my tank is faulty

[greenturtle36]

I have done a search on this topic and haven't found anything so forgive me if this is a duplicate thread.

There's something wrong with my scooba tank. Whenever I turn it on it goes automatically to "check tank" before I can even push "clean".

That used to happen when the pump valve on the base was wet, so I'd dry it and go on my merry way.

But now, no matter how much I dry it, it still does it.

I tried the same tank on my other scooba and it did the same thing. I tried the tank from my other scooba on the first one and it's working fine again.

So, the problem is obviously the tank.

I noticed that there's water in the pump valve on the tank, which is probably what is making the base valve wet and not work.

So, I'm assuming that it's leaking.

Lately the scooba (when I could get it to start) has been ending way early, when there's plenty of solution still in the clean tank. That's also probably a symptom of a leaking pump valve on the tank.

Is there any solution for this, besides getting a new tank (which I've already ordered)?

[greenturtle36]

"Clean-Solution Feed-Coupling To The Robot's Pump" is what I'm talking about

I also tried making sure the electrical connectors on the tank were completely dry. Still the same.

[Gordon]

...There's something wrong with my scooba tank. Whenever I turn it on it goes automatically to "check tank" before I can even push "clean". ...

If you have been using that Scooba for some time, I think you may be locked in on the wrong tank chamber. IOW, the waste chamber's sensor may be causing the start up fault.

To discriminate which sensor (waste-full or clean empty) is causing your problem you can run Scooba's BiTs (built in tests, or "diagnostic tests") via the procedure here: http://mysite.verizon.net/gsplews/ScbaSelfTest.htm

After starting the BiTs, increment to Test-13 ("1,3") to see what Scooba indicates about those two liquid sensing channels.

[greenturtle36]

is the sensor on the tank, or on the scooba itself? because the same tank caused a problem on 2 scoobas but the other tank caused no problem on either one.

[Gordon]

is the sensor on the tank, or on the scooba itself?...

The "waste-full" sensor electrodes ride inside the waste chamber of the tank; whereas, the "clean-empty" sensor electrodes reside inside the robot, and are integral with the fitting that plugs into the tank bottom. iRobot calls that inlet fitting a "valve", but it is NOT a valve.

I think what you are going to learn is that your tank is not faulty, but the clean out of the waste-chamber following a mission IS faulty.

[greenturtle36]

OK, so I wondered if the "waste-full" sensor in the tank was clogged or something.

So I tried filling the dirty tank with hot water and vinegar and letting it soak overnight.

Now I'm doing a test run and it started without a problem. So it seems to have helped.

I still ordered a new tank but I guess now I have a spare.

But, message to anyone else with this problem (go directly to "check tank" automatically, without pushing the clean button)... try filling the tank with hot water and vinegar and letting it soak overnight...

[greenturtle36]

I just wanted to post to thank myself, for posting what finally worked...because this same tank is doing the same thing again! so there you go. It's soaking in vinegar as we speak.

[Gordon]

... It's soaking in vinegar as we speak.

Considering all the tank soaking and shaking effort you have endured I thought you might like to have a look-see inside the waste chamber to actually see those bloody waste-full sensor electrodes, what they look like and where they are located. If you do, then click this link: http://gsplews.lkgnet.com/gsp/Scooba/4. ... tm#%C2%A72 , followed by looking & reading.
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P.S.: If I were faced with a soiled tank such as you have been dealing with, I would leave out the vinegar and try diluted sodium hypochlorite solution (i.e., dilute to strongest household use concentration given on the bleach bottle).
If you decide to try this solution here's a hint (which I have not tried): I think less than two measuring cups of solution could be effective, but you would have to rig some way of supporting the tank at a steep angle to make the reduced amount of solution totally envelope the entire lengths of those two sensor rods for the soaking period.
I would first experiment with plain water to determine the holding orientation that accomplishes rod wetting, but does not drain water (solution later) out of any intake duct.