The Scuba X1 shows 100% charged out of the water, but the battery level collapses — often to the teens — the moment it starts working in the pool. This is a battery-under-load fault, not a charging problem.
If the Scuba X1 reads 100% when idle but drops to 13% or lower as soon as it starts cleaning, the battery is reporting a surface voltage it can’t sustain under load. This is a degraded or failing battery — not the charger. Fully recharge and run a full cycle to confirm the drop, then check the battery’s age and warranty. If the collapse repeats, the battery needs a warranty replacement.
Why the Battery Level Collapses
A battery that reads full on the dock but collapses under load has lost its ability to hold voltage when current is drawn. When the X1 sits idle, the battery shows its resting voltage — near 100%. The moment the drive and pump motors draw current, the voltage sags, and the controller reads the sag as a near-empty battery, often dropping the displayed level to 13% or lower within seconds. This is a textbook sign of an aged or failing cell, not a settings or firmware problem.
Confirm the Drop, Then Check the Battery
1. Fully recharge the X1 on the wall charger until the LED is solid green. 2. Confirm the battery reads 100% before it enters the water. 3. Start a cleaning cycle and watch the reported level in the app — note how fast it falls and how low it goes. 4. Let it run until it stops and record the actual run time. 5. If a full charge yields only a few minutes of cleaning before the level collapses, the battery has degraded and needs replacement.
Battery Drop vs Mid-Cycle Shutdown
A rapid battery collapse is closely related to, but distinct from, a unit that shuts off mid-cycle — see our turns on, sinks, then shuts off guide. For general charging behaviour, see our battery and charging guide. A battery that jumps from full to near-empty under load is a battery-management fault, not a cleaning-mode setting.
Still Not Working? Contact Support
If a full recharge still collapses to the teens within minutes of running, the battery needs a warranty replacement. Submit a warranty ticket with your serial number and note the exact levels — for example, 100% at rest dropping to 13% on start — and the total run time. That data tells support the battery is failing rather than the charger or the motor.
