How to tell if Roomba is Charging

Roomba can be charged with a Dock as well as with a power supply, but how would you know if the port is working or not if Roomba is charging or not?

Fortunately, there is a way to know if Roomba is charging.

Green light flashes to tell if Roomba is charging, depending on the model of Roomba. But for some models, green lights blink, and some don’t, so you must know the Roomba model you are using to determine if Roomba is charging.

How to Tell if Roomba is Charging?

You can spot Roomba charging status from the green light that blinks when you put Roomba on a charge, but the green light behavior will be different for different Roomba models like:

Green light blinks every four seconds for Roomba 500 and 600 series

Green light blinks after 60 seconds for Roomba 700, 800, and 900 series

The green light turns on and turns off after four seconds for the i3, and i7 models

If your Roomba model isn’t showing the battery status, you can press the CLEAN button, and Roomba will show the battery status on the status indicator.

There are other light indications by Roomba to figure out the battery levels, like green links meaning it’s charged, amber means partially charged, pulsing amber means it’s setting, a red light means discharged, and red light flashing means Roomba is going to be dead soon.

How long does it take Roomba to charge the first time

Roomba takes 2 hours to charge entirely on the Dock and the power supply type. Still, for the first time, you should charge Roomba overnight because that initial extended charge prolongs the battery life and protects it from degrading.

Does Roomba charging light stays on

If the Roomba charging light stays on, that means the Roomba has been accused 100% and will automatically cease charging by indicating that Roomba has been set, so don’t misinterpret it with some Roomba error.

Roomba charging light turns off

If Roomba’s charging light turns off, that means the unit is charging correctly, but it must be the solid green light that goes off and is turned off to save energy which may seem unusual, but you can always check the charging status from the I-robot app by iRobot. So Roomba decided to turn off the charger indicator light so that Roomba reached maximum charges as quickly as possible without wasting a bit of energy.

How to tell if Roomba i3 is charging

The Roomba Series i3 doesn’t blink the green light while put on a charge; instead, the green light remains on for around four seconds and goes off after that, which indicates that Roomba is charging.

How to tell if Roomba j7 is charging

The Roomba Series j7 doesn’t blink the green light while put on a charge; instead, the green light remains on for around four seconds and goes off after that, which indicates that Roomba is charging.

Why will my Roomba not charge ( Dock or Roomba issues )

Your Roomba may not charge if Dock is facing some problems or the Roomba is facing some issues, so let’s discuss each of them separately so that you can figure out what is preventing your Roomba from charging.

Troubleshooting Docking Station Problems

Power Cycle the Dock: When the Dock doesn’t seem to be working, the most straightforward approach to get the Dock working is to power cycle the Dock which you remove the power adapter from the outlet as well as from the Dock and, after a few minutes, put the adapter back in the Dock. The switch and Dock should now charge the Roomba.

Check Charging Poles: Vacuuming your home can leave a lot of dirt on the Dock, especially on the charging pole, and if they are not cleaned frequently, the build-up of debris and gunk can get too severe, preventing Roomba from making a secure connection with the electrical charging points stopping Roomba from charging correctly. Clean the metal plates with microfiber cloth and alcohol or melamine sponge foam so that battery transmitters can adequately connect.

Sensor Problem: Roomba detects IR Infrared signals from the Dock to see it and get back to the Dock, but if the confinement sensor of Roomba is covered in dirt or not working correctly, it may not see infrared signals emitted by the Dock or, similarly the dock sensor maybe faulty or surrounded with mud that it couldn’t send properly signals out which Roomba can see. So you must figure out if the sensor needs just cleaning or replacement.

Dock clogged: If Dock is blocked with accumulated dirt, it may not work correctly. Although Roomba automatically empties the dust bin into the Dock, the Dock will be complete with nasty stuff and be clogged after some time. So, you can check the transparent tube under the Dock, and if it’s stopped, you can unscrew it and unclog it so it can collect dirt from Roomba, and now the Dock will be working perfectly fine.

Try charging Roomba without Dock: If Dock is out of order, you can still set your Roomba, but the cleaning schedule will be disrupted; once Roomba is set completely, it will cease charging, but you have to unplug it and press the CLEAN button to start cleaning. Instead, insert the charger into the dedicated charging port of Roomba, and make sure not to insert the switch in an extension cord; always use a wall switch.

Outlet or Power adapter issue: If the wire is physically damaged or the outlet is not working fine, you may want to change the outlet or try other electrical devices to ensure that the outlet is working fine. After that, check, if the circuit breaker isn’t tripped in the electrical box. Finally, check if the adapter is inserted correctly into the socket. If not, then insert it carefully and investigate what is causing the Roomba to not charge on Dock.

Check for Virtual Walls: You must cross-check for virtual walls because the lighthouse must be placed within 2.4m ( approx eight ft. ) of the home base to stay out of the infrared beam.

Roomba must not leave the virtual wall, or Dock won’t be able to call it back, or Roomba won’t be able to find the Dock. Therefore, the beam must face toward the area where the vacuum has to operate so that it stays in the base’s parameter and can easily trace itself back to the home base. The dock can detect Roomba if it’s within the six-foot range, but if Roomba can’t locate it, you can press the dock button manually.

Base Placement

The base must be placed in an open area, but if you have a crowded room or well-trafficked area, then make sure that floor has a clear surrounding of at least 1.5 feet and try to move any shoes, boxes, power cords, and obstacles away from that area for base to work properly.

You can always check the location of the Dock and make sure that the virtual wall barriers are eight feet away from the Dock.

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Robert Smith

Robert Smith is a technology lover and loves to write about laptops, monitors, printers, tablets, Apple products and anything that's related to computers and games. He is passionate enough that he maintains this blog regarding tech updates on a daily basis.