Replacing the solution valve on a Scooba

A week or so ago I was getting my Scooba ready for it’s weekly cleaning run.  I attached my primer bulb to the solution valve and heard a CRACK.  Damn it, it broke off.  Well I hoped it would still run but I was not so lucky.  The Scooba would not start.

I did a little looking on the internet and was surprised there wasn’t a whole bunch of info regarding a broken solution valve and/or how to replace it.

Well I found a place that sold a replacement valve for around 30 bucks. However they didn’t have any replacement instructions.

Eventually I found a basic disassembly guide for one of the older versions of the Scooba, luckily the procedure is pretty much the same for the 380.

I have ripped MANY Roombas apart and replaced various components on them successfully.  Doing so gave me confidence that I could handle a Scooba repair as well.

Getting the Scooba apart was a bit of a challenge since it was my first time but it wasn’t hard.  After maybe 20 minutes I had it separated into two halves, allowing me access to the valve.

The replacement solution valve is actually an assembly that includes the valve, a clear plastic tube that runs to a manifold and a wire and connector that plugs into the logic board.  Since the Scooba is an electronic device that deals with liquid the system board is tucked away under a rubbery plastic cover that has to be removed.

Removing the old valve involves pulling the clear plastic tubing from the manifold and then carefully moving wires around so you remove the connector to the logic board which snakes around the perimeter.

Once the old piece is out installing the new one is pretty straightforward.  If you have a hard time remembering things like I do, you may want to take some pictures of the Scooba as you are taking it apart to assist you when it comes to putting it back together.  There were a couple spots last night when I referred to the pictures I took, it helped.

When routing the new wire and pushing the existing wire back, make sure you are careful.  A pinched wire could result in a dead Scooba.

After putting everything back together I dumped some water in the unit, primed the new valve and held my breath as I hit the power button. The robot started right up and started scrubbing away.

While I was working on it I replaced the brush module and squeegees since they had never been touched in the 3 years + old model. I need to get replacement tires as well as the vacuum port.  Both are very worn.

I was pleased that I was able to get my Scooba back in business for $30 and a bit of elbow grease.  If you would like to see all of the pictures I took during the process you can view them here.