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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

AIBU Ring doorbell battery lasts a week

28 replies

HouseIsOnFire · 02/04/2023 22:49

Hi everyone, after a recent scare got a ring 4 doorbell and generally pleased with it, but the battery only lasts a week?

I've set up the zone to just be my path (busy road so without this was getting 50+ notifications a day). I now get 8-10 and have set it to frequent check for motion, but that means the battery doesn't last longer than a week.

Can't hardwire it just yet and have bought a second battery so always have one charged, but AIBU to expect the battery to last longer than a week?

OP posts:
user1473878824 · 02/04/2023 22:51

I get loads of notifications because it’s a busy road but charge it maybe once a month. Maybe the battery is faulty, see what the second one is like once it’s fully charged

Pseudonamed · 02/04/2023 22:55

I get about two months out of mine. Send it back.

Grumpsy · 02/04/2023 22:57

Ours lasts a couple of months, maybe longer (not as busy as you, but would still expect yours to last longer) it sounds like your battery may be faulty

Rinoachicken · 02/04/2023 22:58

Mine lasts a coup of months usually, less in cold weather

IfIGoThereWillBeTrouble · 02/04/2023 23:01

like many PPs, mine lasts about a month before I get a message saying the battery is low. Like OP, I have a second battery that I start charging once I get the message that the battery is running low, then swap them over.

Comii9 · 02/04/2023 23:01

Is it definitely fully charged? You can check the percentage of the battery life on your app. They take quite a while to charge but it should last a good 4 weeks at least.

icantlivewithouttea · 02/04/2023 23:01

I think it depends on your settings and whether it’s set to record everything. But mine only lasts a week and it’s bloody annoying!!

hulahooper2 · 02/04/2023 23:03

My battery stays charged for ages , and it doesn’t take long to charge up again

Original poster
HouseIsOnFire · 02/04/2023 23:06

Thanks everyone, I've tried both batteries and both only last a week.
How often do you have it checking for motion? How high do you have the sensitivity?
On the highest for both it missed someone coming through the door, i guess because had picked up a walker a moment before, so loathe to put it lower, but then wondering if I should accept it as the doorbell and get a proper camera?

OP posts:
Endlesssummer2022 · 02/04/2023 23:12

My worry about the battery is what made me get it hardwired from the start. Would piss me off to be on holiday and find out the battery was dead. That said, a week sounds strange, the unit must be faulty.

easycomeasygo · 02/04/2023 23:15

Definitely sounds odd. Ours lasts about 2 months and I we have a reasonable level of recording , zones etc.

cocksstrideintheevening · 02/04/2023 23:16

Have you turned
Off the alerts to your phone? Mine only seers me
To a ring, anything else I have to look for. Battery lasts about six weeks.

Talipesmum · 02/04/2023 23:21

Ours is newish and lasts more than a month.
I’ve screenshot a couple of our settings here. We don’t have the subscription where it records video at the moment - but we had the free trial of it and the battery lasted fine throughout that whole month and for a while after. Only charged it once since Xmas and it’s on 74% now.

Also got just our path on the motion zones area. If both kids get home v quickly one after the other it doesn’t detect the second child, but we didn’t get it for that - we got it as a doorbell. And it pings us if anyone rings the bell and 95% of the time if there’s motion on the path unless we’re going in and out multiple times over a few minutes. Seems pretty sensitive.

AIBU Ring doorbell battery lasts a week
AIBU Ring doorbell battery lasts a week
Talipesmum · 02/04/2023 23:23

Can you pull your motion zone in a bit tighter maybe? Or get the battery checked. (No idea how…)

Original poster
HouseIsOnFire · 02/04/2023 23:25

cocksstrideintheevening · 02/04/2023 23:16

Have you turned
Off the alerts to your phone? Mine only seers me
To a ring, anything else I have to look for. Battery lasts about six weeks.

Oh will try that and see if it works, thanks!

OP posts:
Original poster
HouseIsOnFire · 02/04/2023 23:26

Talipesmum · 02/04/2023 23:21

Ours is newish and lasts more than a month.
I’ve screenshot a couple of our settings here. We don’t have the subscription where it records video at the moment - but we had the free trial of it and the battery lasted fine throughout that whole month and for a while after. Only charged it once since Xmas and it’s on 74% now.

Also got just our path on the motion zones area. If both kids get home v quickly one after the other it doesn’t detect the second child, but we didn’t get it for that - we got it as a doorbell. And it pings us if anyone rings the bell and 95% of the time if there’s motion on the path unless we’re going in and out multiple times over a few minutes. Seems pretty sensitive.

I have snapshot on and want it frequent due to crazy neighbour, but I might try and turn the slider down!

OP posts:
ShesThunderstorms · 02/04/2023 23:27

We got ours at Christmas time and we've just charged it for the second time last week.

Original poster
HouseIsOnFire · 02/04/2023 23:27

Talipesmum · 02/04/2023 23:23

Can you pull your motion zone in a bit tighter maybe? Or get the battery checked. (No idea how…)

It's as tight as it can be, but very short drive means it can't cover the car and stop before pavement if that makes sense?

OP posts:
CarpetSlipper · 02/04/2023 23:41

It should definitely last longer than a week! Mine lasts ages, 3-4 months I think. I live on a quiet rode and have the zone set so it never picks up people or cars going past. If it’s only lasting a week I think you should contact amazon for a replacement.

pizzaHeart · 02/04/2023 23:53

Ours is the same as @CarpetSlipper ‘s. We don’t cover the road just our front garden so it only detects someone’s coming to the door or our car’s moving.
I’ve got min 10 notifications per day, but most days 15-25.

Talipesmum · 03/04/2023 00:48

HouseIsOnFire · 02/04/2023 23:26

I have snapshot on and want it frequent due to crazy neighbour, but I might try and turn the slider down!

Show quote history

The snapshot might be the issue - if you look in that setting it says it will decrease battery life. Do you need snapshots if it will record your neighbour when they come on your path? Or are you needing constant surveillance regardless of where they are?

I pulled the motion zone to just the path, so it will detect someone’s feet on the path and alert me. So anything on the pavement is excluded. Our car is parked on the road so we either had to have billions of alerts or not use it for car surveillance.

But I reckon it’s the snapshots rather than the zone, as you’re getting 8-10 alerts per day which is similar to us, but our battery lasts ages.

Elieza · 03/04/2023 01:50

Are you using proper lithium batteries?

The likes of Duracell’s regular batteries won’t cut it with mine. It has to be lithium.

Which are dearer and I can’t get them in all my usual shops.

Rockbird · 03/04/2023 03:19

Ours is a couple of years old but for various reasons has spent most of that time on the shelf in my room unused. Charged it up recently and the battery lasts about a day. No idea what's going on there so I don't even bother with it.

Original poster
HouseIsOnFire · 03/04/2023 08:45

Elieza · 03/04/2023 01:50

Are you using proper lithium batteries?

The likes of Duracell’s regular batteries won’t cut it with mine. It has to be lithium.

Which are dearer and I can’t get them in all my usual shops.

No, using the ring batteries, it doesn't take standard ones

OP posts:
Original poster
HouseIsOnFire · 03/04/2023 08:46

Talipesmum · 03/04/2023 00:48

The snapshot might be the issue - if you look in that setting it says it will decrease battery life. Do you need snapshots if it will record your neighbour when they come on your path? Or are you needing constant surveillance regardless of where they are?

I pulled the motion zone to just the path, so it will detect someone’s feet on the path and alert me. So anything on the pavement is excluded. Our car is parked on the road so we either had to have billions of alerts or not use it for car surveillance.

But I reckon it’s the snapshots rather than the zone, as you’re getting 8-10 alerts per day which is similar to us, but our battery lasts ages.

Show quote history

Yeah, maybe I need to reconsider snapshots

OP posts: