980 Filter door latch broke

[rotorwash]

So my newest Bot lasted a full month before the latch on the filter door broke. Any mods that will fix this. I am contacting Robot to see if this is warranteed

[RTC]

So my newest Bot lasted a full month before the latch on the filter door broke. Any mods that will fix this. I am contacting Robot to see if this is warranteed

Just call iRobot and they will send a new filter door free. Same thing happened to my 980 about 3 months ago (after almost 2 years of use).

Just be very careful to follow the replacement video instructions as the hinge pins are easily broken if force is applied wrong. I actually got my old door out with both hinge pins intact, then the new door snapped right in.

[rotorwash]

Thanks RTC

[RTC]

I believe iRobot considers those filter doors to be consumables, the latch is made so fragile!

I am being more careful with the latch since I put in the new door.

[rotorwash]

sadly I clean our filter every day so the door gets a lot of work. Irobot said they will send out two doors so now I just need to wait for them


wow just rip it off
https://homesupport.irobot.com/app/answ ... 9T~zj~PP_a

[RTC]

I was gentler, but if the hinge breaks on the old one they don't consider it a problem. But be careful not to break the new hinge!

I remove the filter after every cleaning and quickly vacuum it with a Metro mini vacuum. Admittedly I don't clean with the 980 every day though, but I could feel the door latch failing months before it actually broke.

While waiting for the new doors, just tape the broken door shut. You can't clean the filter that easily then, but you can still use the 980!

[rotorwash]

reminds me on how my visor on my helmet comes off.

I vacuum daily because of our dogs and clean the filter with our hand held dyson. So far it still latches when I push the latch closed I'm just very gentle now. I can actually see at the "U" its chipped

[RTC]

I can actually see at the "U" its chipped

Yep, mine was like that for roughly a month, then the "U" came apart completely and the door would no longer stay shut unless I taped it. I left it taped and did not remove the filter until the replacement door arrived.

At least the replacement doors are free!

[rotorwash]

replacement came today 2 days fast all fixed

[RTC]

I need to contact them again next week! The latch on my new door (about 3 months old) just cracked when I opened it after a run to vacuum the filter. It will still hold, but I heard the snap and it lost all springiness and I can see the line of the crack through most of the "U" of the latch!

Oh well, at least it is free!

[rotorwash]

I contacted them on the net. what you described is what happened to me. Good luck

[RTC]

The first time it happened to me I did not get a sudden snap. It had just been getting less springy very slowly, then one day the latch just fell apart when I closed the door - broken at the "U".

I was very surprised when I contacted iRobot back then that I wouldn't even have to pay postage

--

Contacted them in chat this morning, it shipped this evening, UPS tracking says it will be here in a week on Monday.

[doc280]

I thickened the bottom of the latch with epoxy after the latch broke. I more than likely added to much epoxy, it latches real good now. Longevity is key and only time will tell.

[RTC]

I thickened the bottom of the latch with epoxy after the latch broke. I more than likely added too much epoxy, it latches real good now. Longevity is key and only time will tell.

I have thought of using a tiny metal leaf spring glued to the plastic, but as long as the replacement is free and only takes a few days to arrive I haven't bothered trying that. I'll soon have several broken ones to "experiment" on should I decide to try that some day.

My only problem with changing the door is I have a tremor that could jerk and snap the hinge pins of the new door as I install it. So I try to be super careful and go slow both removing the old door and putting in the new door, so as to avoid this.

The tremor also makes it difficult mixing epoxies. When I do use epoxy I use only the slowest setting type I can find!


--


Received it, installed it. None of the hinge pins broke either removing the old or installing the new,

[Brett]

I glue a small piece of closed cell foam in there to support it. Seems to be a simple improvement.

[babakonda]

I guess you are all in the US?
As in my neighbouring country (Europe), they’re not giving those away for free. Wow.

[RTC]

I guess you are all in the US?

I am.

Wow, so they are charging more than $11 for a piece of plastic that iRobot considers to be "disposable"?!?
You must be buying through a reseller...

[babakonda]

Wow, so they are charging more than $11 for a piece of plastic that iRobot considers to be "disposable"?!?
You must be buying through a reseller...

That’s a screenshot from iRobot Slovenia, that should be an official rep and not just a reseller as they’re listed here:
https://global.irobot.com/en/Contact?Country=SI
I’m sorry to see that it actually gives the company a poor reputation.

As per my iRobot bots...Braava 390t is the only one I bought as new, directly from my local iRobot.
The Braava Jet I bought lightly used (ebay, Germany), as well as Braava 380 and Scooba 450. My 880 came used from the UK, and several Scoobas 385/390 are also from German ebay. My dad uses a r790 and b380 from the same source.
981 bought as new from German Amazon, as the price difference from my local iRobot was almost 40%!

Basically, for any and all issues I prefer to contact the ‘original’ iRobot support in the US, directly. That’s what I intend to do if (or rather when) my door latch breaks.

[RTC]

Basically, for any and all issues I prefer to contact the ‘original’ iRobot support in the US, directly. That’s what I intend to do if (or rather when) my door latch breaks.

Yes, that door latch is very very fragile and without some kind of modification it will definitely break.

My first one actually lasted about 21 months, but the second one broke after just about 3 months.... Whether this difference is chance variation, or iRobot changes to "save material cost" I can't tell....

[babakonda]

Yes, that door latch is very very fragile and without some kind of modification it will definitely break.

My first one actually lasted about 21 months, but the second one broke after just about 3 months.... Whether this difference is chance variation, or iRobot changes to "save material cost" I can't tell....

My 981 is manufactured in september 2018, bought in January and used only a handful of times so far, but I need way more force to open the filter door than on 880.

Should I put some epoxy or similar to the inner part of the latch to prevent it? I have JB Weld at hand...
Using doc280’s photo as a reference, the yellow arrow points to ‘reinforcement’ location?