Will Your Roomba Fall Down The Stairs?

will-your-roomba-fall-down-the-stairs

Will your Roomba fall down the stairs? It’s a rare thing but I can teach you how to prevent automated cleaning accidents. 

The iRobot Roomba vacuum cleaners and the Braava mops perform automated cleaning duties you perhaps find mundane or time-consuming. I admit to one frustration, however, and I’m not the only one. It sometimes does fall downstairs, but you can prevent it from happening at least most of the time.

Why Does The Roomba Fall Downstairs?

Roomba falls happen for one of several reasons, such as no battery power left and misconfigured or no Wi-Fi connection. Otherwise, maybe someone accidentally bumped your robot cleaner, which set its switch to the “off” position. Although you might not always stop your device from taking a tumble down the steps, you can reduce instances to almost zero for sure.

How to Prevent Roomba From Falling Downstairs

Keep in mind you may not always need an Internet connection to use your Roomba or Braava. However, these steps do decrease the chances of falls while connected to Wi-Fi during the initial device setup stages.

1. Check Wi-Fi signal Strength

Keep in mind that a timed-out Internet connection could cause a device to fall if it ends up near the stairs when suddenly disconnected. To correct this issue, set it as close as possible to your router or modem. Perhaps test it a few times to see if it will clean on an upper floor near steps without losing control and ending up at the bottom of the stairs.

2. Remove Obstacles Away From Charging Station 

Will Your Roomba Fall Down The Stairs - Hand holding a remote controlling the robot cleaner
Clean up at least a few feet from your robot cleaner’s charging station to avoid accidental collisions

Free up at least a few feet of space surrounding your robot cleaner’s charging station and the path you desire it to take. This will prevent an accidental collision that could send it flying over a railing or down the stairs to a lower level.

3. Don’t Start Roomba Near Stairs

I’ve learned to start the Roomba at least about four feet away from the stairs. This will give it time to cycle around the upper floor I want to clean, but it will still come as close as possible to the edge of the steps.

4. Double-check Charging Status 

Sometimes, it just helps to make sure it’s turned on. Likewise, confirm that the unit does indicate that it’s charging. If you haven’t done so already, plug in the device’s charging station and double-check the power status after about two hours. This prevents falls downstairs because a robot cleaner with a full battery won’t die mid-cycle while trying to vacuum or mop.

5. Check Connectivity Capabilities 

A Roomba vacuum cleaner
Always check the connectivity capabilities of your Roomba vacuum cleaner

Some devices will not operate on a 5G Internet network. If you cannot seem to get your device to work, or it has already fallen down the steps, find out if the Internet connection timed out. In some cases, the signal might not be the problem. Some iRobots just work better on the 2G instead of the 5G speed. Check your Roomba or Braava manual for more information.

6. Connect Smartphone To Same Network

Having your smartphone on the same network as your Roomba will help you communicate with it remotely. The same applies to the Brava. When the two use the same Wi-Fi, it provides you with an easy way to stop your cleaning device if you feel the need.

Additional Steps to Prevent Roomba Falls

Sometimes, you need to clean your device’s proximity and cliff sensors. In addition, you could place a blockade at the top of the steps temporarily to stop it from falling during the initial setup stages. This will “train” your Roomba or Braava accordingly. Installing a Virtual Wall Barrier might also help. If all else fails, try remapping it and see what happens.