I’ve had the Schlage Motorized deadbolt for several months now and it seems to fully consume the batteries (Duracell Alkaline) in about 3-4 weeks. We rarely use this door on average twice a day (Not the motorized lock…just to go outside and check the mail / get kids from bus)
I’d say we use the motorized lock maybe 2 times a week IF that. At first I thought the battery usage was normal for a device like this but after searching the forums and finding people here who have not replaced their AA’s in 4-6 months it has me thinking something must be wrong.
I tried bumping the "Poll This device Every X seconds to: 21600. Here are some screenshots of my interface config:
Here are also the latest logs for today I was able to pull about the battery usage: (I grep’d only for BatteryLevel … let me know if anyone wants to see more info)
You didn’t say which model. I have two BE469s, using the Duracell ProCell batteries that came with them I’m still at 98% power after two months of daily motorized use by three people. Have you tried swapping different batteries?
Also, the default polling config (and what I use) is 10800 seconds. You shouldn’t have to change this.
I would try different/fresh batteries. The Dura ProCells can be found at Home Depot, Walmart, etc.
If that doesn’t help, then I would call Schlage and have them walk you through diagnostics and possible replacement of the lock.
Sorry the model number is BE469NXCAM619. The Pro Cells that came with it also lasted for 3-4 weeks and I bought another pack of Pro Cell and same results. I am now using regular duracell alkaline and it has the same lifetime as the pro cell.
I updated the polling config as a last resort hoping it would help
I will try to contact Schlage tomorrow and if anyone can offer any input please feel free to chime in.
Well different lock but I have several Kwickset locks and noticed one was killing batteries fast but was working fine. Then one day I finally got a bolt not extended all the way error from the lock. I realized the hole in the frame of the door was just a hair short even tho it was working fine for few weeks and always looked fully locked. After I dug out the hole a bit more I replaced the batteries in the lock and I been good ever since.
I probley would have never known (as it looked like it was locking fine) if I hadn’t got that error out of the blue.
@gymshoe - there is no “problem” with this lock model per se, every manufacturer has defective units once in a while. If you do a little research you will see that anyone with a defective Schlage lock has a gotten a hassle free replacement, with no out of pocket expense to them.
I have two of these models in my house that have been operating flawlessly once they were properly installed and setup.
Seconded. We have a BE469, and it’s been working well. The battery still appears to be going strong, after 3-4 months.
The only real issue is that you need lock firmware 5.8 (or later, assuming a newer one exists) to work with the vera (which also needs the latest UI5 firmware, but that’s easy-to-get).
But for me it is not so simple. I planned installation at a rental property 3000 miles away that I only visit twice/yr. I had hoped that if this problem appeared after installation, that there would be a way to fix it on-site. Apparently that is not the case and the only reliable fix appears to be product replacement which would require weeks to resolve.
[quote=“gymshoe, post:9, topic:179516”]It is good that Schlage supports its products.
But for me it is not so simple. I planned installation at a rental property 3000 miles away that I only visit twice/yr. I had hoped that if this problem appeared after installation, that there would be a way to fix it on-site. Apparently that is not the case and the only reliable fix appears to be product replacement which would require weeks to resolve.
I must reconsider whether this is viable.
Thanks for your input.[/quote]
I have to ask, what is it that you are looking for? A guarantee that the particular product that gets delivered to you is defect free? Not going to happen, not even if you spent $1 million on a product. So it doesn’t matter if you buy a Schlage, Kwikset, Yale, or any brand of Z-wave lock.
If instead you want to ensure you’re getting the latest greatest version of a particular model, then the answer is easier, simply purchase from an authorized retailer that turns over their inventory constantly. People seem to have problems with Z-wave devices more often when they are purchase from 3rd party sellers on Ebay and Amazon, where you can’t guarantee where they got their inventory from.
Not necessarily true. I have one with 5.7 and it runs great except for the fact that the touchscreen stopped working. Of course Schlage sent me out a new lock and let me keep the old one so now I have 2! (Yes, I can’t unlock the original from the keypad, but I can monitor it’s state and it’s currently on a door we rarely use, and normally nony unlock from the inside anyways)
TC1,
You’re right, there are no guarantees about any product. However, I have seen this complaint about battery drainage several times in different forums, so it seems to have some recurrence rate. I was hoping it might have something to do with a firmware issue and that the answer to my question would be: “updated to latest firmware and it works great”. For instance: the touchscreen going dead that Sir Meili reported - when I asked Schlage about that particular problem (which is recurrent in different forums), Schlage told me that it was a known issue that has been resolved on devices manufactured after Sep 2013. (I think that highlights your advice about buying from a vendor with good product turnover and up-to-date stock.)
Anyway, since the battery drainage thing does not appear to have a quick fix, I need to reconsider if/how I can implement given the constraints which I mentioned before. (Maybe I could to do a faux-install at home to verify no issues before traveling to the rental, for instance. Maybe bring a “spare”? Have to think about it…)
Jim
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