It’s been a week.
My Shark robot vacuum is still dead.
Dust and dirt have overtaken my home.
I’m afraid to leave my room…
But I finally solved it.
My dead Shark vacuum will come back to life to save me from the dust overlords.
And here’s how I did it…
Keep reading to discover:
- How to replace your Shark robot vacuum’s battery.
- 7 easy fixes to fix a Shark vacuum that’s not charging.
- Which indicator lights will illuminate if your battery or charging dock has an error.
- And so much more…
Why is my Shark robot vacuum not charging?
Your Shark robot vacuum isn’t charging because of dead batteries or a broken power cord. It could also be because of dirty wheels, infrared sensors, or a charging dock. Lastly, move your charging dock away from extremely hot or cold environments.
Shark robot vacuum not charging: 7 fixes
#1: Replace the batteries
Batteries die because of age.
But you don’t have to mourn their loss.
Why?
Because you can always replace them.
Shark designed their robot vacuums so that it’s easy for us to replace their battery.
But first, how can you tell if your vacuum’s battery needs to be replaced?
Easy. Look at the lights on your Shark robot vacuum.
The lights should be flashing solid blue when it’s on the charging dock.
The moment those lights turn red, you need a new battery.
Here’s how you can replace your robot’s battery in 5 quick steps:
- Buy a replacement battery that’s compatible with your Shark robot vacuum.
- Using a Phillips screwdriver, loosen the screws on the battery cover.
- Remove the battery by gently tugging the red and black wires.
- Carefully attach the new battery to the connector.
- Reinstall the battery cover.
And you’re done.
Now, you might wonder:
“How do I know which battery to get?”
According to Shark, the battery that you should get for Shark vacuums is ‘RVBAT850.’
Note: Always observe proper disposal.
See, your Shark is powered by Lithium-ion (Li-ion) batteries. (We’ll get to that later.)
In some areas, it’s illegal to throw Li-ion batteries in the trash.
To be safe, drop your old battery at a recycling center instead.
Pro tip: Ensure that your new batteries will last by following these suggestions:
- Use your Shark regularly.
- Never fully charge your robot vacuum.
- Unplug the dock from the socket when not in use.
For the visual learners out there, here’s how you can replace your Shark’s batteries in video form:
#2: Don’t charge under extreme temperatures
Speaking of Li-ion batteries…
Under no circumstances should you use or charge your Shark under extreme temperatures.
You might be asking:
“Peter, what do extreme temperatures mean? Isn’t that pretty vague?”
And I agree.
Thankfully, Shark provides more information regarding the matter.
Essentially, you shouldn’t store your Shark or charging dock in an area that’s:
- 10°C (50°F) or colder.
- 40°C (104°F) or hotter.
But why?
Like I previously said, your Shark robot runs on Li-ion batteries.
These batteries are great for the following reasons:
- Eco-friendly.
- It’s lightweight.
- Low maintenance.
- Almost infinitely rechargeable.
However, Li-ion batteries don’t do well in hot or cold environments…
At all.
Li-ion batteries are known to self-discharge. Under heat, its rate of self-discharge doubles after every 10°C increase.
That’s why you need to move your charging dock to a more suitable climate.
Warning: Never, and I mean never, place your Shark vacuum somewhere above 130°C.
Shark themselves that these temperatures may cause your robot to explode.
#3: Place Shark on the dock
I don’t know about you, but when I charge my Shark…
I just press the Dock button and wait for it to reach the charging dock.
But what happens when the battery fully dies in the middle of its journey there?
It stops.
In that case, don’t just stand there.
Stand up and carry your Shark to the dock.
Once placed, you should see a blue light indicating that it’s now charging.
Fun fact: Do you ever wonder what the lights on your Shark are telling you?
If so, I got you.
Here’s a list of the most common errors on Shark vacuums and their indicating lights:
- “!” flashing: Suction motor died.
- CLEAN button flashing blue: Sensors are broken.
- DOCK and SPOT alternate flashing: Side brush is stuck.
- SPOT button flashing blue: There’s something in the way.
- CLEAN button flashing red: Cliff sensors are malfunctioning.
- CLEAN button and “!” solid red: Your charging dock has an error.
- DOCK and SPOT flashing together: Something is clogging your main brush.
#4: Clean your robot
Sometimes, we’ve gotten so used to Shark cleaning up after us…
That we forget to clean the Shark robot vacuum itself.
Yes. You heard that right:
You still need to clean your vacuum.
What happens when you don’t?
Among many things, debris may enter your wheel.
This debris makes it impossible for your robot vacuum to reach the charging dock.
When that happens, Shark recommends you to:
- Start with removing the front wheel with a Philips screwdriver.
- Clean the wheel with a dry microfiber cloth.
- Shake gently to remove any stuck debris.
- Reattach the wheel.
- Clean the other wheels by rotating them during dusting.
- Check and remove any stuck hair that may be wrapped around the wheel.
#5: Clean the charging contact
Now, let’s move on to the charging dock.
Look at the 2 charging points on it.
Tell me honestly, how dirty is it?
Don’t worry. I won’t judge.
If it’s filthy as hell, your Shark can’t properly connect to the dock.
Why? Simple.
Because the dirt is blocking the charge from coming to your vacuum.
In that case, Shark recommends you take a sharp blade and run it across the charging points.
Use the blade to scrape debris from the sides of the charging points.
#6: Clean infrared sensors
When you’re lost, you need a map.
When your Shark robot vacuum is lost, it needs its infrared sensors.
Infrared sensors are why your robot vacuum can navigate your home.
Without them, your Shark could bump into walls or fall into cliffs…
Or forget how to get back to its charging dock.
To fix this:
- Use a thin blade to loosen your front panel.
- Open the front panel of your Shark robot vacuum.
- Clean your infrared lights by gently spraying compressed air into it.
#7: Replace the power cord
Lastly, look at the left base of your charging dock.
When it’s plugged in, do you see a flashing green light?
If so, you can skip this step.
But, if not, you’ll need to replace your power cord.
Replacing a power cord is easy:
You buy a replacement, remove the old one, and then attach the new one.
After that, you’re done.
But that’s boring. And expensive.
To save money, here’s how you can splice your old power cord instead:
Note: Splicing cord can only be done for damages with exposed wire.
- Ensure your TV’s turned off for at least an hour.
- Find the exposed bit of your cord.
- Split the cord into 2 pieces from the middle of the exposed bit plus 1 inch both sides.
- Unsheath another inch of the cord. You should be able to see 2 to 3 wires inside.
- Unsheath the smaller wires too.
- Partner the smaller wires with each other using their color as a reference.
- Put a heat shrink tubing over the wires.
- Bind the tubing using a heat gun.
- Repeat steps #5 to #7 for the main cord.
BONUS: Contact Shark
When I was growing up, my mother used to always tell me:
“You don’t need to do everything by yourself.”
And she’s right. We can always ask someone for help.
So, if you’re still having trouble charging your vacuum…
Contact Shark by sending them an email at info@sharkrobot.com.
Or try calling their landline at 1-855-427-5125.