Roomba helps in making our everyday home cleaning tasks easy. I used to wonder how to get my Roomba working on multiple floors. You are probably asking yourself the same question: Can you use Roomba on multiple floors?
Yes, you can use Roomba on multiple floors. Roomba needs your help to get from floor to floor as it can’t navigate its way down or up the stairs. Depending on your model, Roombas can store up to 10 floor maps, making it easy for you to move them from one floor to another. You don’t need a Roomba for each floor; one is enough.
This guide walks you through the necessary steps to use your Roomba on multiple floors.
Can You Use Roomba on Multiple Floors?
Roomba can work on multiple floors in your house, each at a time. If you live in a multi-story building, you must manually move the Roomba to the new floor as it can’t move up and down the staircase.
If you are like me, cleaning a multi-floor house is a hustle. We all would love to delegate the duty to Roomba, saving us time and energy for other activities.
Roomba will map and clean different floors without a big fuss. The only catch is how Roomba move from floor to floor.
You must move your Roomba to the new floor and start there. Start your Roomba by pressing the “CLEAN” button or through your iRobot HOME app. Roomba tries to return to its base when it’s done with cleaning or running on a low battery. Therefore, moving its docking base to the new floor is essential.
Alternatively, you’ll need to manually fetch the Roomba and return it to its home base. You can opt for a second home base if your second floor is significantly big. Roomba will automatically find it on the new floor.
Do You Need a Roomba for Each Floor?
You don’t necessarily need a Roomba for each floor. Roomba’s newest models can map up to 10 different floors and store them. You simply take your Roomba to the new floor and start it.
If the Roomba has never been to that floor before, it will recognize it (After all, it’s a smart device). Roomba will start mapping the new floor. Give your Roomba a couple of attempts, and it will finally have a complete map of your new floor.
You can even use your Roomba in different homes if you own more than one home. With a good setup, your Roomba will yield a good investment return.
Can You Use the Same Roomba Upstairs and Downstairs?
Yes, I use my Roomba for both upstairs and downstairs. Roomba works just fine and quickly adapts to changes in floor setups.
Take your Roomba and place it on the other floor, and start it. Roomba cleans the new floor and returns to its original position on completion or when the battery drains.
It’s essential to relocate its docking base to the downstairs or upstairs. Starting Roomba from its dock on the respective floor gives it a “Home” to return to. This begs the question, will Roomba fall down the stairs?
Can I Use Roomba on Two Floors?
Yes, you can use your Roomba on two floors. The latest Roomba models can map up to 10 floors. Move your Roomba to the second floor and start it to begin a cleaning job.
You simply pick it up, move it to the new floor, and start it. If you haven’t used your Roomba on that floor before, Roomba will map the floor when you send it on a cleaning job.
You can choose a day for each of your floors. Schedule it to clean on the day and time you want per the floor. It would be wise to set it up on default on the floor, which frequently attracts dirt. You will then move it to the other floor when you feel like it.
Thus, you can use your Roomba on more than two floors.
Can Roomba Have Two Home Bases?
Roomba can have two or more home bases depending on your needs. Roomba iRobot can work with different compatible home bases.
If your Roomba is correctly set up to find a home on task completion. It will find the closest compatible homes based on signals. Seeing one Roomba docked on another home base is common for those with multiple Roomba devices.
A new home base is cheaper than getting yourself a new robot vacuum. Let’s look at some factors that would necessitate a second home base.
When to get a second home base for your Roomba?
Let’s look at some reasons that would motivate you to acquire two or more home bases.
- When you have multiple large floors
We have seen that you need to carry your Roomba from floor to floor to clean multiple floors. Roomba models are set up to return to the home base when cleaning is done or when the battery is low. It will charge the pick-up from where it is left and conclude the job.
If there is no home base on the floor you are currently cleaning, Roomba won’t successfully dock. This will require your manual supervision to fetch Roomba back to its home.
If you had a second home base on said floor, Roomba would successfully dock or recharge without breaking a sweat.
- When cleaning a large area
When cleaning a vast area, there is a risk of your Roomba running low on battery while far away from the home base.
The Roomba battery likely dies as it attempts to dock. The battery could even die mid-point on the return journey.
Having two home bases is advantageous as the Roomba will find the closest home base to recharge. Once fully charged, Roomba resumes the cleaning task to completion.
How Do I Add Another Floor to My Roomba?
Place the Roomba on your desired floor and send it to clean everywhere. Roomba will map the new floor as it moves about with the cleaning job.
Start the task by pressing the “CLEAN” button or using your iRobot app. Being an intelligent device, Roomba will recognize a floor it has never been into.
Roomba uses the home base as a reference point for your house. Therefore, having the home base on the same floor is crucial. Give your Roomba enough trials to map out the floor.
Roomba models are innovative and are a host of sensors that aid them in navigating your space. There is little technical work on your side to set up.
