To understand how to choose a robot vacuum cleaner, you need to familiarize yourself with its technical parameters and performance characteristics. The prefix "robot" says that the house is cleaned by yourself, which will greatly facilitate your work to set the house clean.
How does a robot vacuum cleaner work?
The work of the robot vacuum cleaner is in its daily use, as in an additional method of cleaning between standard manual cleaning by conventional models of vacuum cleaners. Using multiple sensors, sophisticated algorithms, a robot vacuum cleaner, navigating in space, independently, without the participation of people, is able to clean the room and return to the base to recharge. "Smart" device can be pre-programmed for a certain time, the work of the robot vacuum cleaner provides several types of sensors:
- Collisions. When you hit the obstacle, the direction of movement changes.
- Collision, infrared type. Sensors emitting infrared rays determine the distance to the obstacle and, when approaching it, change the trajectory of motion.
- Falls. With the help of infrared rays in time to respond to changes in the height of the floors, prevent the fall of the unit from the stairs, allow you to overcome the thresholds.
Robot vacuum cleaner - dry cleaning
In the case of dry cleaning, the brush located on the side of the device sweeps the garbage at the corners, near the skirting board, from under the furniture to the brush located in the center, which feeds it to the garbage collecting bin, playing the role of a broom. The central brush is given the main function to collect dust, dirt, hair, wool. The air stream compresses the debris that has appeared in the dustbin, then passes through the filters, is blown outward (the air purity depends on the quality of the filter).
Before choosing a robot vacuum cleaner for an apartment with a dry cleaning function, pay attention to the quality of the central brush, it (and not engine power) contributes to better cleaning. Different manufacturers can differently staff a robot vacuum cleaner, the difference can be as follows:
- The number and type of the main brushes (there can be two, instead of one, they can be either fleecy, or rubber, or a combination of them).
- The number of side brushes (sometimes there is a second side brush, which will reduce the cleaning time).
- Types of filters (from the most unpretentious, to multilayered).
- Engine power and container volume (the discrepancies in the parameters are minimal, since they are secondary).
Robot vacuum cleaner with wet cleaning
The first stage of wet cleaning for a vacuum cleaner is collecting garbage and dust, then immediately begins a wet cleaning. The design of the cleaning robot vacuum cleaner includes two tanks:
- For clean water (water is sprayed through it on the floor, into which detergents are added).
- For dirty water (in this tank is sent a soaked and brush-cleaned dirt).
After spraying the liquid and rubbing the floor with a brush, the final step comes - using a special scraper, dirty water is removed, sucked into the tank. Manufacturers do not recommend the use of washing types of vacuum cleaners for carpet cleaning, flooring from laminate and parquet. If you want to use a robot vacuum cleaner for carpets, you should choose a combined type of apparatus that is capable of cleaning the surface of the floor from the decorating finishing materials with a rag of microfiber, and the carpet will clean with a turbo brush.
Vacuum cleaner robot - characteristics
To understand how to choose a robot vacuum cleaner, familiarize yourself with the rating of manufacturers, its functionality and performance characteristics. Practically all types of robots of vacuum cleaners have the same principles of arrangement, but differ in their technical characteristics:
- The power of the engine (a factor that is not important).
- Passage (the height of overcoming obstacles).
- The possibility of cleaning a different area of the premises.
- The quality of filters (the presence of HEPA filter).
- The capacity of a collector, a battery.
- Availability of a charging dock.
- Additional accessories.
- Touch mode (softness).
- Scheduled work.
- Simplicity in maintenance and repair, availability of consumables.
Specialists, to the question: what kind of robot cleaner is best to choose, answer unequivocally - you should purchase models of well-known brands, with a lot of functions and a suitable appearance. Washing vacuums are more whimsical in the care than those intended for dry cleaning. Before choosing a robot vacuum cleaner, decide on the needs for cleaning a particular dwelling and your material capabilities.
Power of the robot vacuum cleaner
Robot vacuum cleaner for home has a fundamental factor is not the power of suction, but the effective work of brushes. Comparing the robot with an ordinary vacuum cleaner, we will see that its power is incomparably lower, but it will provide a high-quality cleaning. Typical vacuum cleaners have to raise the garbage raised from the floor by a two-meter hose, the robot vacuum cleaner is short of enough power to move the small waste into the dustbin. Do not pay attention to the advice of some vendors on the purchase of a larger capacity, they intentionally overestimate the value of this parameter.
Selection of the robot vacuum cleaner - cleaning area
Solving the problem of choosing which robot vacuum cleaner to buy, start from the size of the area, which it will clean. For small rooms that are not subject to severe pollution, where there are no animals and small children, you can purchase a robot vacuum cleaner with a capacity of 30-45 W. For dwellings in which the above factors are present, the unit with a stronger power, up to 70 W, is well suited, and the most powerful type of this device is purchased for cleaning areas from 100 to 150 square meters. m.
Before you choose a robot vacuum cleaner, you need to take into account that the time spent cleaning up can be up to 1.5-2 hours with the size of the living area of 50-60 square meters. m. If the unit is designed for the specified area, then only it will clean it qualitatively. The parameter responsible for the size of the area that the robot cleaner can clean up, significantly affects the price of the product.
Robot vacuum cleaner for cleaning - patency
In order to choose the best robot vacuum cleaner, determine for yourself those necessary functions and capabilities that the purchased unit will have to have. Many housewives pay attention to the ability of the vacuum cleaner to cope with obstacles. Penetration (overcoming thresholds) is a very important parameter, choose vacuum cleaners that can "jump" a threshold of 2 cm in height, without getting tangled in the wires. Worst of all, with the passability of cheap Chinese models, the best indicator of patency is the iRobot and iClebo products.
Robot vacuum cleaner for an apartment - capacity
Capacity is a parameter that determines the volume of the waste collection, a very important indicator, especially if there are animals in the house. For a complete cleaning of the premises, choose a device that has a volume of a dust collector of at least 0.3-0.4 liters, with the size of the area served by a vacuum cleaner of not more than 60-80 square meters. m. If the area to be cleaned by a robot vacuum cleaner exceeds these dimensions, then the capacity of the dust receptacle should be 0.5-1. It is advisable to purchase the robot vacuum cleaner separately for wet and dry cleaning, or its combined model.
Filter for the robot vacuum cleaner
In order for the cleaning to be carried out carefully and the air in the room to remain clean, choose a device equipped with a high-quality, multi - layer HEPA filter . When buying a visual inspection of the filtering element is not possible, so you should trust solid brands. There are robots vacuum cleaners in which two filters are installed. Those consumers whose plans it is to purchase such equipment should familiarize themselves with the rating and choose the popular and best washing robot vacuum cleaner.
Brushes for the robot vacuum cleaner
Depending on which firm you purchased the robot vacuum cleaner for at home, it may have one main brush, more often two:
- Worsted. With its help, wool and dust are collected, and small impurities are cleaned off.
- The rubber. It is used to remove larger or bulk fractions (sand, crumbs) from the floor.
Many models are equipped with side brushes, they help to clean faster and better, at one time they can capture more debris from a larger area. Grasped by side brushes, it is directed to the central turbo-brush, and then it enters the garbage collection. With the same side brushes, debris is swept out of the corners and near the skirting boards. An important element of the unit is the central turbo brush, which performs the main function, and not the power or suction force.
Battery for robot vacuum cleaner
To understand how to choose a robot vacuum cleaner, you need to pay special attention to its power source. The battery, being the most expensive element of the design, directly responsible for the functionality of the model. According to their technical characteristics, robots vacuum cleaners are divided into the following classes:
- Budget, with nickel-metal-hybrid batteries.
- Medium, with lithium batteries or at a budget level.
- Higher, lithium-ion, lithium-polymer and lithium-iron-phosphate power sources.
Lithium batteries serve longer than nickel batteries, without serious reason they do not fail, after a long time, 3-4 years of use, they lose 25-30% of capacity. Elements of food from nickel require frequent replacement, 1-2 times a year. In order not to be mistaken in how to choose the right robot vacuum cleaner, do not buy the cheapest models and unknown brands.
Rating of robots vacuum cleaners for home
Before choosing a reliable robot vacuum cleaner, you should familiarize yourself with the ratings of companies that produce these products. A brief overview of robots vacuums, characterized by high quality cleaning:
- Panda X500 Pet Series. Manufacturer Japan. It is able to clean 32 kinds of floor covering, almost silent, large battery power and suction mode, can overcome an obstacle of 3 cm.
- iRobot Roomba 780. Manufacturer of the USA. It is able to clean carpets with high nap , remove the area of 100 mv. m without recharging, is strengthened by two HEPA filters, notifies you of a change in the operating mode in the host language chosen.
- Philips FC8794. Manufacturer Japan. Has a wide range of functions, a slim body that allows easy access to furniture, long side brushes and a unique wide nozzle with a large girth area, three suction holes.
- Karcher RC3000. Manufacturer Germany. Easy to clean out the old dirt, silent, has an additional dust collector.