{
  "$schema": "robofaults-fault-record/v0",
  "kind": "symptom",
  "brand": "roomba",
  "page_en": "https://robofaults.com/roomba/not-docking/",
  "page_es": "https://robofaults.com/es/roomba/no-vuelve-a-la-base/",
  "slug": "not-docking",
  "slug_es": "no-vuelve-a-la-base",
  "device_type": "vacuum",
  "title_en": "Roomba won't dock or return home",
  "title_es": "Roomba no vuelve a la base",
  "severity": "warn",
  "severity_note_en": "robot parks wherever the battery runs out",
  "severity_note_es": "el robot se queda donde se agote la batería",
  "series": [
    "600",
    "e",
    "i",
    "j",
    "s"
  ],
  "tools_en": "none",
  "tools_es": "ninguna",
  "time_min": 10,
  "difficulty": "easy",
  "safety": "none",
  "safety_note_en": "",
  "safety_note_es": "",
  "meaning_en": "When a Roomba can't find its Home Base, blame <b>dock placement</b> first. The dock wants 1.5 ft of clearance on each side, 4 ft in front, and a wall behind it. Dirty contacts and infrared interference cause the rest.",
  "meaning_es": "Cuando el Roomba no encuentra su base, revisa primero la <b>ubicación de la base de carga</b>. Necesita medio metro libre a cada lado, algo más de un metro delante y una pared detrás. Los contactos sucios y las interferencias infrarrojas explican el resto.",
  "causes": [
    {
      "title_en": "Dock in a bad spot",
      "title_es": "Base mal ubicada",
      "detail_en": "Tucked in a corner, on carpet, or near stairs, the robot's approach path breaks down. iRobot asks for a hard level floor, a wall behind, and 4 ft of clearance from any stairs.",
      "detail_es": "En una esquina, sobre alfombra o junto a escaleras, la trayectoria de aproximación falla. iRobot pide suelo duro y nivelado, pared detrás y algo más de un metro de distancia a cualquier escalera.",
      "likelihood": "most_common"
    },
    {
      "title_en": "Dirty contacts or dock window",
      "title_es": "Contactos o ventana de la base sucios",
      "detail_en": "The robot finds the dock, bumps it, then backs away because it never detects a charge through the dusty strips.",
      "detail_es": "El robot encuentra la base, la toca y se retira porque nunca detecta carga a través de las tiras sucias.",
      "likelihood": "common"
    },
    {
      "title_en": "Robot moved or started away from the dock",
      "title_es": "Robot movido o iniciado lejos de la base",
      "detail_en": "Carry the robot mid-clean and it loses its bearings — it will hunt for a dock it can no longer locate.",
      "detail_es": "Si mueves el robot a mitad de limpieza pierde la referencia — buscará una base que ya no sabe ubicar.",
      "likelihood": "common"
    },
    {
      "title_en": "Infrared interference",
      "title_es": "Interferencia infrarroja",
      "detail_en": "A Dual Mode Virtual Wall or a second Home Base within 8 ft can drown out the dock's beam.",
      "detail_es": "Un Virtual Wall de doble modo u otra Home Base a menos de 2,4 m puede ahogar la señal de la base.",
      "likelihood": "uncommon"
    },
    {
      "title_en": "Dock lost power mid-clean",
      "title_es": "La base perdió corriente durante la limpieza",
      "detail_en": "Someone switched off the power strip. No beam, no homing.",
      "detail_es": "Alguien apagó la regleta. Sin señal no hay regreso.",
      "likelihood": "uncommon"
    }
  ],
  "steps": [
    {
      "title_en": "Fix the placement",
      "title_es": "Corrige la ubicación",
      "detail_en": "Wall behind, hard level floor, 1.5 ft clear on each side, 4 ft clear in front, 4 ft from stairs.",
      "detail_es": "Pared detrás, suelo duro y nivelado, medio metro libre a cada lado, algo más de un metro delante y a más de un metro de las escaleras."
    },
    {
      "title_en": "Verify dock power",
      "title_es": "Verifica la corriente de la base",
      "detail_en": "Re-plug the cord at both ends. The light shows about four seconds, then goes dark — that's normal.",
      "detail_es": "Reconecta el cable en ambos extremos. La luz dura unos cuatro segundos y se apaga — es normal."
    },
    {
      "title_en": "Clean contacts and the infrared window",
      "title_es": "Limpia contactos y ventana infrarroja",
      "detail_en": "Wipe the charging strips on dock and robot with lightly dampened melamine foam, and dust the clear window on top of the dock.",
      "detail_es": "Limpia las tiras de carga de base y robot con esponja de melamina ligeramente humedecida y quita el polvo de la ventana transparente superior."
    },
    {
      "title_en": "Remove competing signals",
      "title_es": "Elimina señales que compitan",
      "detail_en": "Move Virtual Walls and any second dock at least 8 ft away.",
      "detail_es": "Aleja los Virtual Walls y cualquier segunda base al menos 2,4 m."
    },
    {
      "title_en": "Run the 6-ft test",
      "title_es": "Haz la prueba de los 2 metros",
      "detail_en": "Place the robot 6 ft from the dock, facing it, and press HOME. If it docks, the fault was placement or interference.",
      "detail_es": "Coloca el robot a unos 2 m de la base, mirándola, y pulsa HOME. Si acopla, el fallo era la ubicación o una interferencia."
    }
  ],
  "parts": [
    "roomba-home-base-dock"
  ],
  "related_codes": [
    "17",
    "18"
  ],
  "sources": [
    {
      "label_en": "iRobot Support — Does Not Return Home, All Roomba Models",
      "label_es": "Soporte de iRobot — No vuelve a la base, todos los modelos Roomba",
      "url": "https://homesupport.irobot.com/s/article/32678",
      "kind": "official"
    },
    {
      "label_en": "iRobot Support — Roomba i Series will not Return to its Home Base",
      "label_es": "Soporte de iRobot — El Roomba serie i no vuelve a su Home Base",
      "url": "https://homesupport.irobot.com/s/article/2447",
      "kind": "official"
    }
  ],
  "confidence": "official",
  "last_verified": "2026-07-05"
}