this post was submitted on 27 Jun 2024
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August wifi smart lock. Originally wanted the zigbee version for my home but apparently they stopped making those in favor of wifi, however wifi needs more energy to communicate and would go through they special batteries in a week's time. Even replacing the unit with another one didn't solve the issue, so I just returned it and deleted my account.
I have the same lock. I didn't want it but it was the only lock I could find that would work on my sliding door. The key is to buy rechargeable batteries. Mine last maybe a month before they need to be replaced.
That is fucking dumb that you have to replace the battery every month.
We have low power mcu that can go down to a few uA and make battery last for years, but this company decided that it was beneath them.
Bad engineering overall.
I think it is more about the power required to run the lock motor.
I have several z-wave door locks as well. They all need battery replacement within a few months. Unless I don't open/close them very often. They can go much longer.
But it really isn't to big of a deal. Home Assistant tells me when they are getting low and I just swap the batteries in a few minutes.
The motor runs only for a second or two each time. In the moment, it takes more current, but otherwise isn't that active.
If I had to change the batteries once or twice a year, I could probably live with that. But every month or so? Bad engineering