The cleaning robot Roomba is efficient and productive in its cleaning work. But this piece of machinery will show up error messages every once in a while if something that disrupts the cleaning process arises. One particular error that is commonly witnessed in the Roomba is error 17. It shows up when there is not enough light for the cleaning process or if the firmware of the Roomba unit is corrupt.
If there is not enough light in the cleaning area, the camera on the Roomba won’t work, and you will see the error. To avoid that, you first need to make sure that there is enough light in cleaning. Again, one more thing you need to be wary of is manual movement. If another human or pet manually moves the robot, you will see the error 17. To solve this error message, we have compiled this guide on fixing Error 17 using different solutions. So without any further ado, let’s get into it.
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How to Fix Error Code 17 on Roomba?
It is not possible to determine what might be the exact cause behind the error 17 on your Roomba. So try all the solutions one after the other until you find the one that works for you.
Place it in a well-lit environment:
As mentioned above, error 17 on Roomba is pretty common if the robot is set to clean a place that is not properly lit. The robot has cameras and depending on the feed, it captures and initiates the cleaning process. So if there is not enough light for the cameras, error 17 will show up, and the robot won’t perform the cleaning process.
So make sure that you are using the robot in a well-lit room. If even that does not help with the error 17, try the next solution.
Make sure nothing touches it during the cleaning operation:
If a human or a pet touches the robot while performing its cleaning process, the entire process will be interrupted. In that case, you might see the error 17 popping up on the screen. So once you have set the Roomba to initiate the cleaning, do not touch it or manually change its location. If you have a pet that runs around a lot, make sure to keep it restrained during the cleaning process.
If that does not help with the error 17 either, try the next solution.
Hard reset the Roomba to factory settings:
As mentioned above, error 17 is common if the firmware of the robot is corrupted. To fix that, you should try resetting the Roomba back to its factory settings.
There are two ways to go about it. You can reset a Roomba Unit with a Clean Button or use a Dock and Spot Button. Let’s take a look at both the processes here.
Reset with a Clean Button:
- Press and hold the Clean button on your Roomba robot.
- Wait for 20 seconds, and then release the Clean button.
- You will see the light swirling around the bin or the clean button.
- Wait for two minutes till the swirling stops and the device turns on properly.
Check whether you still see the error 17 on your robot or not. If you still see the same error message, try the next method of resetting.
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- Turn on the Roomba robot by tapping on the clean button.
- Press and hold the Dock(Home) and Spot button on the Roomba robot.
- Wait for 20 seconds and then release both the buttons. You will hear a reboot tone.
Now, you should not see the error 17 again. If, for some reason, you do see it, open up the iRobot Home app and get into the cleaning preferences section. Here, disable the toggle for Edge Clean, and that should work with your Error 17.
So this is how one can fix Error 17 on Roomba. If you have any questions or queries about this article, comment below, and we will get back to you. Also, be sure to check out our other articles on iPhone tips and tricks, Android tips and tricks, PC tips and tricks, and much more for more useful information.