My mom loves her Roomba (see my review at http://www.epinions.com/content_105823047300 but after using it for awhile she discovered that she needed it to work longer hours. First came the Roomba Fast Charger (here’s my review: http://www.epinions.com/content_110832225924) then a second battery. While the original battery could do her great room and kitchen, it was fully discharged by the time it finished. Her long pile carpet and grand size was all it could handle. However, she had three bedrooms, two bathrooms and an entryway to do as well. She could have vacuumed every other day, but living at the ocean that wasn’t enough. Especially since the Roomba isn’t a deep-cleaning machine—it needed to be done daily to keep up.
The fast charger is great—it charges the battery in 2-1/2 hours instead of 11-14 hours, but for the ultimate in cleaning power, an extra battery adds more choices in cleaning. If I could only choose a rapid charger or an extra battery, I would by the rapid charger.

This battery is compatible with the Roomba, Roomba Pro, and Roomba Pro Elite. It’s a NiHM (Nickel-metal-hydride) Rechargeable Battery. You can’t overcharge this battery if you use the Roomba charger—it automatically turns off when the charging is complete. In fact, if you leave it in the charger the battery’s charge is maintained.

The NiMH batter is supposed to last for hundreds of cycles of use, however, over time it will start to require more frequent recharging. This is the same for all NiMH batteries (like cell phones, cordless power tools, etc).

There are things you can do to extend the life of your Roomba battery :

Frequent use - Rechargeable nickel-based batteries do best when used frequently. The worst thing for batteries like these is tuck them away and forget about them.

Keep the brushes clean - Keep your Roomba’s brushes and brush axels free of hair and other yuck. If you don’t, the Roomba will have to work harder to keep the brushes spinning—this will deplete the battery faster and eventually could cause damage to the battery.

Occasionally drain the battery completely - About once a week, run your Roomba until the battery is completely drained and then give it a full charge. This is recommended by iRobot but most people will say it’s not necessary. I tend to go with the manufacturer’s recommendation so I’ve trained my mom to do it this way. So far, she’s had exactly the battery life promised.

Keep the battery charged - If you use the standard charger leave it plugged in all the time Roomba is not being used. If you use the rapid charger, leave the battery in the rapid charger until needed.

Long-term storage - If you will not be using Roomba for an extended period of time (more than a few weeks) it is best to fully charge the battery and then remove and store it separately. When you return, recharge the battery, and then run it to exhaustion. The first few times you use it you may not get normal run times, but it will recover quickly if used regularly. Do not leave the battery in Roomba for extended periods of time when not connected to a charger because Roomba draws a slight current even when turned off. If left this way for more than a week the battery can run down. If left this way for many weeks, the battery can be damaged but removing the battery from the unit will prevent this. Never leave the battery sitting in the Rapid Charger with the Rapid Charger not plugged in to the wall.

DISPOSAL
Eventually you will have to part with your battery. The NiMH battery is disposable and won’t harm the environment. Before tossing, try one more time to give it a charge to be sure you’re just not experiencing a temporary problem.


Recommended: Yes