An iRobot Roomba robot vacuum cleaner is equipped with several brushes. These brushes can wear out, so you will eventually have to replace them with new ones. If you don't do this, the robot vacuum cleaner can do its job less well and dirt is vacuumed less well.
In this article I tell you everything you need to know about replacing the brushes. Find out how and how often to replace Roomba brushes and what to pay attention to.
Why Roomba brush replacement is important
Let me start with why it is important that you replace the Roomba brushes. As I just mentioned, a Roomba comes with two types of brushes: the side brush and the roller brushes in the center of the vacuum. Both brushes can wear out. For example, the side brush can lose more and more hairs and the rollers can have less and less grip.
A worn brush has a direct negative impact on the cleaning performance of a Roomba
A worn brush has a direct negative impact on the cleaning performance of a Roomba. For example, less dirt can be swept from the edges towards the suction mouth.
Reasons to replace brushes as soon as possible
But it is not only in terms of suction performance that it is very important to replace the Roomba brushes as soon as possible. It can also cause damage. For example, a side brush with too few bristles at the ends can cause scratches on the floor. All the important reasons to list:
- Maintains good suction performance
- Less chance of damage on sensitive floors
- Longer life of the robot vacuum cleaner
It could even have a positive effect on Roomba's battery life. And that applies not only to the replacement of the brushes, but also to the replacement of other parts.
How to replace the Roomba brushes?
Replacing the Roomba brushes is not difficult. You can replace them yourself and it does not require any technical knowledge. Because we are dealing with two different brushes, I have made two different step-by-step plans below. Click on the type of Roomba brush you want to replace to view the step-by-step plan.
Roomba side brush replacement
Replacing the Roomba side brush is very easy. You do need a screwdriver for this. Make sure you buy the correct Roomba side brush (these may vary by Roomba series). View the different side brushes per series in the table below.
| Roomba Series | Side brushes |
|---|---|
| Roomba j-Series | View side brush |
| Roomba i-Series | View side brush |
| Roomba s-Series | View side brush |
| Roomba e-Series | View side brush |
| Roomba 800-900 Series | View side brush |
Do you have a screwdriver and the right Roomba side brush? Then you can follow the steps below.
- Place Roomba upside down on a soft surface
- Unscrew the side brush with a screwdriver
- Gently slide the side brush off the Roomba
- Take the new side brush and attach it to the Roomba
- Screw the side brush back on
- Place the robot vacuum cleaner on the charging station to reactivate it
When unscrewing and tightening the side brush, you have to hold the brush with the other hand. This is to prevent it from continuing to rotate while screwing.
Roomba roller replacement
Do you want to replace the Roomba roller(s)? That is also very easy and you can do it yourself. Here, too, you have to be careful that you purchase the right roller brushes. Discover them in the table below.
| Roomba Series | Rollers |
|---|---|
| Roomba j-Series | View roller brush |
| Roomba i-Series | View roller brush |
| Roomba s-Series | View roller brush |
| Roomba e-Series | View roller brush |
| Roomba 800-900 Series | View roller brush |
You don't even need any tools for this. Follow the steps below:
- Place Roomba upside down on a soft surface
- Click open the cover on the left side of the roller brushes and lift it up
- Lift both rollers out of the Robot Cleaner
- Properly press the new roller brushes into the Roomba*
- Click the flap on the left back down
* Pay close attention to the fit of the roller brush. The end of the roller brush has two different shapes, a hexagon or a square.
I also made a complete video for replacing (both) Roomba brushes. It might be smart to take a look at this one.
Want to see more useful videos like this? Subscribe to my YouTube channel for free!
When and how often should you replace the Roomba brushes?
I sometimes get the question how often you should replace the Roomba brushes. This completely depends on how much you use your robot vacuum cleaner. Obviously, if you use the Roomba daily, you will have to replace the brushes sooner than if you have it cleaned weekly.
Brushes should be replaced sooner if you use Roomba on a daily basis
But, when is it time to replace the side brushes or the rollers? Roomba reports1Roomba Care procedure frequency, iRobot.com that the rollers should be replaced between 6 and 12 months. For the side brush, iRobot.com remarkably does not give a time frame.
Roomba maintenance kit
Robot Health shows how long the brushes will last
What not everyone knows is that in the iRobot app in the ‘Robot Health' section you get a nice overview of how long specific Roomba parts will last. This is expressed in minutes. You will receive a notification when the brushes are almost due for replacement.
Error codes that indicate there is something wrong with the brushes
Earlier I published the complete list of Roomba error codes. This also included codes that indicate that something is wrong with the (side) brushes of the robot vacuum cleaner. It concerns the error code 2, which is accompanied by a red light. In that case, you should check, clean or replace the brush where necessary.
Tip: clean the brushes regularly
Of course we want to postpone the replacement of the brushes as long as possible. Cleaning the brushes of a Roomba robot vacuum regularly can be very smart. iRobot recommends cleaning the side brush monthly and cleaning the roller brushes weekly. I strongly recommend that you follow this advice.
iRobot recommends cleaning the side brush monthly and cleaning the roller brushes every week
Cleaning the brushes is important. This prevents that Roomba's brushes not spinning and causing damage to the floor.
The steps are almost the same as replacing the brushes. I've made an extensive guide to cleaning a Roomba, which also describes how to clean the brushes.
References
Robbert Tigchelaar
Robbert Tigchelaar is the founder of Vacuumtester.com and is a true vacuum cleaner guru. With more than 10 years of experience in the world of electronic devices, he knows better than anyone what is important in a vacuum cleaner. When a new vacuum cleaner appears, he is eager to test it extensively.
