Help a Roomba find and dock on its Home Base
Prove dock power, restore the infrared approach path, clean contacts, and run a six-foot return test before moving the base or blaming the battery.
Direct answer
The shortest reliable path.
Keep the Home Base powered, level, against a wall, and clear in front. If the robot was picked up during a mission, place it within 6 ft (1.8 m) facing the dock for the test. Keep other docks or Virtual Wall barriers at least 8 ft (2.4–2.5 m) away, remove anything covering the robot bumper or dock window, and clean both charging contacts with lightly dampened melamine foam. Clear the previous job, send the robot home, and contact iRobot if it still cannot dock.
Official visual references
Match what you see before you act.
These visuals are tied to the cited support pages. Read each model scope and observation before using it as a match.
Home Base clearance reference
The official placement drawing shows the dock against a wall with an unobstructed approach; use the written measurements for exact clearance.
- Look for
- Look for furniture, cords, stairs, or angled flooring that interrupts the straight approach in front of the dock.
- Applies to
- Roomba Home Base placement guidance; confirm the exact dock manual when its supplied instructions differ.
System view
Check the whole path.
- 01Home command
- 02Robot position memory
- 03Dock infrared signal
- 04Clear approach
- 05Charging-contact alignment
Scope before steps.
Roomba models that do not return to or align with a powered Home Base, Clean Base, or compatible Home Dock after a mission or Home command.
A robot that reaches the dock but will not charge, LiDAR-specific Error 1010, physical base repair, or mapping every model’s maximum cleaning area.
Procedure
Do this in order.
- 01
Prove dock power
Unplug and firmly reseat the line cord at the dock and outlet. Place the robot on the contacts and look for the normal brief dock light or robot charging response for the model.
- 02
Rebuild the approach zone
Put the dock on a hard, level surface against a wall with about 4 ft (1.2 m) clear in front and from stairs, and about 8 ft (2.4–2.5 m) from other docks or Virtual Wall barriers.
- 03
Clean the signal and contact surfaces
Remove stickers, tape, paint, and debris from the robot bumper and dock window. Clean robot and dock charging contacts with lightly dampened melamine foam.
- 04
Run the six-foot test
Clear the previous cleaning job, place the robot about 6 ft (1.8 m) in front of and facing the dock, then use the robot or app Home command for the exact model.
- 05
Relocate only after the controlled test
If the robot still fails and the original position has direct sunlight, interference, or poor clearance, move the powered dock to another supported wall position and repeat once.
Diagnostic matrix
Read the result, not the guess.
| What you see | Check next | What it means |
|---|---|---|
| The robot docks from 6 ft but not after a full mission | Confirm it starts from the dock, is not picked up, and the mission area is within the model’s supported behavior. | The local dock path works; navigation context or mission range is the remaining branch. |
| The robot reaches the dock but repeatedly backs away | Recheck level placement, bumper and dock windows, tray, and charging contacts. | Final alignment or contact detection is failing after the dock was found. |
| The robot docks but does not charge | Switch to the dedicated Roomba charging guide. | Navigation succeeded; the fault is now in the charging path. |
Stop conditions
Know when not to keep changing things.
- Do not place the dock close to stairs, at an angle, on an unstable surface, or where its cord creates a trip hazard.
- Do not cover or paint the robot bumper or dock signal window.
- Contact iRobot if a powered, clean, correctly placed dock still fails the controlled six-foot return test.