesn’t work, use a wet cloth with a little alcohol.
  • If the dirt is really difficult, try a steel-wool sponge.

NB: Before cleaning your charging station’s contact points, always unplug it from the power outlet. I don’t think you want an electric shock.

Replace the Roomba vacuum’s battery.

When your Roomba’s battery runs out, you must charge it to avoid unnecessary tension.

Aside from that, have you ever considered the possibility that you are doing anything that is causing the battery to run out of power?

  • Are you often exposing it to direct sunlight?
  • Are you leaving the Roomba brush unclean after using it?
  • Is your Roomba battery charging near a heated vent?

All of these factors affect battery life and might cause the battery to malfunction before it expires.

If your battery isn’t working properly, here’s how to fix it.

  • Remove the five screws while still holding the bottom cover in place.
  • Remove the first four screws, followed by the last screw that holds the rotating brush in place.
  • After removing the screws, you may take the lid off to access the battery. Two tabs usually hold the battery in place.
  • Pull the battery out of its compartment by releasing these tabs.
  • Now, replace the battery in the slot and reassemble it.

Clean the charging station and check the power outlet

The charging station is required for your Roomba to charge by itself.

But you are not limited to using the charging station; you may charge it without one. You certainly can.

You may, however, need to connect it to a power outlet yourself.

If the connectors are dirty or the charging station isn’t getting power. How do you plan to address that?

Well, here is how you can fix it:

  • Check to see whether the circuit breaker was tripped by the charging station.
  • Also, make sure the charging station’s connection is not tripped.
  • NB: This is done to ensure that it is properly inserted into the outlet.
  • If this is not the case, the problem is at the power station.

Remove the battery pull tab

The battery pull tab is primarily included to prevent the Roomba from starting before the vacuum is unboxed.

Every new Roomba vacuum comes with a yellow pull tab, and if you don’t remove it, your Roomba won’t charge.

Here’s how to go about it:

  • Check to see if the yellow tab is still in place on your Roomba.
  • Pull it out if it is.
  • Your Roomba should now be operational.

Your Roomba vacuum should be soft reset.

There may be occasions when a malfunction in the Roomba’s firmware prevents it from working properly.

This alone might leave you with a Roomba that isn’t charging.

However, you may not be able to read it easily until your battery is not being charged after a lengthy period.

However, going through all of the troubleshooting procedures above should prepare you to do a soft reset.

To do so…

  • Press the Home
  • Choose Spot Clean
  • Clean buttons all at once until a light emerges around the Clean button.

Depending on the model, you may only notice minor variations.

Move Roomba away from extreme conditions.

If you want your Roomba battery to last, make sure it is not charged in a location with severe temperatures.

This will result in an error message, such as error code 8.9 or 9.

When you experience such problems, you may be forced to remedy another problem.

Recommendation: Roomba charging error 8

One reason for this is that high heat can damage the battery.

Contact iRobot Customer Support.

You should be well aware of “How long does roomba take to charge?” by now.

Now, if you’ve done all of the procedures above to remedy your Roomba’s charging difficulties and you’re still having difficulty, you should contact Irobot customer service.

Conclusion

After going through this article, one question you should be well informed about is “how long does Roomba take to charge?” For both used and new Roomba batteries.

If your Roomba isn’t meeting the required time—maybe it takes way less than 2 hours to be fully charged—you might have a faulty battery that needs replacement.

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