I’ve had a kwikset smartcode lock controlled by my verra for several years. Batteries used to last for several months, but starting in the last couple months it drains the batteries in anywhere from 2 days to 2 weeks. AFAIK nothing has changed with the settings on the vera or anything like that.
In the settings for the lock it says Poll this node at most once every 10800.
I was using some pretty cheap batteries, so I thought maybe they were old or something. But I just put in some new duracell procells. Now it went a week before it started sending “very low battery” alerts. Which is also strange, I’ve never ever gotten low battery alerts before a few weeks ago. If the batteries died it would just beep when I tried to unlock, I wouldn’t get any emails from vera.
Any ideas what’s going on?
I’ve noticed this too.
it’s always gone through batteries at a decent clip, but now it seems to be draining much faster than before. I thought it might be my batteries, so about 3 weeks ago I bought a set of higher capacity eneloops to use specifically with the lock. It’s still draining fast (although my batteries will at least last a little longer, now)
So it predates the 7.0.12 firmware.
Doug
Yes… It predates UI7 altogether…
Some Kwikset units have always had issues with faster than normal battery usage…
I have had several units that, fresh out of the box, would go through a set of batteries in as little as a week. All have been returned to the supplier and replaced with units that had normal battery usage. Apparently, older versions of the Z-wave module were more susceptible to this issue.
I have also have a unit that had normal battery usage for over a year (Replaced batteries at month 10)… then started (after month 14) going through a set of batteries every several days… Coincidental to this (after the third set of batteries in a week), I had an issue with this unit no longer responding to external keypad input - could not lock, unlock, etc via the keypad - but would lock and unlock via Z-Wave commands… Following the “factory reset” procedure did not help…
A quick call to Kwikset Customer support solved the both issues… (sorry, I can’t remember the procedure - it was 5 months ago)…
It seems that the Z-Wave module can disable keypad input… When this happens, the module needs to be reset… (after the module reset, I did not have to re-pair the lock)
I think that the disabled keypad was a symptom of the Z-Wave module being in some sort of funky state that was also causing the accelerated battery drain, because I haven’t had to change the batteries in the 5 months since doing the reset.
So… Call Kwikset Customer Support and tell them your issue and ask them to walk you through the Z-wave module reset procedure…
[quote=“cybrmage, post:3, topic:190010”]Yes… It predates UI7 altogether…
Some Kwikset units have always had issues with faster than normal battery usage…
I have had several units that, fresh out of the box, would go through a set of batteries in as little as a week. All have been returned to the supplier and replaced with units that had normal battery usage. Apparently, older versions of the Z-wave module were more susceptible to this issue.
I have also have a unit that had normal battery usage for over a year (Replaced batteries at month 10)… then started (after month 14) going through a set of batteries every several days… Coincidental to this (after the third set of batteries in a week), I had an issue with this unit no longer responding to external keypad input - could not lock, unlock, etc via the keypad - but would lock and unlock via Z-Wave commands… Following the “factory reset” procedure did not help…
A quick call to Kwikset Customer support solved the both issues… (sorry, I can’t remember the procedure - it was 5 months ago)…
It seems that the Z-Wave module can disable keypad input… When this happens, the module needs to be reset… (after the module reset, I did not have to re-pair the lock)
I think that the disabled keypad was a symptom of the Z-Wave module being in some sort of funky state that was also causing the accelerated battery drain, because I haven’t had to change the batteries in the 5 months since doing the reset.
So… Call Kwikset Customer Support and tell them your issue and ask them to walk you through the Z-wave module reset procedure…[/quote]Great! Very good to know it is not my imagination.
I’ll give kwikset CS a call.
Thanks,
Doug
@cybrmage, can you also post the procedure once you get customer support… Mike
I’ve seen the same issue; one of my locks has been running fine for 2 years and now it has started eating batteries. The other lock I have hasn’t had a problem. Running UI7 1.7.1419.
I tried better batteries and thought the problem was with those batteries, so returned them all to Costco and put regular Duracells in it and the latest set has lasted less than 2 weeks.
torpex77:
Did you reach Kwikset?
Can you post details?
Thanks
[quote=“torpex77, post:4, topic:190010”][quote=“cybrmage, post:3, topic:190010”]Yes… It predates UI7 altogether…
Some Kwikset units have always had issues with faster than normal battery usage…
I have had several units that, fresh out of the box, would go through a set of batteries in as little as a week. All have been returned to the supplier and replaced with units that had normal battery usage. Apparently, older versions of the Z-wave module were more susceptible to this issue.
I have also have a unit that had normal battery usage for over a year (Replaced batteries at month 10)… then started (after month 14) going through a set of batteries every several days… Coincidental to this (after the third set of batteries in a week), I had an issue with this unit no longer responding to external keypad input - could not lock, unlock, etc via the keypad - but would lock and unlock via Z-Wave commands… Following the “factory reset” procedure did not help…
A quick call to Kwikset Customer support solved the both issues… (sorry, I can’t remember the procedure - it was 5 months ago)…
It seems that the Z-Wave module can disable keypad input… When this happens, the module needs to be reset… (after the module reset, I did not have to re-pair the lock)
I think that the disabled keypad was a symptom of the Z-Wave module being in some sort of funky state that was also causing the accelerated battery drain, because I haven’t had to change the batteries in the 5 months since doing the reset.
So… Call Kwikset Customer Support and tell them your issue and ask them to walk you through the Z-wave module reset procedure…[/quote]Great! Very good to know it is not my imagination.
I’ll give kwikset CS a call.
Thanks,
Doug[/quote]
My kwikset lock just started to each battery crazily in the last 3 weeks too. It used only 10% of battery in more than a year (lithium batttery) but it was down to 20% just in the last 3 weeks. Something is going weird.
Can you post that Z-Wave re-set procedure if it’s successful. Might save me a call to Kwikset if it ever starts happening on my locks.
This is normal in my experience. The batteries only last a year at most (energizer ultimate lithium 10.00 for 4). And the battery % is never right. It does the same hold high way to long (10% use in a year isn’t accurate, unless the kwikset box said batteries in it would last for 10 years) then once they almost dead they drop % fast. I think it’s the way the device checks for voltage not mAh left. And as the battery drains (especially lithium vs. regular) the voltage doesn’t drop in a liner line.
I think the other users on here have a different issue where their batteries only last a few weeks on month at most and your lasted over a year or a year.
Yeah. The battery percentage reported to Vera is just based on the voltage and it does not drop linearly. Alkaline batteries hold their voltage steady for a long time and only start to drop when there’s very little power left.
I’ve started using rechargeable batteries. Because they have a slightly lower voltage they show 80% when I first install them. My garage lock has been showing 50% for a few months now so they don’t drop quickly.
When I need to, I swap 'em out for a freshly charged set and re-charge 'em for next time.
[quote=“coffee_addict, post:7, topic:190010”]torpex77:
Did you reach Kwikset?
Can you post details?
Thanks[/quote]
No. I haven’t yet. It’s on my todo list, though. Just not sure when I’m going to get to it.
Doug