FIELD GUIDES
Guides
Longer reads: what happens when a manufacturer disappears, how to stretch your robot's life, and when a repair is worth it.
Guides are the long reads behind the fault pages: what happens to a robot when its manufacturer goes through bankruptcy, how to replace a Roomba battery safely, how often a robot actually needs each maintenance job, when a part should be original and when an alternative is fine, and how the six brands' error systems differ. They are written for the moment before a fault, or the moment after the fix, when you have questions the code page does not answer.
Every guide names its sources, carries a date, and gets updated when the facts move, which for the iRobot story has been often. The fault pages stay short on purpose; this is where the context lives.
iRobot filed for bankruptcy. What happens to your Roomba?
iRobot's Chapter 11 explained: what still works, what breaks if cloud support fades, and a practical plan to keep an orphaned Roomba cleaning for years.
2026-07-05 GUIDEOEM vs aftermarket robot vacuum parts: where to save and where not to
Aftermarket filters and brushes are usually fine. Batteries and docks are a different story. A no-fear-mongering map of fit, warranty and safety.
2026-07-05 GUIDERobot vacuum error codes, explained: one grammar, two dialects
How Roomba, Roborock, Shark, eufy, ECOVACS and Dreame report faults, how to read severity, and how to spot a clean-it code, a replace-it code and a lost cause.
2026-07-05 GUIDERoomba battery replacement, generation by generation
Diagnose before buying a Roomba battery, then match the exact model, original pack and authorized replacement. Model-specific removal notes and stop signs.
2026-10-07 GUIDEThe Roomba maintenance schedule that prevents most error codes
iRobot's official clean-and-replace intervals in one table, plus a printable routine that keeps Error 2, Error 6 and Error 14 off your phone.
2026-07-05