Hey everyone, just wanted to drop some tips from my own trial-and-error with Aqara sensors. I’m still kinda new to the whole smart home world (joined the Aqara club about 6 months ago), but man, I’ve gone through more CR2032 batteries than I care to admit… until I figured out a few key things.
First off — placement matters more than I expected. I had a door sensor stuck to a metal frame and the battery died in like 2 weeks. Switched it to a wooden door and boom — now it’s been running for 4+ months straight. I guess signal interference is real.
Also, overdoing automations can wear the battery out faster. I had my motion sensor turning on hallway lights every tiny movement (even from my cat). Adjusted the sensitivity and added a cooldown period — battery life shot up.
One more thing: the Zigbee mesh. I wasn’t using enough routers, so some sensors were stretching themselves trying to stay connected. Once I added a couple more mains-powered devices (used some smart plugs), the battery life on the end devices seriously improved.
Curious to hear how others are getting the most out of their sensors. Anyone using solar nearby or tweaking firmware settings? Drop your hacks below — would love to keep my little round batteries alive as long as possible without changing them every month.