Roomba Error 15? (Just Do these 5 Things)

Roomba Error 15, also known as Charging Error 15, is a problem that occurs, especially with Irobot Roomba j-series, when your Roomba vacuum detects an internal or navigational error that doesn’t let it communicate properly with the home base or the app.

As with all errors, it’s important to figure out the cause of this error, how to deal with it, and how to avoid it in the future. So, in this article I will discuss some reasons and solutions that will help you fix it if you encounter error 15 on your iRobot Roomba cleaner.

Why does Roomba Error 15 occur?

If you’re the proud owner of a Roomba, you know that these little machines can make your life a lot easier. But what does it mean when your vacuum throw you this error?

Generally, Romba Error 15 occurs when a Roomba fails to navigate due to a communication breakdown with the home base or the iRobot Home app, which is called “internal navigational erros.” Internal navigational errors are usually caused by system malfunctions, generic defects, and mapping errors. Or it could also indicate that the Roomba’s cliff sensors are dirty or damaged.

How to fix Roomba Error 15 issue?

To fix error 15 issue on a Roomba, first ensure that the vacuum is fully charged and properly connected to the wifi. Next, delete the old map and remap your whole house. If remapping the house doesn’t fix the problem, reset your Roomba to its factory settings.

I’ll go over all the solutions in further depth below, including which ones you should do in order to fix your problem. But before that look at the bellow table for a better understanding…

Reasons	Solutions
Software Glitch	Reboot your Roomba
Internal Nevigational Error	Factory reset your Roomba
Mapping Errors	Remap your House
Outdated Firmware	Update your Roomba

1. Reboot Your Roomba

Rebooting is a very useful and powerful method to get your Roomba working again. When your Roomba encounters an error code, it may advise you to restart the cleaning process.

Restarting will help the Roomba reconnect with its home base and try to communicate with it again. On the other hand, restarting your Roomba will remove system glitches and generic bugs that can hinder communication between devices.

Here’s how to reboot your Roomba:

• Roomba 500 and 600 Series: For 10 seconds, press and hold the “SPOT” “CLEAN” and “DOCK” button.
• Roomba 700, 800, and 900 Series: For 10 seconds, press and hold the “CLEAN” button on your robot. When you release the button, your Roomba will play the reboot tone.
• Roomba i and s Series: For 20 seconds, press and hold the “CLEAN” button on your robot. The light ring will revolve clockwise in white when the button is released.

This is the most effective method to solve Roomba Error 15. I hope this simple way will help you fix the problem. If not, then proceed to the next steps.

2. Restore a previous version of your “Smart Map”

If rebooting your Roomba doesn’t work, then try restoring a previous version of the map. Your iRobot Home Map’s most recent version may have encountered some issues. When this happens, no matter how many reboots you do, your Roomba will not work.

So instead, go back to the previous version of your Smart Map and, thus, your Roomba will be able to clean without any problems. To restore the Roomba Smart Map to its previous version, follow these steps:

• Open the ‘iRobot Home app’ on your smartphone.
• Go to the “History” section.
• Look through the “Clean Maps” reports.
• Choose your favorite prior map.
• In the top-right corner, select the ‘overflow menu’.
• And finally, choose “Update Smart Maps“

I hope restoring the previous version of the map will fix the problem. If not, then move to the next steps.

Bear in mind that this method is only for those users who have a Roomba with “Smart Maps” features.

3. Delete old map and remap your house

If your Roomba is still displaying “error 15” message after the restoration of the previous map, then you have to remap your house. But first you have to delete all the previous ones.

Deleting the old maps will reduce any potential glitches and bugs from your Roomba. It will also free up your device’s storage. As a result, your Roomba will be able to work properly without any glitches.

Here’s how to delete the previous version of the map:

• Open the iRobot Home app on your smartphone.
• Go to your maps.
• Choose a map.
• Select the icon with three horizontal dots.
• Finally, select “Delete map.“

You can also delete all the maps at once by resetting your device to it’s factory setting. However, keep in mind that it also deletes other vital information.

Now to remap your house, follow the bellow steps:

• Set your Roomba to a specified room or its home base.
• Once again, press the “CLEAN” button.
• Let the Roomba navigate around every room by itself.
• Once it’s completed, rename your new map.

If you are having trouble mapping your house with Roomba, don’t panic. Read this whole tutorial on Roomba mapping and do this properly. After remapping your home, I hope roomba error 15 will be fixed. Let me know in the comment box.

4. Check and reconnect your Roomba to WiFi

If your Roomba has any problem with its wifi connection, you will not be able to fix the error 15 message on your Roomba by just rebooting or resetting it. To check if your Roomba is facing any issues with wifi connectivity, log in to the router’s admin panel by typing 192.168.1.1 into the web browser, which you will find on the back side of your router.

Now, check to see if the QoS service is enabled, and if so, disable it. Then make sure your firewall isn’t interfering with your Roomba’s ability to connect to your Wi-Fi.

5. Factory Reset your Roomba

If you’re still reading this, your Roomba’s internal problems must be far more complicated. In this case, you have to factory reset your roomba. Resetting your Roomba to its factory setting will delete all custom settings, including scheduling, home layout maps, and Wi-Fi settings.

You can reset your Roomba in two ways. One is by pressing and holding the Roomba’s deck buttons, and the other is via Home-Apps. If you perform a factory reset, all of your personal data and saved configuration will be removed from the machine, app, and Roomba’s cloud storage..

☞ Reset the Roomba manually

• At the same time, press and hold the HOME, SPOT CLEAN, and CLEAN buttons.
• Keep the buttons pressed for a total of 20 seconds untill you see a white ring light is spinning.
• Released the 3 buttons.
• You are done, just wait sometimes.
• To complete the factory reset, Roomba will restart automatically.

☞ Reset the Roomba via Home App

To reset your roomba via Home App, follow bellow steps.

• First, Open the iRobot Home App on your smartphone.
• Ensure that your mobile device and Roomba are both connected to the same Wi-Fi network.
• Then, select Settings from the drop-down menu.
• Press the factory reset option and you are done!
• To complete the factory reset, your vacuum will restart automatically.

I hope resetting your Roomba will fix it. Let me know in the comments whether you were able to resolve roomba error 15 issue or not!

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FAQs

Q. Nothing worked! What should I do?

If none of the above methods work, then there is nothing left for you to do. Maybe your Roomba’s motherboard has damaged or malfunctioning which is causing this problem.

In this case you should contact with i-robot customer care for further assistance. They’ll provide you advance troubleshooting tips that may help resolve the problem.

Q. Is it necessary to bring my Irobot Roomba to a service center for error 15?

It is not necessarily required to bring your Roomba to a service center for error 15. Depending on the cause of the error, it may be possible to troubleshoot and fix the issue yourself.

If you are comfortable with performing basic troubleshooting and repairs on your own, you may be able to resolve the error by following the steps mentioned above.

But if you are unable to fix the error or if you are unsure of how to proceed, it may be a good idea to bring your Irobot Roomba to a service center for professional diagnosis and repair.