cancel
Showing results for 
Search instead for 
Did you mean: 
Replies are disabled for this topic. Start a new one or visit our Help Center.

Nest Doorbell (Battery) still drains battery whilst wired to mains 24V 0.5A

FrostxG
Community Member

Recently purchase the nest doorbell battery after much consideration, mainly since you can use a smart display that will automatically show the camera when the bell is rung (if there are other products that do the same let me know so I can switch). 

Tried it with the battery by itself and it barely lasted a week. Purchase a 24v 0.5A power supply that I connect to a mains socket (UK). I've checked the Google site and it meets all the power requirements. However the battery still drains excessively, and I don't understand why the battery is even used if it's wired? Is there no option to turn off the battery or remove it so it runs solely on a wired connection? 

A week later and it's down to 30% from 90% with a wired connection. Granted it does charge the device when it's not in use, but that's not why I wired it, and it's not what Google says is the expected result. On their site it says that if you wire the doorbell then you won't have to recharge it. Well I'm sure I'll need to recharge it in the next day or 2. 

Has anyone successfully managed to wire their doorbell so it doesn't drain? There are so many threads about it but Google still doesn't nothing to fix the issue or provide a solution. They just close the threads after a few days. 

1 Recommended Answer

FrostxG
Community Member

Hey, sorry for not updating the thread.

Yes I've since changed the power supply to a 24v 0.8a plug in transformer, which outputs 19va as opposed to the 12va with my previous power supply. It has been at a very steady battery percentage since I started using the new power supply. If you're in the UK I could link the exact one I purchased. 

View Recommended Answer in original post

14 REPLIES 14

firmwaredev
Bronze
Bronze

Do you mean a 24V A/C transformer?  The Nest Doorbell battery is designed to run off of a doorbell A/C transformer. It does have a USB connection as well that can be used to charge (for people that just run it on the battery and take inside to charge on occasion).  Can you clarify?

Sans the above question, if you do have it connected to doorbell A/C (16v - 24v AC), there are issues with this device being able to stay charged while hooked to doorbell A/C when the temperatures drop down in the range of 0C and below (depending on amount of events recorded, etc).  See this thread for more on that issue, if it applies to you...  https://www.googlenestcommunity.com/t5/Cameras-and-Doorbells/Cold-weather-concerns-with-Nest-Doorbel...

Yes it's a plug in power supply. I've linked it below.

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Doorbell-Transformer-24V-500mA-Power-Supply-Transformer-Cable-/##########... 

It shows as plugged in, but the battery still drains. Is there a way to wire the device so it doesn't consume battery?

The doorbell has been issues for the past 3 weeks, and it hasn't dropped below 0 degrees Celsius here. There are many other threads on this issue but it hasn't been resolved.

That link is broken for me, but since it says doorbell A/C transformer, I presume it's ok.  If you have a multimeter, you might just check at the input terminals of the doorbell to make sure you are seeing 24 VAC there (make sure you put the meter in A/C mode).   Outside of that, it should be charging. Now as mentioned there are issues with charging efficiency when it gets to cold temps.  Depending on settings, it's possible that it is not able to keep above water on charging if the number of events per day is high, even at somewhat higher temperatures.  In my case, with a couple of zones set up, and seeing ~20 events per day, plus a couple of doorbell presses, I was seeing the battery loose ground over time starting at around 35F (1.6C) or so.   Below that point it would steadily drop down to the point where it would shut off.  With some adjustment to reduce events, I've been able to get it to stay alive steady state down to around high 20's F or so, but it looses ground below that point.   

The net is, it appears to only trickle charge the battery using the incoming A/C.  It doesn't run directly off of A/C.  See some of my posts in the above mentioned thread for more about why that would be the case for this device.  There are other devices that can run directly off of the wired doorbell A/C, but they are mostly lower resolution devices, don't have the on-board AI, etc.  It's an unfortunate situation.  It's not clear yet whether some firmware tweaks might be able to help improve things, or not.  I have my doubts they'll be able to do much on this., but I'd be happy to be proven wrong!

Yup it's the correct power and voltage, bought a meter just to check this.

Yeah I guess you're right, it seems like it's only trickle charging and isn't actually powering it. The resolution on this isn't great, I've heard the wired doorbell has a much better resolution, but also lacks quite a few features.

It's just the way Google worded their support page makes it seem like it should run off AC. I've tried purchasing a 24v 0.8a transformer and will see if that makes a difference. If not I'll just buy another doorbell system

Honestly, I wouldn't waste money on trying a different transformer.  That's not going to make a difference.  The doorbell is designed to be used in a regular doorbell A/C circuit, which puts it in series with the doorbell chime.  That means current has to be limited to keep from activating the chime solenoid.  That is surely going to be the limiting factor here. For your situation there presumably isn't a chime involved, but the device has to accommodate that, so would behave the same regardless.  

Yes the Nest Hello (renamed to Nest Wired) wouldn't suffer from these issues as it doesn't have a battery.  It also doesn't have on-board AI..that's done in the cloud, which means a little more latency for detection, but probably not a big deal  I'll probably move that direction myself.  Note, it also uses the Nest App, not the Google Home app.   Google Home is the strategic direction going forward for these kinds of devices.  That's a good thing, though, as Google home is pretty lousy compared to the nest app, at least for cameras, in my opinion.   The Nest Hello / Wired is nearing end of life, so also possible they could stop supporting it at some point in the not too distant future given the transition to the Google developed line of cameras.  I do recall seeing something about a new wired doorbell device being in the works.  Not sure if true or not.  If that's true, it might be worth determining when that's going to happen.   Presumably it could have some of the more advanced features of the Battery camera line, but in a wired form.

Thanks. I'll be trying another transformer to see if an increased VA rating makes a difference. If not then I'll just try to find a different doorbell. 

Jacob429
Community Member

Did upgrading the transformer work for you?

FrostxG
Community Member

Hey, sorry for not updating the thread.

Yes I've since changed the power supply to a 24v 0.8a plug in transformer, which outputs 19va as opposed to the 12va with my previous power supply. It has been at a very steady battery percentage since I started using the new power supply. If you're in the UK I could link the exact one I purchased. 

Jacob429
Community Member

I’m in the US actually. I’m going to try and look for one here maybe.

Spoons
Community Member

Hi there, I'd appreciate a link to the power supply you purchased please.

Brad
Community Specialist
Community Specialist

Hi there,

 

Just checking in to see if you still need assistance with this issue. Please let me know if you need further assistance. 

 

Best Regards,

Brad.

Brad
Community Specialist
Community Specialist

Hey Folks.

 

At this time, I'll go ahead and lock this thread. If you're still experiencing problems, feel free to start a new thread and we'll be happy to help.

 

Best Regards,

Brad.

Brad
Community Specialist
Community Specialist

Hi there, 

 

I apologize for my late response and thank you for all of your patience while waiting for a reply. I can definitely understand how frustrating your situation must be, but I wanted to make sure that your issue was addressed. Do you still need help with this issue? I know that there's been a delay in response since you posted.

 

Please let me know if you need further assistance. 

Best Regards, 

Brad.