The company warns owners today that iRobot’s auto-emptying rhombus should be a time saver, but at least one model can be a headache. The company contacts those who have a sample of its robot vacuum cleaners and warns that a clean basic docking station can be “dangerous” in certain situations.
In collaboration with Rumba i7 + Robot, Europot introduced the Clean Basic Automatic Dirt Removal Docking Station in 2018. The robot recharged the vacuum and had a very large garbage bag in it: when the rumba was chopped, the collected dust and dirt was expelled from the robot so that it would be ready for the next scheduled cleaning. In the process, iRobot said owners could go for approximately thirty vacuum cycles without having to deal with themselves.
It proved to be a success, and used the Eurobot system on Rumba models, including the very affordable Rumba i3 +, which was introduced earlier this year.
Today, however, the company contacted the owners of the original Rumba i7 + Clean Base to report a potential problem. “We are aware that some Rumba I7 + clean base docking stations may be at risk of malfunctioning if fluids are collected by the Rumba I7 + robot vacuum and deposited into a clean base unit,” the email reads. “Our vacuums are only designed to clean dirt and debris from dry floors and carpets, and they should never be used to pick up liquids.”
This issue only affects the clean base docking station, Eurobot insists, not the robot vacuum cleaner. This is limited to some clean base units for the Rumba i7 +, not other Rumba models.
Victims are directed to fill out a service form with their serial number and address; If you registered your new room when you first set it up, or you can visit it Support page Fill in directly and details. If you qualify, it looks like Europot will send an alternative power cord. The company says it should take 7-10 days to deliver. There are no guidelines on whether it is safe to continue to use a clean base docking station, although robotic vacuum circuits ensure that water is everywhere – as in bathrooms and kitchens – which seems like prudent precaution.
