Is Your Roomba Going in Circles? Here’s What You Should Do!

Is Your Roomba Going in Circles Here’s What You Should Do

Ever since its advent in 2002, Roomba has intrigued audiences and satisfied customers. It is a helpful home appliance that can save up a lot of time and provide convenience for many. For others, it is a stubborn little robot who never follows instructions. The cause behind this allegation is a common problem that people face with their Roomba; going in circles. Here’s what you can do to stop your Roomba going circles.

Why is my Roomba going in circles?

Your Roomba must be going in circles because of a dislodged or jammed bumper, malfunctioning wheels, dirty sensors, or software issues. The most common cause for a Roomba going in circles is an issue with the bumper. Let the Roomba run in an open space for 2 minutes if this occurs.

Jammed bumper

The bumper of a Roomba can get jammed because of a collection of dirt or debris, which causes it to lose proper navigation. Moreover, if the bumper sensors are dirty, it might think there’s an obstacle in front of it and, therefore, change directions automatically. This causes the machine to go around in circles.

Problem in wheels

Alternatively, the Roomba could also be going in circles because of a problem in either or both of its wheels. The problem could be caused by debris stuck to one wheel, causing Roomba to pivot, making the machine go around in circles.

Dirty cliff sensors

Dirty cliff sensors are also a common cause for a Roomba going in circles. The cliff sensors alert the machine when it is close to an edge to prevent it from falling over. When these sensors are dirty, Roomba may mistakenly think a “cliff” is approaching and keep changing directions repeatedly.

Software bug

Lastly, a software bug could be the reason your Roomba is stubborn. Usually, a regular automatic software update will fix the issue.

How to prevent Roomba from going in circles?

A Roomba usually goes around in circles due to a jammed bumper. You can prevent this by ensuring proper maintenance and cleanliness of your Roomba by regularly tapping out debris from underneath its bumper and wheels and wiping its sensors clean. After this, restart the Roomba to get it back on track!

How do you fix a Roomba in circles?

If your Roomba seems confused and runs around in circles, you should take it outside and let it run in an open space for at least 2 minutes. After 2 minutes, the machine will display an error message. The error is usually Error 9, which means that the bumper is jammed and needs to be cleaned.

Depending on the cause behind the Roomba going in circles, you can try a few simple things to fix the issue at home. You can try all of these tricks one by one to rule out the possible causes.

Check the bumper

The first issue to suspect is a jammed bumper. Tap the bumper lightly a few times to knock out any debris that might be stuck under it. Once the debris is released, your vacuum robot should be running correctly. On the other hand, you can fix a lodged bumper by reinstalling it back into place using the screws at the bottom.

Clean sensors regularly

If your robot friend is still acting “drunk,” the next thing you can try is cleaning the bumper and cliff sensors thoroughly. You can find the sensors by flipping the machine over and taking off the bottom cover. Use a piece of melamine foam to clean the sensors. Maintenance of the sensors is one way to prevent your Roomba from going circles.

Clean the wheels

If the issue persists, the last thing you can try is checking the wheels for any dust or debris stuck in them. Pick up the Roomba in your hands and knock any debris out by pushing the wheels up and down many times. Afterward, turn the wheels around by hand to check if both of them show the same amount of resistance.  

Check out this article on Roomba starting during the night!

How do I make my Roomba go straight?

If your Roomba isn’t going straight, it is highly likely that there is an issue with the wheel sensors. Keeping the wheel sensors clean can make your Roomba go straight. Furthermore, shake out any debris and make sure that the wheels are properly turning as well.

What’s the actual problem?

There is a rotating shutter between a detector and an LED emitter which helps the wheel sensor work. As the shutter wheel passes between the emitter and detector, it generates a pulse. The Roomba’s computer then counts the pulses to determine wheel speed and adjusts each wheel’s speed to keep it going straight or in the proper direction.

If one wheel has a dirty sensor, then the number of pulses does not correspond to the actual speed, and the computer will not know the proper speed of that wheel but will still make speed adjustments based on the incorrect data from the dirty sensor. The result is that the Roomba will “drift” to one direction or, worse, circle dance.

By following the troubleshooting guide on the website and making sure the machine’s bumper, sensors, and wheels are clean and maintained, you can make your Roomba work efficiently for years to come.

Is your Roomba charging? Click this article to learn how to know if it is charging!

How does Roomba know where to go?

A Roomba is equipped with photocell and infrared sensors to help it navigate your home. There is a couple of different type of sensors. The bumper sensor tells the automated vacuum if there is something in its path and the cliff sensors alert it when it approaches an edge or a staircase.

Why does my Roomba keep going over the same area?

If the Roomba detects more dirt or dust concentrated in one particular area, it automatically activates the Dirt Detect mode and cleans the same area repeatedly until it senses fewer dirt particles over there.

What to do if Roomba keeps getting stuck?

If you have some furniture in your home that has low frames on it, the chances are that Roomba will fail to detect it as an obstacle and roll over it only to get stuck.

Keeping an eye on an automated robot at all times can be counterintuitive. Here is a simple hack you can follow step-by-step to fix the problem.

STEP 1: Cut out a piece of transparent acrylic to fit at the bottom of your furniture.

STEP 2: Place the deterrent at a place where Roomba is most likely to get stuck.

STEP 3: Sit back and relax while the bumper sensors tell the machine to change directions automatically upon detecting the acrylic.

Where are Cliff sensors on Roomba?

Upon flipping your Roomba, you’ll see four rectangular openings just inside the edge of the bumper; these are the cliff sensors.

Here you can learn how to reuse Roomba bags!

Can Roomba go over rugs with fringe?

Roomba can comfortably roll over and clean rugs that are thick and are secured to the ground. A short fringe also does not bother the automated vacuum. However, lightweight rugs with long fringes might be moved out of place by Roomba.

Does Roomba memorize your house?

Despite operating since 2002, the company iRobot only recently launched a Roomba that can memorize your house. This model is called the i7, and it can process instructions to clean up a specific room and then return to its dock, all by itself. This is done using a new imaging sensor and memorization ability.

Here’s how it does it.

New imaging sensor

Using a new and improved imaging sensor located on the top of the vacuum enables Roomba to memorize and retain the map of the area you previously ran it in. The robot essentially comes with long-term memory.

Memorization and connectivity

The new model comes with the ability to memorize up to 10 floor plans. You can use the mobile app to name rooms in your house and ask it to clean a specific one. The robot can also be connected to assistants like Alexa and Google Assistant and be given instructions through them.

Summing it all up

While it might cause frustration at times, Roomba is a helpful and convenient home appliance. Its popularity and success in the market speak for its functionality. Moreover, the problems users commonly face are majorly due to lack of maintenance. If your Roomba is cleaned regularly and kept with care, it can last you many years without any trouble.

Immad Amir

Immad is a tech geek who loves the role of automation in his life. He believes that everyone should automate their roles in every part of their routine to spare some time for family and friends. Immad started HomeRook because he wants all the tech savvy individuals to automate their roles and focus on things that are significant in life.

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