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After 6 months with iRobot’s Roomba Vacuum Cleaner, the cleaning brushes stopped turning. Thankfully it’s under a 1-year limited warranty, but I discovered something they didn’t tell you about that will help extend the life of the vacuum.

Roomba Review: When I first reviewed the Roomba, I ripped the official video to shreds at times, but still gave it a thumbs up because of the price point.

A couple weeks after that review, the plastic ends of the bristle brush started melting, and the caps on the rubber brush were  becoming loose each time the Roomba would vacuum.  Then the spinning side brushes and the rolling wheel underneath the unit both slowed to a crawl. I felt like that was it–the lifespan of my Roomba was about to end, despite my persistence to clean it after every sweep of the apartment.  Once the main brushes stopped turning altogether, that’s when I made the call to Roomba support.

The support phone call took less than 10 minutes, and the first question they asked was the color of the cleaning head module.  I said it was red.  Then she took my address and said she would ship out a green module to replace the dead red one.  Super fast shipping! And 3 days later, I received the new module.

Part of replacing the module was removing the spinning side brushes. When I unscrewed it, there was a thick compact circle of dust and hair–looked like a big washer you would use with nuts and bolts.  I don’t ever remember the manual suggesting to remove and clean the spinning side brushes as part of regular maintenance.  Then out of curiosity, I pulled the rolling wheel off, and again, it was caked with hair and dust at the axle. So I popped the wheel off with a screwdriver.

photo photo2

You can see by the picture on the left how clogged and nasty the wheel was.  Again, nowhere in the manual does it state to clean this.

After the thorough cleaning, the replacement of the green module took a couple minutes.  BONUS: the replacement part comes with a new bristle brush and rubber brush!  The rolling wheel and spinning side brushes were put back, and the Roomba works like a charm!  I really missed it!

So 6 months into my ownership and 4 months after my first review, I’m still happy with the purchase, and even happier that iRobot’s limited warranty program works great.

Tips to walk away with:

  1. Clean the main brushes and empty the reservoir every day.
  2. Remove and clean the spinning side brushes and rolling wheel every month.
  3. Even if you have the slightest problem with the main brushes turning, call Roomba support and order the green module (only if it’s been less than a year since the original purchase).

iRobot Extras:
iRobot’s main support site:  Select your model, read the FAQs,  e-mail your questions.
Call an iRobot support specialist at 877-855-8593.
Check the best Roomba Vacuum Cleaner prices available online.