What Happens To Your Ring Doorbell When The Power Goes Out?
For apartment dwellers and homeowners, Amazon's Ring doorbell is a useful smart device that is designed to keep you safe. It is triggered when it senses motion in front of it, or when someone rings the doorbell. By using an app, you can see who's at your door, even when you're not home (via Lifewire).
Users love Ring because it's a beefed-up version of a regular doorbell that offers beneficial features like extra security. When it comes to power, Ring devices can be hardwired just like a normal doorbell or battery-powered. They also have to be connected to your Wi-fi network in order for them to work. Although these devices are a popular replacement for traditional doorbells — many have questioned if they will still work if there are blackouts or if power is cut off for a period of time. Let's take a look and see what happens to your Ring when there is no power, and what you can do to restore it.
How do blackouts affect your Ring doorbell?
After a blackout, it may take some time for your Ring doorbell to get back on the grid, and start functioning normally again. However, a deep dive into various online community forums for Ring users show that some have complained that their devices will not work after the power returns. A power outage can affect Ring's Wi-Fi connectivity and may affect routers due to missing or scrambled settings.
One of the most common issues for their malfunctioning work is due to power surges. These occur when electricity flow stops and starts again due to faulty wiring or blackouts. Ring devices are mostly unaffected when electricity is off, but when power is restored, the sudden increase in voltage can damage them (via Tara Energy). Plus, these surges can cause complete burnout. When this happens, your Ring is damaged beyond repair and needs to be replaced (via Just Energy).
How can you restore power?
According to Ring's website, there are ways you can get power back to your Ring if you're having problems turning it back on. You can try deleting and reinstalling the app after a power outage, or you can reset the device. On a community forum for Ring users, they advise users to perform resets to push and hold the orange set-up button for 20 seconds, then release it. Afterward, they can try again to see if their device works. If those steps don't work Ring also recommends a factory reset of your device to get them back online. A factory reset will delete all previously saved settings including passwords, so you would need to make new ones.
Other suggestions include unplugging and plugging back in your Ring device and resetting the router. You can also close the Ring app, turn off your smartphone, and then hit the restart button. If none of these tactics work, you can get additional help from Ring Support to troubleshoot your problems.
Is a Ring doorbell worth the trouble?
Given the power requirements and potential problems an outage could cause, you may wonder if a Ring doorbell is actually worth it. While it does depend on personal requirements, on balance, the added security a Ring doorbell provides more than outweighs the inconvenience of resetting it after a rare power outage. The doorbell can also form a core part of your smart home. Ring says its products directly integrate with several smart locks from brands like LockState and Lockitron, so it's easy to check who is at the door and then allow or deny access from anywhere with an internet connection. This is particularly useful if you have an expensive package inbound and want to give the delivery person access to your hallway or if you're out of the house and need to let a plumber in.
The doorbell also interacts with several brands of security systems, though it will probably work best with Ring's own Ring Alarm system. There is also the added protection from porch piracy to consider. You can keep an eye on your porch, grab things as soon as they're delivered, or have something to pass to the police and delivery company if a parcel does get snatched. That's not to say the systems are perfect, though, and there are reasons to avoid getting a smart doorbell. These include the aforementioned issues following a power outage, the issues that come with poor Wi-Fi strength, and, ironically enough, the risk that the doorbell itself could be stolen. Although it does take a good amount of force to remove something like a Ring doorbell from its frame, the devices are expensive. Thieves know this, and your Ring could be a higher priority target than whatever is in the package it is guarding.