Common problems with robot vacuum cleaners and how to solve them
We welcome all readers of the site. robovac.washerhouse.comWe previously published an article where we looked at the main Robot vacuum cleaner malfunctions and troubleshooting stepsThis article has become very popular; just look at the number of comments. However, that article focuses on technical issues that arise during operation (errors, breakdowns, navigation problems, etc.). In this publication, we want to discuss common robot vacuum cleaner problems that can be encountered in everyday life. We'll also explain how to solve these problems yourself. So, let's get started!
Problem #1: Robot Vacuums and Dark Floors
A common problem is when a robot refuses to clean black carpet, black tiles, or dark laminate. Or when the flooring is mixed colors, such as black and white carpet. In these cases, robotic vacuums often avoid dark areas without cleaning them, which can cause negative reactions from owners. This occurs because the robot's drop sensors (step protection) detect black/too-dark colors as if they were a height difference. These sensors prevent the robot from falling down stairs, making them especially useful in two-story homes. If your home doesn't have stairs, you can solve the problem by simply covering these sensors. They are located underneath the robot (usually 4 or 6 of them). The photo below shows how to cover the sensors so the robot won't be affected by dark floors:
Sealing the height difference sensors
Here's an example from a conversation in our VK group about how we actually solved the problem:
Robot vacuum cleaner and dark floor
Problem #2: Bar Stools
Another common problem is the robot vacuum getting stuck on the legs of bar stools, scratching the chrome surface and causing the robot to get stuck. Both scenarios are frustrating. The popular 4pda forum has some ideas on how to solve this problem:
- Raise the chair above the robot's maximum height (up to 20 mm). To do this, you can order or cut a circle to hold the chair. This will prevent the robot from climbing onto the leg and will instead navigate around it.
Raising the chair
- Cover the edge of the leg with a dark material, such as car anti-squeak material. This will cause the robot vacuum to see the black surface and avoid the leg. See the photo for an example:
Chair protection from robots
You can also watch a video demonstrating a second solution to the problem:
Problem #3: The robot vacuum cleaner can't reach the carpet.
If you have a high-pile carpet (more than 2 cm) in your room, the robot vacuum cleaner won't be able to access it because its low suspension simply won't allow it. The bumper will then become caught in the pile, which is raised by the rotating side brush. For this case, there's an interesting life hack demonstrated on YouTube. Take a plastic bottle, cut it into a so-called bumper, and install it where the robot enters the carpet. Typically, the movement algorithm is set up once and doesn't change in subsequent cleanings. Therefore, there's no need to install a so-called plastic ramp around the entire perimeter. It's enough to install it on the side(s) where the robot will enter/exit the carpet. This idea solves the problem of the robot being unable to access high-pile carpet.
The entire process is clearly shown in the video:
Problem #4: The robot vacuum cleaner gets into built-in furniture
Another common problem users often encounter is when their robot vacuum cleaner gets stuck in a built-in wardrobe in the bedroom or living room. If the wardrobe isn't raised on legs, the door guides are only 18 mm high, and robot vacuums can easily climb over obstacles up to 20 mm high. As a result, if you forget to close the closet door, the robot can slide inside while cleaning, crossing the guides, and eventually getting stuck in your belongings.
Built-in wardrobe
The problem can also be solved simply in two ways:
- Magnetic tape is installed along the guides to limit movement.
- You can apply a 22x2 PVC edge banding strip in a matching color to the outer edge of the guide. This will prevent the robot from sliding into the cabinet and preventing it from sliding into the cabinet. Here's what it looks like in the photo:
Protection against robot collisions
The image and idea were also taken from the Internet, thanks to the author.
Problem #5: Weak water flow to the napkin
Finally, I'd like to mention another issue that robot vacuum owners face: poor wetting of the cleaning cloth. If you need the robot to thoroughly wet the floor, but your robot is designed to deliver water to the cleaning cloth only dripping, there's a very simple solution. Instead of the valves installed in the tank, you can use a super-slim cigarette filter. The diameter is usually a perfect fit; in a pinch, you can trim it or use slim cigarettes and use their filter. Simply trim the filter to the desired length and install it in place of the old valve. As a result, more water is delivered to the cleaning cloth with minimal disruption to the design.
Valves from a cigarette filter
If you enjoy articles like this, let us know in the comments. We'll be sharing more clever ways to solve various problems and upgrade your robot vacuum. Happy shopping, everyone!
Hello! I bought a Roborock S5 Max and noticed that the power increases on carpet when the robot moves from right to left, but when moving from left to right on carpet, the power remains the same as on laminate. Why is this, and what should I do?
Thanks! The trick with taping the sensors solved the problem with driving on dark carpet! I was almost in despair.
I covered the fall sensors with a bandage, but the vacuum cleaner doesn’t want to work - it asks me to clean the sensors, what should I do?
Try covering the sensors with different materials, depending on their light transmittance.
Don't tape over the sensor window itself; there needs to be some space between it and the sensor. Apply tape to the plastic housing where the sensor is. This will create the necessary spacer.
Hello, please help me figure this out. For some reason, ours vacuums the perimeter of the rooms and completely ignores the middle.
We recently had the same problem: in the main room it moves along the perimeter, but the middle remains untouched.
I've looked at a bunch of websites and can't find a solution to this problem.
Tell me, have you by any chance found a solution?
I tried masking tape on the plastic case, it says with a voice that the sensors need to be cleaned!
The vast majority of robot vacuum cleaners periodically get stuck on the metal bar that sliding doors slide on. It doesn't matter that the bar is only 8 mm high.
Hello! I have a ROIDMI EVE Plus vacuum cleaner. From the very first time I turned it on, it started acting erratically (climbing walls, literally trying to climb them, ramming upholstered furniture, persistently trying to push it aside, and driving in circles along the walls, then deliberately pulling away, turning around, and starting ramming the wall again). Because of this, cleaning my three-room apartment takes almost three hours. I've cleaned the sensors and deleted the map, but nothing helps. Could you please tell me if there's a fix for this?
I also have a ROIDMI Eva. And another problem: it absolutely refuses to go onto a regular light-colored 1 cm thick rug. It seems to have already gone there, but then keeps coming back… I don't understand what it's doing. Naturally, it doesn't lie on the walls, and it doesn't ram into furniture.
We've solved the problem, we have the same thing, I assume the leader sees the walls, and the duster rests against the baseboards, the difference is exactly 1-1.5 cm
The S6 pure washes the floor in three stripes, right where the reservoir feeds water to the cloth. It worked fine for a year, and then this problem started! I changed the cloths, changed the filters, and even tried a new water tank, but nothing helped. Does anyone have any recommendations?
Were you able to solve the problem? I had the same problem.
Did you eventually manage to solve the problem?
Hello, could you please tell me? My Tefal 95 series robot is ignoring one room. It just turns around and returns to its base. There are no virtual walls. What could be the cause?
Good afternoon
I bought a Dreame d9 pro. When I walk around the room, it keeps crashing into everything. After I walk around the perimeter, it plays perfectly.
The next time Ob drove around the perimeter, he crashed into everything and got hit.
I also went through the entire room the first time, both horizontally and vertically. Then I started cleaning the room in only one plane.
Hello! Does it bump into things hard? Yes, it's not the most gentle, but my sample (currently under review) seems to clean adequately. Could the problem be with your robot? Does the bumper have free play? As for the number of passes, I don't understand how that works. Although, under the map, you can select the number of passes in room and zone modes.
Hello! Could you please tell me what the problem might be? I have a Roborock S5Max robot. When cleaning, it starts to drag on the surface. It starts moving smoothly, but then it slows down, as if it's gliding very stiffly. I thought it was the bracket that holds the cleaning cloth, so I bought a new bracket and a new cleaning cloth, but it still slows down. When I run it without the attachment, just in vacuum mode, everything is perfect; it moves easily and smoothly.
All the lines on the map are straight. But with the wet cleaning attachment, it slows down and is difficult to move.
I didn't have this problem before, but it just appeared recently. Sometimes it slows down so much that it starts drawing circles. Please help me solve this. Does anyone know how? Maybe you've had this too?
The problem is in the wheel drive.
It was the same.
There is a plastic gear bushing inside the wheel on the fitting, it has worn out and that is why the drive does not pull.
It works on tile and laminate, but on carpet it gives a brush error. What could be the cause? The brushes are all perfectly clean and spin freely, as I just got it back from warranty repairs.
Hello! My ECOVACS Deebot X1 can't enter a room with carpet. It moves from the linoleum floor to the aluminum strip with a wood-like finish in the doorway, covering the area where the threshold used to be. I removed it because it couldn't cross it. When it moves onto the carpet, the strip, which carefully covers the edge of the carpet, starts to jam, shimmying back and forth, and eventually reports that it couldn't reach the desired location and returns to the base station. This only happens with the cleaning pads installed.
Deboot doesn't work with a wet cloth on the carpet, as stated in the instructions. It will either go around or backtrack. You can mark this area on the map in the app as one that doesn't need to be cleaned.
Hello! My Tefal Series 20 robot vacuum cleaner has started collecting dirt poorly. It's started throwing dirt when it hits small interior thresholds. The filter is new.
My brand new DreamBot t10s vacuum cleaner isn't filling with water from the base and is only cleaning with dry cloths. It doesn't display any errors and sees everything. It runs all the modes, but doesn't fill with water. What could be wrong?
It's in the pump. You need to either turn on the rinse function from your phone five times in a row (water should start flowing around the fifth time), or alternatively, in a tank of clean water, unclip the tube, remove the filter, then fill a glass of water and drive the robot to the station. Turn on the wipes' rinse function, and when you hear the characteristic pump sound, take some water into your mouth and blow it into the tube. This basically helps the pump. This is how I solved the problem. I haven't had this problem for two months.
Hello, I have a new Dreame L10s Ultra and I have the same problem: it doesn't pump water. I've tried to start the mop cleaning function about 10 times already. I've tried pumping water into the tube several times, but it feels like the pump isn't sucking at all. I've literally pushed water into the hole, and even then, only very little.
Our robotic cleaner doesn't clean the tiles properly, leaving streaks. It might go up and then back up, leaving streaks. What should I do?
Good evening! I bought a Xiaomi Mia 1C vacuum cleaner a year ago. I couldn't connect to the Mi Home app. But I used it without it and everything was fine. Now, in one room (there's carpet), it runs for 1-2 minutes and then stops (the yellow light comes on), and I can't return it to the base. Restarting and resetting don't help. It works in other rooms. We thought the battery was dead, so we replaced it. It didn't solve the problem. What should I do? Maybe you can help.
Hello, the robot vacuum cleaner is not moving, it says the wheel is suspended, move it to another location
Hello. My Dreame bot L10 pro stopped detecting the water tank and now only works in dry cleaning mode. I take the tank out and put it back in, but nothing happens. It's still under warranty. What could be the cause?
Hello, I have the same problem as Olga, but from the very first day of using the robot (the new Roborock S5 Max vacuum cleaner), it started slipping and slowing down, but only on the glossy tiles in the kitchen (it cleans perfectly in all other rooms), especially when wet cleaning. Regardless of the power and suction level, it spins and won't budge. How can I fix this?
Thanks in advance for your reply :)
Regarding covering the altitude sensors, he immediately asks to clean them and doesn't go anywhere. So the advice doesn't work.
It works, I've tested it several times. Try masking tape.
Good afternoon.
My Boslab 360 c8 plus vacuum cleaner has stopped emptying into the self-cleaning station. The window simply won't open, or some other strange behavior occurs, and all the debris remains in it. I don't know how to fix this.
Hello! Is there a trick to keeping the mop firmly on the floor? I used to have a Roboroc s5. It cleaned the floor perfectly, but now I have the 2 Pro, and after vacuuming with a wet mop, it leaves dry marks, meaning the mop partially adheres to the floor. Thanks!
Hello, my robot vacuum cleaner can't climb onto carpet (less than 2 cm). The first time I tried it, it was in an apartment without carpets. Could this be the reason it doesn't recognize carpets?
Hello. Has anyone encountered this? I have a Dreamebot L10s Pro vacuum cleaner. After a month of use, the dust cloth stopped holding. It falls off immediately. Everything looks clean. Is the problem with the dust cloth or the holder? What should I do?
Hello, I have a problem with my Dream F9 vacuum cleaner. The motor runs and forces water onto the cloth. The vacuum cleaner detects this when the container is removed and inserted, but when it's running, wet cleaning doesn't work, even though everything is set correctly in the program.
Good afternoon! The Xiaomi Mi Robot Vacuum only manages to get onto my carpet every once in a while (depending on the angle it's at). My carpet is normal (short-pile). Is there anything I can do about this? Thank you.
Hello, Tefal 95 vacuum cleaner
I started washing with a Christmas tree pattern, although at first it washed like a normal vacuum cleaner, and it hits the wall and growls, then it can roll in a circle and go further, what could this be, the vacuum cleaner started only 4 times
Hello! The robot vacuum cleaner keeps saying that the water supply tank is not installed. I keep pressing the start button, and after a short while, it starts again.