Dog Hair and Roomba = Problems
I have a Roomba 500 series. I also have two dogs. Until recently, I also had a lot of carpet. Roomba + dogs that shed a lot + carpet = very sad Roomba. It took me more effort to keep the vacuum running than it was worth. However, when I moved into a house with all hard wood floors, I was very excited to pull the Roomba out and put it to good use. Unfortunately, it didn’t work.
Clean Roomba’s Brushes
You know this one. You hear it all the time. Especially if you have dogs. But sometimes, Roomba asks you to clean its brushes when there is nothing on them. This was the situation in which I found myself when I tried to get Roomba working.
Diagnose the Problem
When your Roomba is trying to clean (and failing) do you hear a clicking noise? If you do, this is probably the brushes trying to spin, but jumping because the gears are too clogged to move properly. If you take the dust collector off the back of the Roomba and start it, you can watch and see if the brushes are jumping as opposed to spinning smoothly.
Take Roomba Apart
If you are worried about voiding your warranty, you might not want to do this. My Roomba is out of warranty, so I wasn’t too concerned. This solution focuses on the brush assembly. You can buy a completely new brush assembly for your Roomba by the way. They cost between $40 and $90.
1. Flip your Roomba on its back. Remove the large screws that hold the plate on. You won’t have to completely take them out, best that you don’t so you won’t lose them.
2. If you haven’t already, take the brushes out. Now unscrew the screws holding the brush mechanism in place. Again, if you can, leave the screws in place. Sometimes you can, sometimes you can’t.
3. Gently remove the mechanism. Be careful you don’t break it.
4. Unscrew the side panel on the mechanism. You will need to completely remove the screws. They are all the same size. Be careful you don’t yank on the cords connecting the motor.
5. Look at the gears and see if they are covered with hair. If they are, you have found the source of your problem. Gently remove the gears, clean them off, add a bit of grease and put them back in place.
6. Put everything back together.
Hopefully the request to clean the brushes and the clicking noise will be gone and your Roomba will be working properly.