I used normal energizer batteries and they lasted a few days so replaced them with lithium ion as recommended but they are dead in a few short hours.
What is going on? Has anyone got any ideas?
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Hi @brianhargreaves73 - certainly unusual. My battery lasts months at a time. Can you describe how youâre using the doorbell? Does it get a high amount of activity and motion?
In terms of settings do you have the proximity trigger enabled to weed out false motion activation?
Also FWIW - I have tried lithium ion batteries too. I wish I could say they are the answer, but the power reporting on them is inconsistent and they may appear dead one moment and fine the next.
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Original set lasted 3 months. Once the cold weather started batteries lasted less than a month so I hardwired it and now all is well. This thing should have come with a chargeable battery (major oversight in design).
Hi, I have it set to capture every 10 mins and it doesnât get much from outside the fence line as there is a school nearby. Everything else is default setting when I first installed it.
Also I have 2 security cameras to install but with the battery issue on the doorbell I am reluctant to install and sync them up
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I totally agree.
What is the extra power usage on ur electric with it being hardwired? If it uses the batteries so quickly I would expect it to be quite high
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Is this writing to the SD Card or some other means of recording?
Can you please send screenshots of your detection settings under AI Detection > Lingerer Detection?
Iâm trying to help you determine if this is something that can be tweaked via settings or if you have problematic hardware. The batteries should last more than a few days, but could be draining too quickly if itâs staying awake for unnecessary detections.
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It saves to an sd card which came with the doorbell.
I have just put yet more batteries in so will see how many days these last
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Negligible, I havenât noticed any difference on my monthly utility bill.
Iâve realized that my G410 does the same thing when it comes to battery life.I put a fresh batch in and within 30 minutes it went from 100%-70% this seems to me like a firmware issue .
Since users are reporting battery drops on the G410, especially in cold weather, here is a breakdown of how different battery chemistries behave in this specific device:
1. Alkaline (Standard / Included â e.g. Voniko)
- Chemistry: Zinc-manganese dioxide with a water-based electrolyte.
- Voltage: 1.5 V nominal (drops continuously to ~0.9 V).
- Cold Resistance: Poor.
- Rechargeable: No.
- Optimal Range: 15 °C to 25 °C (59 °F to 77 °F).
- Functional Range: Rated down to -10 °C, but in real-world practice, performance is severely limited below 0 °C (32 °F).
- In the G410: Because the electrolyte is water-based, internal resistance spikes in the cold. Under high load (e.g. Wi-Fi or video streaming), the voltage sags instantly. This explains why the app might report a drop from 100% to 70% in 30 minutes. Itâs often the firmware misinterpreting the voltage sag under load. This is not necessarily a âbug.â
2. NiMH (Nickel-Metal Hydride â e.g., Eneloop)
- Chemistry: Nickel hydroxide / Metal hydride.
- Voltage: 1.2 V (very stable discharge plateau).
- Cold Resistance: Fair.
- Rechargeable: Yes.
- Optimal Range: 10 °C to 30 °C (50 °F to 86 °F).
- Functional Range: -20 °C to +45 °C (-4 °F to 113 °F).
- In the G410: These are problematic due to their low starting voltage. Six cells provide only 7.2 V instead of the 9.0 V provided by alkaline batteries. This means that the G410âs electronics may reach their lower voltage threshold very quickly, resulting in âLow Batteryâ warnings even when the cells are freshly charged.
3. Lithium Primary (The âWinter Kingsâ â e.g., Energizer Ultimate Lithium)
- Chemistry: Lithium-iron disulfide.
- Voltage: 1.5 V (extremely stable under load).
- Cold Resistance: Excellent.
- Rechargeable: No.
- Optimal Range: -20 °C to +30 °C (-4 °F to 86 °F).
- Functional Range: Down to -40 °C / -40 °F.
- In the G410: This is the most reliable choice for battery-only outdoor use. They show significantly less capacity loss in freezing temperatures compared to any other AA type. They are lightweight and stable but expensive and non-rechargeable.
4. Li-Ion (Lithium-Ion Rechargeable Batteries â e.g., Hixon)
- Chemistry: Lithium-Ion cell with an integrated step-down converter.
- Voltage: Constant 1.5 V (artificially regulated by an internal chip).
- Cold Resistance: Good (though slightly weaker than Lithium Primaries).
- Rechargeable: Yes. (charging should only be carried out at temperatures above 0 °C)
- Optimal Range: 10 °C to 25 °C (50 °F to 77 °F).
- Functional Range: -20 °C to +60 °C (-4 °F to 140 °F).
- In the G410: Itâs a great economical choice, but the power reporting is inconsistent. If the protection circuit throttles under a high load or in extreme cold conditions, the G410 may appear âdeadâ one moment and âfullâ the next once the load is removed. As the internal chip maintains a constant voltage of 1.5 V, the Aqara app will typically display 100% capacity until the very last moment. Once the internal cell is depleted, the protection circuit cuts power instantly. The display jumps from 100% to 0%, dropping off a âcliffâ.
5. Li-Po (Lithium-Polymer)
- Chemistry: Lithium compound in a gel-like polymer matrix.
- Voltage: 3.7 V native (requires a converter for AA).
- Cold Resistance: Sensitive.
- Rechargeable: Yes.
- Optimal Range: 15 °C to 35 °C (59 °F to 95 °F).
- Functional Range: -10 °C to +50 °C (14 °F to 122 °F).
- In the G410: Rarely found in AA format. Not recommended for harsh winters as the gel electrolyte becomes sluggish in the cold, leading to significant power loss compared to standard Li-Ion cylindrical cells.
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Right, I spent ÂŁ19 buying the Energizer Ultimate, as theyâre not rechargeable I thought it was worth a try even if they last a month. They were dead in 2 days. This is not getting ridiculous with how much I have spent on recommended batteries and still no further forward. Itâs set to power saving mode as well to try and make them last but no use. I am beginning to consider other brands and try to get money back on this product.
Is there any other ideas please?
So Iâve just put in some standard alkaline batteries, and theyâve lasted over a month without the power-saving mode being activated. I also have the G410 set up in three ecosystems (Apple, Home Assistant and Aqara Home), all of which access the camera feed.
Perhaps you could get in touch with Aqara Support so they can look into the matter in more detail.
Ok, thanks for your help so far. Im thinking of plugging into mains but the 1.5m cable isnât long enough
This definitely should not be the case.
Looking at your pictures from earlier I see this is pointed in a fenced yard with what looks like a street behind it. The detection settings look ok, but figured Iâd ask anyway⌠Is it somehow picking up a lot of activity behind the fence keeping it active when it shouldnât?
Either way based on the configuration you shared I donât think it should behave this way and you should ask support for help.
As to your earlier question about using wired and the effects on your power bill - itâs negligible because itâs low voltage - probably pennies every month. If you do plug it into mains power make sure you have a transformer in line (you may mean that).
Hi, I have contacted support and they are sending me a returns package so they can run tests.
I have put new batteries in again today just so I can screen shot the power levels. Power save mode, not detections in a still area in my dining room and they lasted 2 mins.
As for the power lead, I bought one from aquaria at same time as the doorbell and cameras, its only 1.5m so its too short. Im reluctant at this point to buy anything else in case they find its not faulty and I just have to go to a different brand. Obviously thatâs just money down the drain if I do that
Do you have a battery tester? Is it actually draining the batteries or perhaps something internal to the doorbell is not awry.
I get it - sounds like youâve had enough trouble as it is. I wouldnât spend any more money until Aqara resolves the issue or gets you a new one.
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I borrowed my neighbours tester and they are being drained. I have replied to support agreeing to the testing and hopefully they can figure out what the problem is
6 Fresh AA batteries being drained in two minutes? Thatâs insane and sounds extremely dangerous. Is the doorbell super hot?