Is Your Simplisafe System's Battery Life Disappointingly Short?
A key benefit of the Simplisafe security system is its wireless design, which relies on long-lasting batteries. However, discovering that your sensors or cameras need new batteries far more frequently than expected can be both costly and concerning. If you're constantly dealing with low battery warnings, you're not alone. This guide is designed to help you understand the factors that contribute to short battery life and provide practical, easy-to-follow solutions to maximise the time between replacements.
Let's explore how to diagnose the root cause of the power drain and take steps to extend the battery performance of your entire Simplisafe system.
Telltale Signs of Battery Problems
It's important to recognise the symptoms associated with poor battery life to address them promptly. Here's what you might be experiencing:
- Frequent "Low Battery" warnings: The Simplisafe app or Base Station constantly notifies you that a specific sensor's battery is low.
- Sensors going "Offline": Devices may lose connection and appear as "Offline" in your system dashboard, often due to insufficient power.
- Premature battery replacement: You find yourself replacing batteries every few months, or even weeks, instead of the advertised lifespan of several years.
- Inconsistent device performance: A motion sensor might fail to trigger, or a camera may have trouble recording, which can be early signs of a power issue.
- Keypad alerts: The system keypad may display a low battery icon or an error message for a particular sensor.
If you're nodding along to these points, it's time to take action.
How to Extend Your Simplisafe's Battery Life
Work through these troubleshooting tips to identify the cause of the battery drain and improve your system's efficiency.
1. Check Sensor Placement and Activity
The location of your sensors plays the biggest role in battery consumption, especially for motion sensors.
- High-traffic areas: A motion sensor placed in a busy hallway or pointed at a window facing a bustling street will trigger constantly, draining its battery much faster. Consider repositioning it to monitor a critical path without capturing everyday, unimportant movement.
- Avoid heat sources: Do not place motion sensors near radiators, vents, or in direct sunlight. Sudden temperature changes can cause false triggers, leading to unnecessary battery use.
- Optimise sensitivity: In your Simplisafe settings, you can often adjust the sensitivity of motion sensors. Setting it to a lower level can prevent pets or other minor movements from constantly activating the sensor.
2. Improve Signal Strength
Every sensor in your system needs to maintain a stable connection with the Base Station. If the signal is weak, the sensor has to work harder, using more power to communicate.
- Centralise your Base Station: Place the Base Station in a central location in your home, away from thick concrete walls or large metal appliances that can obstruct the signal.
- Check signal strength: Use your Simplisafe app or keypad to check the signal strength of the problematic sensor. If it's weak, try moving the sensor closer to the Base Station or repositioning the Base Station itself.
- Minimise interference: Keep the Base Station and sensors away from other wireless devices like Wi-Fi routers, cordless phones, and microwave ovens, which can interfere with the signal.
3. Consider Environmental Factors
Extreme temperatures can have a significant impact on battery performance, particularly for outdoor cameras or sensors in unheated areas like garages.
- Operating temperature range: Lithium batteries perform poorly in extreme cold. If a sensor is in a location that gets very cold, its battery will drain much faster than one kept at room temperature.
- Direct sunlight: Similarly, high heat can degrade battery health over time. Avoid placing devices where they will be exposed to direct, intense sunlight for prolonged periods.
4. Use High-Quality Batteries
When it's time to replace the batteries, the quality of the replacements matters.
- Use recommended batteries: Simplisafe recommends using high-quality, branded lithium batteries. Avoid cheap, generic alkaline batteries, as they will not last as long and may even damage the device.
- Check the expiry date: Always use fresh batteries. Check the expiration date on the packaging before installing them.
5. Reset the Sensor
In some rare cases, a software glitch can cause a sensor to use more power than necessary. Removing and re-adding the sensor to your system can sometimes resolve this.
- Remove the device: Use your Simplisafe app or keypad to remove the problematic sensor from your system.
- Re-add the device: Follow the setup instructions to add the sensor back to your system as if it were a new device. This will re-establish a fresh connection to the Base Station.