She Bought a Roomba What do I Need to know?

Forums › Gadgets, robotics, home automation, electronics (including wearables) › She Bought a Roomba What do I Need to know?

MikeAqua

8024 posts

Uber Geek
+1 received by user: 3818

#306239 6-Jul-2023 14:00

Long story short, my SO unilaterally purchased a Roomba with mopping function. C755800 Model. It arrives tomorrow.

I'm the most technically minded of the two of us, so it will be my problem.

I'd appreciate any bullet point type advice on Roomba ownership - do's, dont's, watch-out's worthwhile accessories etc.

I'll do a bunch more reading next. For now just after Exec Sum if possible.

Mike

1 | 2

3566 posts

Uber Geek
+1 received by user: 1519

Trusted

#3100609 6-Jul-2023 14:11

Remove all cables and other entanglements from the floor prior to pressing go. Make extra specially double sure that there is no poop on the floor prior to pressing go. Twitter and Youtube are littered with examples of the latter.

We have had a couple of non-Roomba branded options. Generally, they are a brilliant tool and couldn't imagine going back to regular manual cleaning day to day. Every now and then you will need to do a "proper" vacuum but I'm amazed at how much general debris and pet fur they collect for next to no effort.

SATTV

1670 posts

Uber Geek
+1 received by user: 658

ID Verified

#3100624 6-Jul-2023 14:17

Richardo ( Our Roomba ) loves to explore even though we have told him not to.

If we dont close the back door we can find him on the back deck "exploring"

Richardo loves cables and eats them with pleasure, especially chargers and headphones so make sure there is nothing in the way, he also loves getting stuck under the bed or under the couch.

John

I know enough to be dangerous

paulgr

1132 posts

Uber Geek
+1 received by user: 71

#3100625 6-Jul-2023 14:20

Can be a tripping hazard for some people.
My niece had her earbuds in so she didn't hear it sneaking up behind her and tripped over it.

cddt

1967 posts

Uber Geek
+1 received by user: 1904

#3100655 6-Jul-2023 16:02

Are they strong enough to handle a toddler sitting on them? There's no way my kids won't try to take a ride...

jonathan18

7415 posts

Uber Geek
+1 received by user: 2850

ID Verified

Trusted

#3100661 6-Jul-2023 16:14

cddt:

Are they strong enough to handle a toddler sitting on them? There's no way my kids won't try to take a ride...

Depending on size, should be fine!

timmmay

20858 posts

Uber Geek
+1 received by user: 5350

Trusted

Lifetime subscriber

#3100678 6-Jul-2023 17:35

Also be wary of mats, bean bags, anything on the floor that could be pulled into a vacuum. Robot vacuums are great. That's a good brand too.

New World

Shop on-line at New World now for your groceries (affiliate link).

Senecio

2853 posts

Uber Geek
+1 received by user: 3163

ID Verified

Lifetime subscriber

#3100734 6-Jul-2023 19:40

Get a beer from the fridge and put your feet up while the Roomba does the work for you.

Handle9

11925 posts

Uber Geek
+1 received by user: 9675

Trusted

Lifetime subscriber

#3100775 6-Jul-2023 22:07

There's a pretty good video showing the pros and cons vs other similarly featured robot vacs here:

Edit: I'd posted the wrong video.

Bung

6733 posts

Uber Geek
+1 received by user: 2926

Subscriber

#3100783 6-Jul-2023 22:38

Senecio:
Get a beer from the fridge and put your feet up while the Roomba does the work for you.

How could you enjoy a beer while anyone or anything is vacuuming?

neb

11294 posts

Uber Geek
+1 received by user: 10018

Trusted

Lifetime subscriber

#3100812 6-Jul-2023 23:49

Set up a line of credit for your cat so it can pay for its new cat Uber.

Ge0rge

2114 posts

Uber Geek
+1 received by user: 2060

Trusted

Lifetime subscriber

#3100813 6-Jul-2023 23:50

Bung:
Senecio:
Get a beer from the fridge and put your feet up while the Roomba does the work for you.

How could you enjoy a beer while anyone or anything is vacuuming?

Because you're outside relaxing, while chores are being done inside.

AliExpress

Shop now on AliExpress (affiliate link).

Tinkerisk

4798 posts

Uber Geek
+1 received by user: 3660

#3100819 7-Jul-2023 01:42

Never confine the cat with the Roomba in a room without a litter box!

- NET: FTTH & VDSL, OPNsense, 10G backbone, GWN APs
- SRV: 12 RU HA server cluster, 0.1 PB storage on premise
- IoT: thread, zigbee, tasmota, BidCoS, LoRa, WX suite, IR
- 3D: two 3D printers, 3D scanner, CNC router, laser cutter

MikeAqua

8024 posts

Uber Geek
+1 received by user: 3818

#3100925 7-Jul-2023 12:34

Thanks for the replies. No pets at our house. The kids are too old to crap on the floor and myself and my SO are too young. We should be good on the faeces front.

However, a good cable tidy up will be essential. Especially under the office desk.

Mike

jonathan18

7415 posts

Uber Geek
+1 received by user: 2850

ID Verified

Trusted

#3100930 7-Jul-2023 12:47

MikeAqua:

However, a good cable tidy up will be essential. Especially under the office desk.

That said, there's typically the ability to create 'no-go' zones around such spaces; IME from running a robot vacuum for a number of years, it's safer to go with a mixture of both cable tidy up/management AND such zones, even if it's just blocking off a small strip under the desk. The risks may not be as great for you, but with two teen/tweenage boys it's been critical for us! (These no-go zones are also good for managing other weird areas such as fire surrounds - our cleaner otherwise wants to climb the surround, I assume because the LIDAR sits higher than the surround.)

Bananabob

512 posts

Ultimate Geek
+1 received by user: 119

ID Verified

Trusted

#3101431 8-Jul-2023 18:17

Just be careful of your paint work!

Rogue robotic vacuum cleaner causes $3.5k worth of damage, tribunal hears

A woman has successfully sued a retailer after her robotic vacuum caused $3500 worth of damage to her home.

The rogue vacuum started experiencing "navigation problems" within a year and started crashing into obstacles, failing to pick up debris and missing sections of the floor.

According to her claim to the Disputes Tribunal the vacuum caused $3500 worth of damage to her skirting boards and front door.

https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/national/493409/rogue-robotic-vacuum-cleaner-causes-3-point-5k-worth-of-damage-tribunal-hears

1 | 2