Robotic lawnmowers need to have a charging station installed to ensure they have enough battery to follow their automated mowing schedule.
The perimeter wire that runs around the work area is connected to the charging station too.
Without a charging station, your robotic mower isn’t going anywhere, so it’s important to install your mower in a safe and accessible location.
If you follow the proper installation sequence for a robotic mower charging station, your new robot mower will be up and cutting grass easily, and with the peace of mind that it will continue to do so for years to come.
In this quick and friendly article – we walk through how to install a robotic mower charging station, citing some steps that are generally applicable across the most conventional robot mower models.
How the charging station works with your robotic mower
The charging station will produce a unique frequency that only the robotic mower will recognize.
For most robots mowers there are two options to return to it’s base:
- Following the signal directly back to the charging station.
- Following the perimeter wire back to the charging station.
When the mower has finished mowing, once the mower battery gets low, the robot will automatically head back to the ramped station and dock and recharge.
Once the mower is charged, it will go out and continue mowing.
The first step is to choose a location for the charging station
Choosing an ideal spot for your robotic mower is critical because the mower needs easy level access to dock for charging multiple times throughout the day.
The docking location must also be free of obstructions which may block or affect the radio signals the charging station emits to direct the robotic mower.
Just remember these two main elements about the location:
- Choose a flat, central area to set up a charging station that provides a 3 meter radius of clear space around it to ensure that you can form a pathway for the robotic mower.
- Ideally, the flat surface is placed somewhere in the lawn area so that the robotic mower will not be damaged by running on gravel or other surfaces that are not suitable.
- Do not put the charging station near ponds or sprinklers or places that you may expose it to water. Penetrating water can damage the inner electronics and charging plates of the robotic mower.
- It will be best to not put in direct sunlight either since direct sunlight can age the housing plastic and heat it up. You may consider sheltering your charging station to avoid direct sunlight.
- You will want to be sure you have options for mains power outlets that your charging station located nearby. You do not want the cable connecting the charging station to mains power to be excessively long. If the mains power outlet is outside of your house, you will also want it to be appropriately waterproofed.
- The boundary wire that connects to the charging station will also need room to exit straight from the charging station connection point, not bent or at an angle, which can potentially cause interference with the signal of the robotic mower attempting to dock to the charging station.
Next, get your perimeter wire in place
The perimeter wire functions as a large antenna to define the area of where your lawn starts and stops.
If it is installed properly, your robotic mower will have the ability to performed its best, as the robot mower will identify areas to cut and areas to stay away from.
Since the perimeter wire goes to the charging station, you will need to run the wire when you install the charging station.
All you need to do is connect one side of the perimeter wire to the charging station and run the perimeter wire around the entire perimeter of your lawn, and then connect it to the charging station on the other side.
The perimeter wire creates a complete loop and generates a strong magnetic field with a signal that the robot mower can detect and use to navigate. The perimeter wire should never touch or cross itself at any point in the loop.
Tip: You can always cover the wire with stones, or even bury the wire if you would like, to prevent the wire from getting damaged.
Connect your charging station so it is ready to operate
Now that your location is set, it’s time to set up the charging station and plug it into the power supply.
The charging station comes with low voltage cable that will run from the charging station to the transformer.
Then plug the transformer into the mains outlet.
Once the perimeter wire is in position, you can attach the plate of the charging station along with any last adjustments to the cables.
Switch on your robotic lawn mower to test the system
To charge the battery the initial time, park the mower in its station where you will also setup its settings and establish a mowing schedule with options like zoning and multiple start point.
This is also a good time to test the mower’s wireless connectivity with a smartphone app.
When the battery is fully charged, the mower is ready to start for a test run so you can make sure you have done everything properly.
Test and readjust your charging station setup
Now it’s time to launch your robot mower!
This will give you the opportunity to be able to watch and troubleshoot any connectivity or functionality issues that arise with the lawnmower and to rectify any installation of the charging station or perimeter wire that may need correcting.
Rounding up
If you have some spare time and patience, setting up a robotic lawn mower is easy.
If you’re dealing with a complicated lawn, or a very large garden, you may want help from a professional to help you set it up.
Now, you can sit back and enjoy outdoor life while your lawn mower does the hard work!