Shark Robot Vacuum Is Not Charging: How To Fix It?
Shark robot vacuums are designed to keep homes cleaner and safer to live in and to save our time and effort. Regardless of how advanced they are, they must be maintained properly in order to keep them in working order.
However, occasionally, some issues can prevent Shark robot vacuums from operating as intended, including issues with charging. Fortunately, these problems can often be resolved in minutes.
Published: April 8, 2023.
Why Is My Shark Robot Vacuum Not Charging?
When the Shark robot vacuum arrives at your home, read the Owner's Guide in order to get accustomed to your new cleaning system. Also, keep the instructions nearby, since robot vacuums must be maintained properly in order to work as designed.
The most common charging issues are related to dirty or faulty contacts, weak batteries, issues with power, tripped electric breakers, and similar, and can be solved relatively quickly.
How To Fix The Shark Robot Vacuum Not Charging Issue?
There are many reasons and occasions when a Shark robot vacuum may develop charging issues.
Depending on your situation, the solution to the charging issue may be very simple, for example, moving the charging dock to a better position, but also rather difficult, requiring you to return the vacuum to the Shark.
Here are some of the most common solutions to charging issues on the Shark robot vacuums:
Check the robot's On/Off switch
The Shark robot vacuums feature a manual on/off switch that is situated on the robot vacuum itself.
Turning off the vacuum when not in use or scheduling a vacuum session for a later time can help conserve power.
However, occasionally, the switch may get inadvertently turned off when the robot collides with various floor objects and obstacles.
This results in unresponsiveness - some users may attempt to recharge the battery by manually placing the robot on the charging dock. Nonetheless, when the robot vacuum is switched off, it will not charge.
To remedy this issue, simply check the manual switch and ensure it is in the "On" position. This straightforward solution is often all that is required.
Dock your robot vacuum manually
The top of your Shark robot vacuum should feature blue LED indicator lights that display the battery's status.
As long as at least one of these lights is illuminated, your unit likely has sufficient battery power to return to its charging dock autonomously.
However, if all the indicator lights are off, the battery may be too discharged to allow the robot vacuum to autonomously navigate back to the charging dock. In such scenarios, you must assist your vacuum by carrying it to the charging dock and placing it in the charging position.
This advice is also important when using your robot vacuum for the first time since it typically requires charging in the dock before it can be used - devices with lithium-ion batteries are transported for safety reasons with the batteries in semi-charged condition, and before the very first use, they must be fully recharged.
Note: Shark robot vacuum can get stuck in various situations, including:
- Dirt wrapped around wheel shafts, for example, lint, fibers, hair, wire, sock, etc.
- Climbed on too high obstacle, for example, a toy.
- Stuck on a too thick, fluffy, carpet, for example, a shag carpet.
- Got stuck under the furniture, etc.
In all these situations, the Shark robot vacuum will be prevented to find the charging dock, dock successfully, and charge its battery, leading in the end to "charging issues", i.e. empty battery. So, position your vacuum on the charging dock and prevent future issues of this kind by removing the clatter or creating "no-go" zones, if supported by your robot vacuum.
Reposition the charging dock
To ensure optimal performance of your Shark robot vacuum, it's important to consider the placement of its charging dock.
If the docking station is placed on a carpeted surface or there are obstacles around it, your robot vacuum may encounter issues with locating the charging dock and with docking itself, failing to charge.
To avoid this, it's recommended to place the charging dock on a hard floor, with at least 3-4 feet of obstacles-free space on the sides of the charging dock and at least 6-7 feet of obstacles-free space ahead of the charging dock.
The charging dock should also be positioned against a wall to prevent any potential tipping or pushing by the robot vacuum.
Clean all charging contacts and robot sensors
Your Shark robot vacuum should come with two metal charging contacts specifically designed to fit two metal contacts/plates on the charging dock. Proper contact between these parts allows the battery to charge effectively.
Unfortunately, there may be occasions when the contact points fail to connect.
In such instances, clean the contacts on both the robot vacuum and the charging dock to determine if this resolves the issue. Also, check the charging dock plate's springs - if they have become weak, even a properly positioned robot vacuum cannot charge.
When the robot is charging, the battery indicator LED lights on your robot vacuum will begin blinking, providing an easy method to check if it works correctly.
Check the robot alignment on the charging dock
To ensure proper charging of your Shark robot vacuum, it's important to ensure it's aligned correctly on the dock.
When the robot vacuum is not correctly aligned, the charging contacts may not connect properly, and the robot won't charge. If the robot's battery is very low, it may not be able to dock by itself, and you may need to place it on the dock manually.
When placing the robot vacuum on the charging dock, make sure that the charging contacts on the robot vacuum and the charging plates on the charging dock are in contact.
Once the robot is properly aligned and connected, the battery indicator lights on top of the vacuum should turn blue, indicating it's charging successfully.
Check the charging dock operation
Although this is not a common issue, something may have occurred to the charging dock, preventing it from functioning correctly.
A green indicator light should be visible when the dock is operational and charging. If the green light is not illuminated, ensure the charging dock is connected to a power source and try using a different outlet to see if it can receive power - for some reason, maybe the electric breaker has tripped.
Again, it is essential to place the charging dock in an unobstructed area to allow the robot vacuum to locate it and dock with it.
Inadequate space may hinder the robot vacuum's ability to return to the dock, resulting in failed charging.
Check the robot vacuum battery
Shark robot vacuums are powered by a rechargeable lithium-ion battery that typically lasts for 2-3 years, depending on the usage pattern, how well you maintain the vacuum, storage and operating temperature, etc.
Also, when the battery becomes dislodged from its housing, it will lose proper contact with the terminals, and your vacuum may not charge.
To resolve this issue, ensure that the battery is properly seated and making contact with the terminals. You can use a screwdriver to access the underside of your vacuum, remove the battery cover, and verify that the battery is connected correctly.
In addition, if the battery is faulty or no longer working, you may need to replace it. If the issue with your battery is not due to typical wear and tear, you may be able to use your warranty to receive a new battery.
If unsure how to reach the battery, check the vacuum's Owner's Guide.
Restart the charging dock
Occasionally, software or power glitches may cause malfunctions in your robot vacuum charging dock. Restarting the charging dock may help eliminate temporary malfunctions.
To power cycle your charging dock, follow these steps:
- Unplug the dock from the wall power socket.
- Unplug the power cable from the dock.
- Wait for at least 60 seconds.
- Reattach the cable to the dock and plug it back into the wall AC outlet.
Power cycling the charging dock refreshes the system and can resolve software malfunctions.
However, sometimes the issue may not be with the charging dock but with the Shark robot vacuum. In this case, restarting the robot vacuum can help rectify any glitches that may be affecting its performance.
Restart the Shark robot vacuum
It's important to understand that this procedure is a restart ("soft reset"), not a hard reset ("factory reset"). Your robot vacuum will not lose any data or configurations - this is NOT a factory reset, this procedure simply restarts the system.
To perform a soft robot vacuum reset, follow these steps:
- Locate the robot vacuum's On/Off switch and turn the robot Off.
- Wait for at least 60 seconds.
- Turn on the robot vacuum cleaner.
The soft reset procedure should resolve any software glitches that may prevent the Shark robot vac from charging. Try charging the unit again to see if the issue has been resolved.
Also, connect to the unit using a smartphone App, if supported, and check the unit for any errors.
Contact Shark customer support
If you have attempted all of these troubleshooting steps and your Shark robot vacuum still won't charge, you should contact Shark customer support regarding your issue.
Few Final Words
Shark robot vacuums feature a very balanced design and are very popular units, already tried and tested by numerous users in real-life situations.
As with any other robot vacuum, Shark robot vacuums must be maintained properly in order to prolong their lifetime.
However, from time to time, they may develop charging issues that often can be solved in a matter of minutes.
In the worst-case scenario, contact Shark customer service, explain the situation, and act according to their instructions.