Roomba on a boat?

[tonyreptiles]

Hi All,

here's an interesting one for you.

MsTR and I live on a narrowboat. One of the main bugbears is the amount of sweeping/hoovering that needs to be done. Stepping into the boat from the towpath brings in mud, grit, grass and dirt which all needs to be swept up. Add to that the hair from the dog which congregates in every corner and you can see why we're looking for a solution. We're hoping a Roomba will be it, but we have some questions. I hope someone can help.

Firstly, are they any good? Do they compare well to the enthusiastic use of a vacuum cleaner? (We have a wooden floor, by the way.)

Second, how much energy do they use? Am I right in thinking they are battery powered and charged via 230v mains? How long does it take to charge one?

And finally, does anyone know if it is possible to somehow power one via 12v chargers. We already have an inverter but this is a power-hungry 3KW device which we prefer not to use for long durations. It would be better if we could charge it directly from our 12v supply via an adaptor, like we do with our laptops and phone chargers.

Thanks for your help in advance.
TR

[servodude]

Hi TR

can't help with a review as I'm not allowed to have a roomba

but the ones I've played with have been powered with the DC conversion being done by a power supply much like a laptop
- a quick check shows most of the supplies sold provide 1.25A at 22.5V

This will likely be very similar setup to what a laptop needs
- so if you can boost your 12V for that, there will likely be a way to do it for the Roomba
(as I understand it they are just dumb supplies with the charging smarts being on the Roomba - or the battery pack on board it)

Have fun
- sd

[Slarti]

Aren't they round? Wouldn't that stop them getting into corners?

Slarti

[AleisterCrowley]

Do you have no 230V 'hookup' , just a 12>230 inverter?

[tonyreptiles]

Do you have no 230V 'hookup' , just a 12>230 inverter?

We'd need a really, really long cable!

We cruise around the system most of the time, stopping only occasionally in marinas/boatyards for a month or two's duration only occasionally. We tend to install systems which can be easily used off-grid - 12v fridge, composting toilet, solar panels and a greatly reduced need for power.

The vacuum uses a load of energy and time, so we're looking for ways to reduce that - thus the Roomba.



TR

[tonyreptiles]

Hi TR

This will likely be very similar setup to what a laptop needs
- so if you can boost your 12V for that, there will likely be a way to do it for the Roomba

- sd

That's perfect - just as I hoped.

Thanks SD

[AleisterCrowley]

Aha, I wondered why you were looking at Roomba type cleaners. From a practical point of view a cylinder vacuum with hose would probably be the best bet, but most are 230v and power-hungry.

[gbjbaanb]

Firstly, are they any good? Do they compare well to the enthusiastic use of a vacuum cleaner? (We have a wooden floor, by the way.)

No.

they're ok for dusting up dust and basically keeping an already clean place, clean. But to imagine they are an alternative to a vacuum cleaner is wrong. A simply, cheap Henry will pick up far more much more quickly than a roomba will, and will cost you a fraction of the cost. (Gadget show did an a comparison between these two).

They work better on wooden floors though, and would keep it free of most dust. I doubt it'd work too well with a lot of mud however.

I think you'd probably be better off with a g-tech thing, or some other small rechargeable vacuum.

[tonyreptiles]

They work better on wooden floors though, and would keep it free of most dust. I doubt it'd work too well with a lot of mud however.

.

That's interesting. The main reason for us wanting a robot instead of using a conventional vac is the frequency of which we have to currently vac/sweep. We're looking for an option which relieves us of the workload, or at least the bulk of it. A weekly run with a conventional vac would be OK, so long as we don't have to walk on a gritty, dirty floor for the interim. From what I've read here and elsewhere the Roomba will do most of the heavy lifting, and then a conventional vac occasionally will bring it up to spec.

The fact that we can charge it using our 12v is a winner too!

Thanks everyone.

Boat life.

Not all Martinis and sunsets.

TR

[swill453]

Don't want to teach granny to duck eggs, but would it be practical to change into house shoes/slippers/Crocs or whatever every time you come aboard, rather than dragging dirt in from the land?

I see a lot of people doing this in their campervans. We don't, but our van is so small it takes minutes to brush out.

Scott.

[tonyreptiles]

Don't want to teach granny to duck eggs, but would it be practical to change into house shoes/slippers/Crocs or whatever every time you come aboard, rather than dragging dirt in from the land?

I see a lot of people doing this in their campervans. We don't, but our van is so small it takes minutes to brush out.

Scott.

Yeah, we do that usually, but often it's not practical. When we're entering the boat several times while doing a job, such as bringing in shopping from the car or when going in and out with tools for a job we're doing - it becomes impractical. Also, just people walking past on gravel towpaths kicks up loads of dust and grit into the boat.

But I think the biggest culprit is the dog - not just for bringing crap in on his paws, but also shedding hair.

I've told him, if it carries on he's going back to the shelter.
MsTR says I'm equally messy, so if he goes, I have to go too.

I thought a Roomba might be a good compromise.

TR

[AleisterCrowley]

It might scare the bejesus out of the dog

[PinkDalek]

It might scare the bejesus out of the dog

Ours loves the beast. Chasing it around for much of the time. Thus producing more loose dog hairs for the beast to feed on. So it continues until Roomba (not its given name) returns to base, exhausted but fulfilled.

[AleisterCrowley]

You'll end up with a blocked Roomba, and a bald dog

[PinkDalek]

You'll end up with a blocked Roomba, and a bald dog

Regular cleaning of the Roomba has proved that not to be the case. The dog does suffer from seasonal baldness on his rump but not due to chasing the Roomba. The added benefit of the Roomba being dog exercising for the lazy.

[UncleEbenezer]

Firstly, are they any good? Do they compare well to the enthusiastic use of a vacuum cleaner? (We have a wooden floor, by the way.)

No.

they're ok for dusting up dust and basically keeping an already clean place, clean. But to imagine they are an alternative to a vacuum cleaner is wrong. A simply, cheap Henry will pick up far more much more quickly than a roomba will, and will cost you a fraction of the cost. (Gadget show did an a comparison between these two).

I'd say quite the opposite.

When I moved to the present place, there was a hint of a reddish tint to the bedroom carpet. Something red had infused it: perhaps something like a fancy ball gown. It was impervious to all efforts of my regular (upright) vacuum cleaner.

Then I bought a roomba. And suddenly, no more reddish hue.

But I'd expect it to be less useful in a really confined space: how effectively can you actually clear the floor to let it run, and do you have disproportionately many spots it'll find hard to access?

And yes, it does charge from the mains (and recommends you leave it on charge while not in use). The transformer claims 21.5V output and connects via the roomba's docking station.