Is Your Fermax Device's Battery Life Shorter Than Expected?
A battery-powered video doorbell or camera from Fermax offers incredible installation flexibility. However, this convenience depends on a battery that can hold its charge. If you're finding that you need to recharge your device more frequently than you'd like, several factors could be at play. This guide will help you diagnose the causes of short battery life and provide actionable solutions to extend the time between charges.
1. High Activity and Frequent Motion Events
This is the most common reason for rapid battery drain. Your Fermax device is designed to wake up from a low-power state whenever it detects motion or the doorbell is pressed.
- High-Traffic Areas: If your camera faces a busy street or pathway, it will trigger recordings constantly, draining the battery quickly.
- Frequent Live Viewing: Every time you open the app to check the live video feed, the device consumes significant power to stream the video.
Solutions:
- Optimise Motion Sensitivity: Lower the motion sensitivity in the app settings to prevent the camera from triggering with every minor movement, like swaying trees or passing cars.
- Use Activity Zones: Configure specific zones within the camera's view that you want to monitor for motion. This tells the camera to ignore movement outside these key areas, reducing the number of unnecessary recordings.
2. Weak Wi-Fi Signal Strength
Your Fermax device needs a stable connection to your Wi-Fi router. If the signal is weak, the device has to work much harder to send and receive data.
- Increased Power for Connection: The device will boost its internal antenna's power to maintain a connection, which is a major drain on the battery.
- Connection Drops and Reconnects: If the connection is unstable, the device will repeatedly try to reconnect to the network, another power-intensive process.
Solutions:
- Check Signal Strength: In your Fermax app, there should be a device health or network status section that shows the Wi-Fi signal strength.
- Improve Your Signal: Try moving your router closer to the device. If that's not possible, a Wi-Fi extender or a mesh network can provide a much stronger and more reliable signal to the location of your Fermax device.
3. Weather Conditions
Lithium-ion batteries, like the one in your Fermax device, are sensitive to temperature.
- Cold Weather: In temperatures close to or below freezing, the chemical reactions inside the battery slow down, reducing its ability to hold a charge effectively. You will notice a significant drop in battery performance during cold spells. This is normal, and performance should recover as the weather warms up.
- Extreme Heat: Very high temperatures can also degrade the battery's overall health and lifespan over time.
Solution:
- While you can't change the weather, being aware of its impact can manage your expectations. If possible, installing the device in a more sheltered location can offer some protection from extreme temperatures.
4. Device Settings
Certain settings within the app can use more power than others.
- Video Quality: Streaming and recording at the highest possible video resolution requires more processing power and thus, more battery.
- Recording Length: Setting longer recording times for each motion event will naturally use more battery.
Solution:
- Review Your Settings: Experiment with slightly lower video quality settings or shorter recording durations to find a balance between performance and battery life that works for you.
By addressing these key areas—motion settings, Wi-Fi stability, and device configuration—you can significantly improve the battery performance of your Fermax device and enjoy longer periods between charges.