Irobot Roomba Side Brush Not Spinning – The Step-by-step Solution

Is your iRobot Roomba side brush not spinning? Are you confused as to the right approach to use in resolving the problem? Well, if you are struggling with these issues, then you have come to the right place. You can read through the steps below to handle the problem quickly.

1. The first approach to take is to turn the iRobot on its side. Go ahead and remove the side brush. You can do this by removing the center screw with a screwdriver. Try and remove the four screws holding the bottom panel to the body.

2. The blue housing and side brush motor are held in the chamber or container by two screws at the edges. There is a third screw displaying a funny triangular-slit head. Take the engine out upon loosening the two bolts. There are no leads to worry about because the power is provided via two spring contacts beneath the engine chamber.

3. Try and unscrew the third screw. The third bolt comes with a triangular slot, and a flat-head screwdriver will not work to loosen it. You have to be careful at this point not to damage the head. The third screw comes with a little plastic part that keeps the motor in its chamber. It may not be necessary to unscrew this portion, but you can do it as well.

4. The blue motor housing comes in two pieces. A snap-latch is visible at one end. While following the edges around and inspecting it carefully, you will discover that a thin flat head screwdriver can be placed on the other side of the housing. You can carefully prise one section of the motor housing off. Be sure to carry out this task gently to prevent damage to the snap-latch. It is important to know that one section of the housing holds some gears and the electric motor.

The other part of the housing holds a metal axle and one large gear. It also reveals a hexagonal piece protruding from the other portion of the housing where the side brush mounts. To find out if the axle will turn within the housing, you can first rotate it with your fingers and later pliers. When this action is carried out, the axle will not rotate within the housing. Test the motor with a 9-volt battery and you will discover that it will spin once freed from the other stuck gear.

5. You can put some WD-40 to free the stuck gear. Try to twist the stuck section. After some time, you will find it possible to turn the stuck gear within the housing. It will be difficult to pop the gear out in any way. Nonetheless, you can continue twisting and turning it continuously.

With proper inspection, you will find in between the blue housing and the white part some fine powdery stuff. The motor can be replaced and the housing cleaned to get your iRobot Roomba brush working again. The problem is solved.

When the iRobot Roomba brushes aren’t turning

When the Roomba brushes aren’t turning, obviously that’s a problem. You can always tell if the brushes aren’t spinning properly or if they’ve stopped. Your Roomba won’t pick up the dirt as easily or at all. You’ve got to test it to see if the brushes are spinning properly.

What you will want to do is place a little bit of debris before the robot—torn bits of paper, or beads, or something else small that it would normally pick up. Then you will turn the Roomba on. After pressing clean three times, move the Roomba over the debris. If the Roomba does not suck up any of the debris, contact iRobot customer service.

Roomba’s Brush Not Spinning Video