Why do my batteries only last a week?

There are a couple of reasons why you may be experiencing poor battery life. If you’re running your control panel without connecting it to Wifi, then you may be running an older version of the firmware which has some known issues with poor battery life. To check your firmware version, scroll through the menu to Factory Reset, and the current version will be displayed underneath. If your version is older than 1.0.15, then you will experience these issues (likely you’re running 1.0.8 in this case). If you’re running an old version, follow this guide to update to the latest and resolve the problem.

If you have your Smart Autodoor connected to wifi, the update will have been applied automatically. If you are experiencing poor battery life in this situation, please contact us, and we would be happy to provide further assistance. 

When using batteries, there are two power modes you can choose from. 'Notifications + control' mode or 'Notifications Only' mode. These modes determine how frequently the control panel checks into the server to carry out new commands like setting changes or remote opening or closing. The less the door checks in with the server, the less battery it uses. 

Notifications + Control mode provides approximately 2-3 months battery life and provides you with the ability to open and close the door remotely. The control panel will check the server for commands every 10 minutes and so, you can prompt the door to open and then on the next check-in, it will carry out the action. This also reflects any settings changes like changing when you'd like the door to open and close or if you are looking to change from time mode to light mode for example. 

Notifications Only mode provides approximately 6 months of battery life and removes the buttons that allow you to command the door to open and close remotely. You will only receive notifications for when your door has opened and closed or if you were to get any error messages or to notify you of low battery power. The control panel will only check in with the server twice a day for commands. If you are to change your settings for when the door opens and closes in the app, this may not be carried out until the door next checks in. This mode is useful for those who like to have the door on one setting and do not change it much. You like the peace of mind getting the notification of the door opening and closing, but you do not wish to command the door to open or close from in your app. 

TOP TIP:
For instant responses from your smart devices, switch to mains power. This allows your Smart Autodoor to check in with the server consistently and respond to your commands instantly without worrying about battery life.