In many parts of the world, winter can bring cold, rain, sleet, snow and sometimes freezing temperatures while summer can bring extreme heat, bright sunshine, and extremely dry weather conditions. As a result, Ring devices may have their performance affected by the weather. This article will tell you why this happens and offer some suggestions on what to do about it.
Battery life and the cold
Extremely cold weather has unfortunate effects on lithium-ion batteries such as those used in Ring devices. As the temperature drops, these batteries begin to have trouble holding a charge and if it gets cold enough, they’ll stop working altogether.
As a result, at certain temperatures, the batteries in your Ring device may run out of power faster than expected and may need to be recharged more often. Note that this is expected behaviour and your Ring device should return to normal operation when the temperature goes up.
Another important factor in Ring’s battery life is whether it is wired to another source of power such as an existing powered doorbell chime. Ring battery-powered devices are run off the batteries, not off of the external power source. The external power sources are used to recharge the batteries and cannot power the device. When the temperature drops below freezing, the battery will stop accepting the external charge and may run out of power.
Important temperatures
The following are key cold temperatures to watch out for in regards to your batteries.
- 3°C: The battery may not hold a charge as effectively, resulting in you having to charge the unit more frequently.
- 0°C: The battery may not charge at all. Even hardwired configurations may not charge the battery.
- -20.5°C: The battery may stop working completely until temperatures warm up.
What to do when it gets cold
- Bring your device inside: When it gets cold and your device's battery runs out, bring your entire device inside and charge the battery with a USB cord. This will allow your device to warm up while the battery charges.
- Make sure your battery is charged to 100%: When charging your battery, be sure that it reaches 100% before your remount the device. While the battery still won't be as effective as when the temperatures are warmer, making sure that the battery is at 100% will allow your device to work as long as possible.
- Monitor your charge and the temperature: As long as the temperature hovers around the points listed above, you may have issues with battery charge. Therefore it's important to constantly monitor your battery life when it gets cold to make sure your device is always working.
I tried to recharge my battery on a very cold day and the battery wouldn't recharge. What's going on?
If the battery is too cold, on-board software will keep it from charging in order to avoid damaging the battery. Bring the battery inside and allow it to warm to room temperature before trying to recharge the battery.
Click here for more information on battery life.
Ring devices and the heat
While Ring devices are engineered to work in a variety of weather conditions, extreme heat conditions and exposure to direct sunlight can cause overheating and damage the internal components of your Ring device. Your devices are therefore programmed to shut down and not ring before the heat tolerance of the device is exceeded. Note that this behavior is expected and the device should reactivate when the temperature goes down.
Important temperatures
The following are key temperatures to watch out for in regards to your batteries.
- 50°C: When the environment reaches this temperature, the device will shut down immediately to avoid damaging the internal components.
- 45°C: While your Ring device may operate at this temperature, prolonged exposure to this level of heat may also cause the device to shut down.
What to do when it gets hot
- Bring your device inside. When it gets hot, bring the entire device inside, take out the batteries and allow both the batteries and the unit to cool to room temperature. Do not charge the batteries until they have cooled to room temperature.
- Remember that direct sunlight may heat up your Ring device to hotter than the ambient temperature and trigger a shutdown. If possible, install your device in an area that gets shade at least a few hours a day.
- Keep an eye on the daily weather. While your Ring device will operate at 40°C, a couple of days at the temperature may trigger a shutdown.
