IMPORTANT: SCOOBA BATTERY AND CHARGING

The very latest news and updates for the iRobot Roomba robotic vacuum, the Scooba Robotic Washer and the Dirt Dog workshop sweeper. All discussion and troubleshooting questions go here.
stevematlbch
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Re: IMPORTANT: SCOOBA BATTERY AND CHARGING

Post by stevematlbch »

Hi

I'm not having much luck with my scooba because my main floor is somewhat coarse tile, and I'm only getting back about 6 - 7 oz of dirty water on a mission. That is just not doing it for me, I bought it from Hammacher and I believe I'm sending it back.

I have a li-ion very recently obtained from Vic, and this will be (or currently is I guess) for sale. Also i have an external (brick) charger. I was going to post these real soon, but, PM me if you have any interest, maybe we both save some time on this.

Steve
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Re: IMPORTANT: SCOOBA BATTERY AND CHARGING

Post by debugger »

stevematlbch wrote:I'm only getting back about 6 - 7 oz of dirty water on a mission.
The amount of dirty water you get back is not necessarily a measure of how good the Scooba is doing it's job - it very much depends on the surface you are cleaning (eg. whether it is porous or not).

The real test is:

1. Is all the clean water being used up?
2. Is the floor reasonably dry at the end of the run? - you can't expect it to be completely dry, but on the other hand it shouldn't be sodden wet!
3. Is the floor clean at the end of the run?
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mfortuna
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Re: IMPORTANT: SCOOBA BATTERY AND CHARGING

Post by mfortuna »

My wife had a floor washer that is basically a manual version of the scooba with the added advantage of a more powerful 120VAC motor. It dispenses liquid, has a rotating brush, and a vacuum. It picked up less than half the fluid dispensed.

If you use a mop you will push dirty water around.

So there seems to be no way of getting a perfectly clean floor. I'm happy with the way my scooba works.
Mike
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Krillo
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Re: IMPORTANT: SCOOBA BATTERY AND CHARGING

Post by Krillo »

So, I got my third Scooba back from in-warranty exchange. I have been reading this entire thread and I have to say its still confusing. WIth the new firmware, post OSMO or newer robot I gathered that it was ok to leave the battery in the robot even after full charge. But later in the post Vic suggests again to charge until full and then remove.

I can't even start to explain how annoying that is. NiMH's loose charge over time when not used as most are aware of here.

My replacement is a JEN05816070511XXXXXXX so it should have (maybe not the latest but) a modern firmware with fixed charging routines?

So definitive answer?

A. Charge for full 3-4 hours and remove (with refresh charge before next use)

-or-

B. Charge and let sit (in cool environment etc.etc.)

:shifty:
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mfortuna
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Re: IMPORTANT: SCOOBA BATTERY AND CHARGING

Post by mfortuna »

I left my battery charging in my Scooba (with the tank off) for a few days and kept monitoring the temperature. It never got warm except during the initial charge. It was never hot.
Mike
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Re: IMPORTANT: SCOOBA BATTERY AND CHARGING

Post by Krillo »

mfortuna wrote:I left my battery charging in my Scooba (with the tank off) for a few days and kept monitoring the temperature. It never got warm except during the initial charge. It was never hot.
So does that mean you go for option B?
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mfortuna
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Re: IMPORTANT: SCOOBA BATTERY AND CHARGING

Post by mfortuna »

I still go with option A. I don't mind charging the battery just before use. Maybe I will hook it up to my laptop and capture the charge info next time. That may lead me to use option B.

I monitored the temperature with a temp gun but not in a very scientific manner.
Mike
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debugger
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Re: IMPORTANT: SCOOBA BATTERY AND CHARGING

Post by debugger »

mfortuna wrote:I still go with option A. I don't mind charging the battery just before use. Maybe I will hook it up to my laptop and capture the charge info next time. That may lead me to use option B.

I monitored the temperature with a temp gun but not in a very scientific manner.
If you're sure you've got the fix then go for Option B - I could never get bothered with all this taking batteries in and out all the time!

The way to check, and I'm afraid it's not very scientific is to charge with the tank of and periodically feel the battery:

If it gets mildly warm during the main charge and becomes cool after a few hours then you've got the fix!

If it get's very hot (almost too hot to handle) and it's not cooled after a couple of hours then you got he unfixed code and you should obey all the rules relating to that
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Re: IMPORTANT: SCOOBA BATTERY AND CHARGING

Post by Krillo »

Latest from iRobot support:

"...All of the replacement robots that are sent from our warehouse are new robots with the newest updates to software.

The Scooba’s battery is designed to last for many charging cycles with proper care and maintenance.

We recommend using your Scooba frequently, at least once a week. If you are charging the battery in the Scooba, leave your Scooba plugged in and charging at all times. When charging the battery directly in the Scooba unit, be sure to leave the Tank open or off of the Scooba.

If you are charging the battery in the External Charging Base, please charge your Scooba's battery fully in the base, then remove the battery from the base and store it separately in a cool, dry place.

If you are not going to use Scooba for an extended time, charge the battery fully and then remove the battery from the Scooba and store it separately in a cool, dry place."
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shepherdess
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Re: IMPORTANT: SCOOBA BATTERY AND CHARGING

Post by shepherdess »

This is probably a dumb question, but how do you find out the exact manufacture date I see 2006 on the bottom of the Scooba? Also, what is the purpose of squirting the air into it? Thanks.
carolnfoster
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Re: IMPORTANT: SCOOBA BATTERY AND CHARGING

Post by carolnfoster »

I have a new scooba--less than a month old I think and have had no issues until last night. I run it at least once every 2 days sometimes daily. I plug it up to charge after every use and leave it plugged in to charge all the tiime when not in use. Last night it didn't do anything as if the battery was dead--after being plugged in the whole time between cleanings. I plugged it up again and the green light flashed as normal then went dark and the red service light came on. I tried a few times and the same thing happened.

It does have a lifetime warranty but I hate to be without the scooba while it is being shipped back out to me. What went wrong?
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vic7767
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Re: IMPORTANT: SCOOBA BATTERY AND CHARGING

Post by vic7767 »

That Red service light is an indication that there is an issue within the charging system of your Scooba. It would be best to either return it for another or contact iRobot for warranty support.
Jubo
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Re: IMPORTANT: SCOOBA BATTERY AND CHARGING

Post by Jubo »

I have encounter this red service light before with 3 beep. It turns out to be my charger, the green LED is gone.
rightmeow20
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Re: IMPORTANT: SCOOBA BATTERY AND CHARGING

Post by rightmeow20 »

I need some help here please. several people have discussed changing these scooba batteries to li-on. this was 20 years ago and these people who used to do this for us could be senile or dead. Please help pass on this knowledge to me so i can help others keep these scoobas alive.

i need to know how and exactly what to buy to convert an old pack to li-on the way these experts did in the past. if you know them please direct them here.

thanks
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CodaCM
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Re: IMPORTANT: SCOOBA BATTERY AND CHARGING

Post by CodaCM »

rightmeow20 wrote: February 3rd, 2025, 12:09 pm I need some help here please. several people have discussed changing these scooba batteries to li-on. this was 20 years ago and these people who used to do this for us could be senile or dead. Please help pass on this knowledge to me so i can help others keep these scoobas alive.

i need to know how and exactly what to buy to convert an old pack to li-on the way these experts did in the past. if you know them please direct them here.

thanks
To start off welcome to robotreviews!
Second it’s not super simple to just swap a battery to li-ion. The whole charging system would need to be modified as its setup to only charge NM-HI batteries. I recommend sticking to using NM-HI Scooba batteries. Sorry I can’t really be any more help.
CodaCM
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