Archive for June, 2011

Recycling Roomba Batteries – I need to recycle an old roomba battery, where can I drop it off/mail it to?

I’m willing to spend up to $ 20 or so, but I use rechargeable batteries for everything else so I can’t justify getting a big green box (and live in NYC so retailers take them anyway). Can I take it to a store that sells roombas and have them send it back? Can anyone recommend a vendor or collection place in NYC (preferably Brooklyn or Manhattan, but if it’s on a train line I can manage it) that would take this type of battery. I’m pretty sure its a NiMH.

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What do YOU think?

I just bought a Roomba Red Robotic Vacuum from the US iRobot Corp. then brought it to another country and plugged it into a 110v automatic voltage regulator that I use my computer on. It charged properly for the first 16 hours (per the charging instructions) then I used it to vacuum my floor. I charged it a 2nd time but I noticed that the battery charging light wasn’t on. I talked to their online chat help and was told the warranty has been voided and that it was designed to work ONLY on US current (as if people still use ships to travel from country to country with trips lasting weeks if not months). They said their product was too complex and sensitive for other countries’ electricity. Sure. Too complex and sensitive for a product made in China (stamped on the back) – probably by child slave-labor (not stamped on the back)!

Sounds like legalized (?) fraud (?) or an excuse for a crappy product rushed to production to me. And it’s supposed to be a contractor for the US military! Ha.

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Do you feel bad if you…?

A roomba has a docking station that charges itself. Well suppose (or maybe it does this already) that the roomba senses itself being low on battery and can “walk” over to the charging station and charge itself. Do you feel bad if you step in between the roomba and the docking station that it needs to go to charge itself blocking the signal? If you dont feel bad what about if your roomba screamed or cried when you did this? Funny discussion we had in psych class
oh I dont have one. It was a discussion in psych about what has a conscious and what has feelings. Because the roomba can essentially “think” becasue it locates and goes to the docking station does it then have feelings? Does it feel sad when you block it from going to its home?

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Are the Roomba’s any good?

Do you have one? Do they really work? Do the batteries run out?

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Why do companies NOT put the Model # of their product?

on their product? To find out my work cell phone is a Treo 700, I must pull the battery. My Roomba vacuum doesn’t seem to have it anywhere.

Can anyone explain this?

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Some clarification about the roomba vacuum?

Assuming money is no object, would you say that the roomba is worth it? My Mom has been wanting it for some time and I wanna get it for her since she’s always vacuuming and I gotta help her lol.

There’s a lot of furniture in my house so I’m not sure if it’ll really be efficient. The couches aren’t high enough so that it can just slide down there and clean so I’d have to move it back. Also the dining table has chairs are pushed in so I’d have to move the chairs back. Just stating some of this stuff just to determine if it’s worth it.

Which model is a good one? I’ve heard the 500s have a problem with the side brush.
Also, do the vacuums die easily? I’ve read that they can just die after a year or so. When they die can they be fixed with just a new battery?

Thanks.

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Want to make battery charger-Need help.?

My mother bought home a small automated vacum cleaner “irobot” but the person who gave it to her did not find the charger for it. on the battery it says the following. :
“Use only with Roomba charger or rapid charger at room temperature: 10-40C.,,,, 14.4V Nickel Metal Hydride battery pack.”

I would like to make a charger for it, but not sure where to start. If anyone could provide a schematic for an idea or some good pointers i would apriciate it. Thanks.

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10 PTS!?! Roomba Robot Vacuum Question PLEASE HELP!?

I bought a roomba 530 and pluged the dock in and let it charge. It charged overnight but the battery only lasts no more than 43 min and it does not return to the base. It should last 1.5 to 2 hours. It seems like the run time is improving SLOWLY every time it charges. It went from 20 min to 43 min after 5 or so recharge cycles, but still doesnt return to the base (or seem to want to). Any ideas?

Thanks!! Any comments are greatly appreciated!
Oh, and it only wants to charge for about 1 hour max, when it should take 3. Then the ‘green’ light comes on indicating it is fully charged.

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Roomba 530 keeps on backing up slightly to the right?

My Roomba is 100 days old or so (just missed the 90 day warranty because it is remanufactured..sigh) and recently it’s stopped going straight. Even when there’s no obstacles, it will start backing up and turn to the right sightly every time.
I’ve tried soft reset (dock + spot), tried hard reset (taken out the battery and back in) with the same problem. I’m not sure if it’s the left wheel since there’s no reason for it to go BACKWARDS..so I suspect the left sensor may be constantly sensing something…but I can’t open it up enough to tell..any ideas??

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How durable is the roomba 560?

although this question is a few days too late… we just ordered a roomba 560 from HSN.com, and am curioius about how reliable they are when put into a daily use work cycle on hardwood floors.

Our dog is a 130 pound great pyrenees and sheds a lot, and it gets exhausting trying to keep up with the “cody puffs” that float around on the floor. Upright vacs tend to blow them around, our dustbuster battery is dying after several months of daily use, so the roomba has been a last resort to keep the fur under control.

Is a daily work cycle too much for the roomba to handle? We got an extended warranty on it, but I expect we’ll be replacing the battery and corner brushes fairly frequently.

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