Lock has very short battery life
The battery life of a lock largely depends on its motor usage. Verify the following if a lock is experiencing short battery life:
Verify the lock uses recommended batteries
It is recommended that all locks use high-quality, brand-name, alkaline batteries. Verify the lock is using the recommended batteries with a strong charge.
Verify the lock extends properly
If the lock is using the recommended battery type and it has a strong charge, the short battery life may be due to the motor being overworked.
Some doors, typically older doors, may become misaligned with the strike plate after changes in temperature or humidity. In these cases, the deadbolt may not extend smoothly into the strike hole. This causes the lock to use a great deal of power when locking the door and will impact the lock's battery life.
Adjust the lock and/or the strike plate so that it extends smoothly and fully into the strike plate. If the lock's deadbolt is not able to extend fully into the strike hole, the lock will likely report being jammed when attempting to lock. In some instances making the strike hole pocket deeper will be required to allow the deadbolt to extend fully.
For deadbolt locks
- Verify the deadbolt has room to fully extend smoothly into the door frame. This can be done by manually locking the deadbolt; the pressure or force to manually lock the deadbolt should not be any greater than that required to lock the deadbolt with the door open (i.e., not in the door frame). If there is more resistance to the deadbolt locking while the door is shut (i.e., the door is in the door frame) then the lock will be expending extra battery to lock and unlock on its own.
- If the deadbolt is not being blocked, the lock motor may be having difficulty turning the deadbolt, so disassembling and reassembling the lock may help the situation.
For lever locks
- There is no deadbolt to check, so it is recommended to disassemble and reassemble the lock to decrease the risk of mechanical issues.
Verify whether auto re-lock is enabled
If auto re-lock is on, the lock functions more often. It may be beneficial to disable this feature to preserve battery life. For more information on auto-relock compatibility and how it can be disabled, see the specific lock model's installation or user guide in Locks.
If the preceding steps do not resolve the behavior, consider replacing the lock and/or Z-Wave chip (if applicable).