Battery life of wireless doorbell

:: What is the approximate battery life of the receiver of a wire free :: door chime? :: :: For the sake of argument, let's say the unit is used very little and :: the receiver does not have a light. :: :: {Here are some sample products from Argos

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"Push button battery included, 3 year battery life"

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RiTSo

I imagine the 3 year battery life refers to the push button

[Anecdotal, unscientific, and realying on a poor memory.] I recently had to replace the push button battery (Duracell MN21/23) after about nine months. I *think* the chime batteries lasted considerably longer, but I cannot say for definite (I carry a supply of AAs, while sourcing an MN21/23 is a more memorable event.)

Another consideration. The house that this chime is used in has very thick stone walls (~ two feet, and subject to damp); in order for the signal to reach the living room (deaf occupant[1]), the receiver has to be carefully sited so that the signal needs pass through only the external wall.

[1] Of course, maybe that's the reason why the battery lasted only nine months :)

Best regards,

Jon C.

I'd say alkaline batteries could be reasonably expected to last 6 months to a year, with limited use. It might vary quite a bit product to product though.

Not having such a device, why would the *receiver* be battery powered unless you live somewhere without mains electricity?

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*7up is good for you, signed snow white*

    Dave Plowman        dave@davenoise.co.uk           London SW

get a set of batteries like this:

they can ring your bell continuously for 25 years or so

QVC (now there's an admission) recently sold a wireless system where the chime plugs directly into a power socket.

(quick butchers ... aha - a bit pricey)

Merely because that's how they design some of them. I happen to have one for a side entrance, though I forget the model. Don't recall much about it actually, but I think the receiver takes 2 x C cells and hasn't needed them replaced since it was installed a year ago.

As for the specific product OP is considering either the manufacturer can provide this data or it'll have to be measured in use (current consumption as a rough calculation applied to the expected capacity and shelf life of the type of battery used).

The Friedland EVO 50 quote 18 months for receiver (3AA's), about 5 years for bell push (3v Lithium CR2032).

Peter

Bells/chimes here in the U.S. when hooked to main power in my experience use a transformer to step power down to low voltage

12 or 24?). This obviates armoring the wires and makes wiring easier, plus provides fatal shock protection for a hapless doorbell ringer who might be standing on a wet welcome mat. Welcome - ZAPPP! The wireless units are much easier to install, and can be located anywhere with no connections but a couple nails or screws. In my experience the battery for the button lasts a minimum of 2 years and for the chimes even longer. The button takes an AAA and the inside probably one or two C's. I live near Chicago where winters are typically cold. The outside button never gets wet as it is protected by a porch awning. The bell/chime is little used, maybe averaging once a week. I put this in about 10 years ago. I wouldn't buy a unit that uses anything but common batteries.

--Vic

Mine has been in for at least six years and the batteries in the transmitters and receiver/gong are still the originals. Someone living in a really cold climate might find the outdoor batteries would have a shorter operational life or at least would be less willing to operate at sub-zero temperatures.

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John McGaw
[Knoxville, TN, USA]

By the time ten minutes of continuous ringing has gone by, the advantage will cease to be obvious. ;-)

Our wireless doorbells seemed to do nothing but die, they were totally hopeless, in the end I put a wired one in myself which is still going strong, the wireless ones just seemed to stop working for some reason after about 12 months and no end of fiddling with them would get them working again, it also seemed regardless of the amount of money we spent on them as well.

They are not fighting with your wireless network are they ?

Both my wireless meat thermometer and my little Chinese weather station quit when my wifi network is running.

DG

That is a really good suggestion actually and something I never thought of! I can't remember how long we've had the wireless, I think we had the wireless doorbells longer though.

Whilst they all seemed to work a certain amount of time they all gave up the ghost after the same amount of time.

The wired one I put in is just an old fashioned ding dong one, it's not one that's wired into the mains, that really does sound dangerous, epseically where my wiring skills are concerned!!

Nah ... those are tiny.

What you want are Exide OPzS flooded cells - available up to 2V @ 12,000Ah I'm sure there are bigger on the market, but that's as big as I've worked on.

So you can carry into the garden and hear the doorbell ?

Dave

Though I now work for a different industrial battery manufacturer...I used to work for Exide... but never worked with cells larger than 1700 AH. I think the largest cell I could carry into my basement would be about 300AH :)

I've got a mains fire-bell[1] wired up to the phone line.

Owain

[1] Security bell actually, fire-bells don't run on mains