Going on vacation but worried about leaving your Roomba home alone? Putting your robot vacuum in vacation mode is an easy way to save battery life and prevent any issues while you’re away. This comprehensive guide will walk you through everything you need to know about using Roomba’s vacation or standby mode.
Key points:
- Vacation mode conserves battery life by powering down the Roomba
- The robot should be fully charged before activating this mode
- It’s done by holding down the Spot Clean button on the unit itself
- Vacation mode works for all Roomba models, including the i7 and s9
Whether you’ll be gone for a long weekend or a month, vacation mode gives you peace of mind that your Roomba will be ready to get back to vacuuming when you return. Read on for step-by-step instructions and pro tips for this useful feature!
What is Vacation Mode?
Vacation mode, also known as standby mode, is a built-in Roomba feature that powers down the robot vacuum in order to conserve battery charge.
When vacation mode is activated, the Roomba will turn off all power to its internal components and motors. It enters a low-power standby state, just like putting a computer into sleep mode. This prevents the battery from draining over time.
The key benefit of vacation mode is that it saves your Roomba’s battery life while you’re away. Rather than fully depleting the battery after multiple cleaning cycles, the robot will maintain most of its charge in standby mode.
This gives you peace of mind that your Roomba will be ready to get back to vacuuming as soon as you return from your trip. You don’t have to worry about coming home to a robot with a dead battery.
Vacation mode works for all Roomba models, including the latest i7 and s9 robots. It’s a standard feature that Roomba has offered for years to simplify travel and conserve battery.
When Should You Use Vacation Mode?
Vacation mode is ideal to use anytime you’ll be away from home for an extended period, such as:
- Vacations or work trips lasting 1 week or longer
- Holiday travel where you’ll be gone for several days
- Quick getaways for a long weekend or trip out of town
The longer you’ll be away, the more useful it is to conserve Roomba’s battery in this mode. However, it can be utilized even for shorter 1-3 day trips.
Vacation mode isn’t necessary if you’re just leaving for the day or will be gone overnight. The Roomba will automatically dock and recharge itself as needed.
But for multi-day and weeklong-plus trips, vacation mode provides battery savings. It prevents Roomba from repeatedly running cleaning cycles and draining its battery while you’re away.
How to Activate Vacation Mode
Activating vacation mode is simple and takes just a few steps. Here is the full process:
1. Fully charge your Roomba
Before entering vacation mode, the robot’s battery should be fully charged. Place the Roomba on its charging base and allow it to charge completely, until the indicator light shows a solid green.
This ensures Roomba has a full battery that will remain conserved throughout your entire trip while it’s powered down.
2. Hold down the Spot Clean button
Once fully charged, pick up your Roomba and hold down the round Spot Clean button on the top center of the device.
Keep holding this button for 10-15 seconds. You’ll hear Roomba beep after several seconds to indicate vacation mode has been activated.
3. Confirm the mode change
Check that your Roomba’s indicator lights turn off completely, showing it has entered vacation mode and powered down. The lights will not be illuminated at all.
If the lights stay on, the unit did not enter vacation mode successfully. Try holding the Spot Clean button down longer.
Once the lights turn off and remain off, vacation mode is engaged and you’re all set!
Tips for Using Vacation Mode Effectively
Follow these tips to get the most out of using Roomba’s battery-saving vacation mode:
- Remember to reactivate your Roomba when you return – Vacation mode will make the robot inactive, so you’ll need to press Clean to turn it back on.
- Check the battery level – Make sure Roomba has at least a 50% charge before using vacation mode for very long trips.
- Avoid direct sunlight – Don’t store Roomba in hot, sunny areas which can damage the battery over time.
- Let the robot fully recharge once home – After a long vacation, allow Roomba to fully recharge before your next cleaning job.
- Set a schedule – Use Roomba’s app to set a cleaning schedule ahead of time so it resumes vacuuming automatically after your trip.
Vacation Mode vs. Manually Powering Off
Along with vacation mode, you also have the option to completely power off your Roomba before a trip. However, there are some advantages to using the dedicated vacation mode instead:
| Benefit | Vacation Mode | Power Off |
|---|---|---|
| Saves battery charge | Yes | No – battery still slowly drains |
| Automatic power on | Yes | No – must manually turn on |
| Easy activation | Press 1 button | Hold power button to fully shut down |
| Maintains clock/schedule | Yes | Loses settings and schedule |
As you can see, vacation mode provides better battery preservation and seamless operation when you return from your trip. Manually powering off the Roomba requires resetting the clock and your cleaning schedule.
Overall, vacation mode is the recommended way to put your robot on standby for travel. It offers the best performance and convenience.
Troubleshooting Vacation Mode
Having issues getting your Roomba into vacation mode? Here are some troubleshooting tips:
- Hold the Spot Clean button longer – Make sure to hold it down for 10+ seconds until the robot powers down.
- Check the battery level – Vacation mode may not activate if Roomba has a very low battery. Fully recharge it first.
- Press firmly – Don’t just tap the button; hold it down with steady pressure.
- Clean the button area – Remove any debris/dirt buildup around the button.
- Restart your Roomba – Soft reset the robot by holding down the power button. Then try vacation mode again.
- Contact support – If issues persist, reach out to Roomba customer support for further help.
With some patience and testing, you should be able to successfully activate vacation mode on your robot. But don’t hesitate to contact Roomba support if you continue having trouble.
Conclusion
Going on vacation doesn’t have to mean coming home to a Roomba with a dead battery. Using the handy built-in vacation or standby mode will keep your robot powered down and conserving energy while you’re away.
To recap, be sure your Roomba is fully charged, hold down the Spot Clean button for 10+ seconds until the lights turn off, and check that it powered down completely. Enjoy your relaxing trip knowing your robot will be ready to get back to vacuuming when you return!
Vacation mode is easy to use, works for all Roomba models, and provides peace of mind that your robot won’t run nonstop. Combine it with scheduling cleaning cycles and your Roomba will resume operations like normal once you come back.
So don’t hesitate to put your Roomba in vacation mode next time you take an extended trip. Both you and your robot vacuum will benefit!
Citations: [1] https://homesupport.irobot.com/s/article/10221 [2] https://www.bestbuy.com/site/questions/irobot-roomba-960-wi-fi-connected-robot-vacuum-gray/5484900/question/106c0f90-fd00-3cb3-88a1-8f4067997bb3 [3] https://iroboroomba.com/how-to-turn-off-roomba-i7-to-save-battery/ [4] https://www.reddit.com/r/roomba/comments/at76f7/is_there_a_suspend_mode_for_roomba/ [5] https://www.wikihow.com/Turn-Off-Roomba-I7-to-Save-Battery [6] https://www.cnet.com/home/kitchen-and-household/how-to-maximize-your-roombas-battery-life/
