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Roomba have two bases? The Roomba robot vacuum and its home base work together as a team. When the vacuum’s battery runs low, the home base is there for it to dock with and recharge. But can your Roomba work with more than one home base?
Yes, your Roomba robot vacuum can work perfectly with two home bases. But, of course, that’s only possible if both home bases are compatible with the Roomba. The Roomba will search for and dock with the nearest home base when it needs to recharge. Having two home bases is helpful if you’re cleaning an extra-large area, on multiple floors, or in an exceptionally dirty space.
This guide will help you understand how Roomba robot vacuums work with two or more home bases. You’ll also discover how two home bases can benefit you and how to place them optimally.
Can You Have Two Home Bases For Roomba?
Yes, you can use your Roomba with two home bases. You don’t have to worry about any additional setup or installation steps to do so.
A Roomba will automatically seek the closest home base when it needs to dock and recharge.
Of course, the robot vacuum will first try to find its way back to the home base it came from. But if it doesn’t have enough battery power to travel there, it’ll sense a closer home base instead.
The same is also true if you plan on using more than two home bases. For example, let’s say you have a huge open space for your Roomba to clean. In that case, the robot vacuum will work more efficiently if two or more home bases are spread throughout the area.
Read: Can Roomba Do Multiple Floors?
Why Would You Have Two Home Bases For A Roomba?
Your Roomba robot vacuum will work perfectly well with just one home base. However, setting up two or more bases where the robot vacuum can dock has some undeniable benefits.
For example, you might have a huge area to cover, multiple floors, or an exceptionally dusty and dirty space to clean.
Let’s take a closer look at how an extra home base will benefit you in each of those scenarios.
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Large Area
A Roomba robot vacuum can clean for at least one hour on a fully-charged battery. That’s typically enough time for the device to clean an average-sized home once over.
However, suppose you’re using the Roomba in a very large area. In that case, it’ll likely need to recharge halfway through its cleaning cycle.
That’s where an additional home base can come in handy. Instead of the device having to travel back to its originating point, it can dock with a much closer home base and recharge there instead.
The sooner it recharges, the quicker it can complete its cleaning cycle.
Read: Roomba Flashing Red Trash Can. How To Clean?
Multiple Floors
Roomba robot vacuums are capable of cleaning multiple floors in a home or building. Of course, you’ll have to move it between floors manually. Still, the device will map and clean any unfamiliar floor automatically.
Instead of moving the home base to a new floor along with the Roomba, a more practical solution is to use an extra base instead. That way, the Roomba can clean and recharge without any input from you.
Once the area is clean, you only have to move the Roomba to its next floor.
Exceptionally Dirty Space (Roomba have two bases)
Having a different home base, especially one with automatic dirt disposal features, is also incredibly helpful. That’s particularly true if you’re using the Roomba in an exceptionally dirty space, like on a floor that’s being renovated.
Under those conditions, the Roomba’s onboard dustbin will fill up very quickly. So, having a different home base that can empty the bin automatically will be of great use to you.
Read: Roomba Docking Station Not Working – Troubleshooting Guide
Where Should You Place Your Two Roomba Home Bases?
Having two home bases for your Roomba will help the device operate more efficiently. However, that’s only possible if you place the home bases in the correct locations.
So, here’s how you should ideally place the two Roomba home bases:
- Open area: First and foremost, any Roomba home base that you have must be placed in an open area. There should not be any clutter or obstacles within a few feet of the base in any direction. Then, your Roomba can find and dock at the home base without any problems.
- Away from staircases: Next, keep your Roomba home bases away from any staircases. Yes, your Roomba’s cliff sensors will typically prevent it from going over a set of stairs. However, the Roomba will move around to align itself with the home base when docking. As a result, the Roomba might fall over if the home base is too close to a staircase.
- At opposite ends of the space: Your Roomba home bases shouldn’t be too close to each other. Instead, you should place them at opposite ends of an area (such as a floor). Then, the Roomba can search for the closest one to dock with when it needs to recharge.
- On multiple floors: When you’re using a Roomba to clean multiple floors, it’s best to place a home base on each floor. That way, all you’ll have to do is carry the Roomba to the next floor it needs to clean without worrying about recharging the device.
Once you’ve placed the two Roomba home bases correctly, be sure to plug them into the nearest wall socket. Then, give your Roomba some time to map the floor and learn the locations of those two home bases.
The Roomba might seem a little lost at first, but it’ll continue learning the layout and will be using both home bases soon enough.
Are Roomba Home Bases Universal?
No, not all Roomba home bases are universal. So, for example, a newer model Roomba robot vacuum can’t dock and recharge with older-generation home bases because of compatibility issues.
More specifically, there are compatibility issues surrounding the home base’s design, battery type, and automatic dirt disposal capability.
Read: IRobot Roomba Cant Find Home Base/Dock – Troubleshooting Guide
Design Compatibility
Firstly, there’s the problem of design. The charging contacts on some older home bases might not align perfectly with the ones on your Roomba. As a result, the device can’t charge with that home base.
Battery Type Compatibility
Besides that, there’s also the issue of battery types. Older Roomba models used nickel-metal hydride (NiMH) batteries, while newer ones rely on lithium-ion (Li-ion) batteries instead. Each battery type requires a compatible home base for recharging.
Automatic Dirt Disposal Compatibility
Lastly, not all Roomba models are compatible with the Clean Base, which offers automatic dirt disposal. So, if you plan on investing in a Clean Base, be sure to confirm that your Roomba model is compatible.
Read: IRobot Roomba Can’t Connect To WiFi – Troubleshooting Guide
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Here are a few more questions and answers about Roomba home bases that you’ll find helpful:
What Happens If You Move A Roomba Home Base?
When you move a Roomba home base, the robot vacuum will eventually find it automatically. Sure, the Roomba might need time to map the room and sense the home base’s new location, but you do not have to interfere in any way. The Roomba will search for the dock by itself.
Can You Use A Roomba On Two Different Floors?
Yes, you can use a Roomba on two different floors. However, you must carry the Roomba to the new floor as it cannot climb staircases by itself. You can make the process more efficient by ensuring both floors have working Roomba home bases.
Can Two Roombas Share A Clean Base?
Yes, two Roombas can share a clean base, as long as they’re both compatible with the base. For example, suppose the Roomba senses that the Clean Base is occupied by another unit. In that case, it will likely try to find another home base to dock with before returning.
How Does Roomba Know Where Home Base Is?
There are two ways that a Roomba navigates toward its home base. Firstly, the Roomba remembers its movements from the start of a cleaning cycle. That way, it can trace its steps back to the home base that it came from. Besides that, Roomba home bases emit infrared signals that help the Roomba find and dock with it.
How Long Does Roomba Run Before Returning To Base?
A Roomba typically runs for about 2 hours before it needs to recharge. When that happens, it’ll find its way back to the home base that it started from. However, if the home base is too far and the Roomba senses a closer second home base, it’ll dock and recharge there instead.
