Siren drained batteries in a couple weeks?

Hi,

My extra Siren is lost connection, so checked the batteries (has lasted about a year or so) and they needed replacing which I did with 4 fresh AA batteries. about 2 weeks later, disconnected again and on checking batteries, seems they've been drained again?

Is it an issue with the siren or the batteries I'm using (regular amazon basic AAs)

Thanks

Responses

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captain11

6.7K Messages

5 years ago

@victoria_115 If you got a year out of the siren, and then only 2 weeks, I would suspect the batteries. I would try 2 Duracell and see how it goes. If okay, the batteries are to blame and return them Amazon. If the siren, contact SS for troubleshooting or return/replacement.

justindeloach

7 Messages

4 years ago

You're not wrong Victoria, same here. I am sending back for a refund the 2nd siren to chew through batteries. They know there is a problem. One theory is an update causes the problem. It's too bad that we cannot rely on a part of the system to make us feel Simplisafe.

davey_d

Former Community Admin

•

5.7K Messages

@justindeloach The thing is, the Siren doesn't have its own firmware, so that wouldn't be the cause for a sudden issue like this.

One thing that could have been the problem, however, is interference. That could have forced your siren to work harder than it should to maintain the connection with the Base Station, which could drain the batteries if it goes on for long enough.

Interference can be caused by dense physical objects literally getting in the way of the signal. So if there are thick walls or heavy appliances between the Base Station and that Siren, that could be blocking the signal.

The other thing could be other wireless signals competing for the same airspace. Since the Base Station uses a low frequency to communicate with the components, you're looking for simpler devices like remote controlled garage door openers, wireless weather stations, or even some older types of baby monitors.

Sorry to hear that you're sending back your siren. But if you ever want to try again, please let our Support team know and we can help with troubleshooting further.

4 years ago

edmarcot45

2 Messages

3 years ago

Same problem here even with the replacement for my1st one that killed batteries in about a month.

ron0a5c13

3 Messages

Same thing here. The replacement is even worse than my original. Can't even get a week out of it with 4 brand new duracell batteries.

2 years ago

emily_s

Community Admin

•

3.4K Messages

@ron0a5c13 Where is your Extra Siren placed? If it is around any sources of interference, that could cause the siren to have to work harder to maintain its connection the the Base Station, causing this battery drain.

There are two sources of interference we want to look out for: physical and wireless. Physical interference comes from objects getting in the way between the siren and Base Station. This would come from things like dense brick/stone walls, mesh insulation, or heavier appliances. Wireless interference comes from other wireless devices that broadcast at the same signal as SimpliSafe devices. These are simpler objects, like remote car starters and ham radios.

To troubleshoot the siren's battery, I would scan the area around it and look for any sources of interference. If there are any, it can help to change the placement of the siren to move it away from the interference.

2 years ago

neilentona

1 Message

My siren is on the same location ever since I installed it and no know physical or RF interference that I know of.this happened twice already and last month, I replaced the battery with Ultimate Lithium that should last a lot longer than a regular Alkaline battery but the siren still drains it pretty quick. You people from Simplysafe need to figure it out soon.

8 days ago

chgopatti

8 Messages

2 years ago

I have the same issue - I even bought a brand new siren last month thinking the first remote siren may have stopped working. The new one also keeps draining batteries after two weeks and stops communicating. I have the first siren's batteries for over a year, likely longer, and it worked just fine. What's up? Am I now stuck with two remote sirens that drain batteries after two weeks?

Something at SimpliSafe must have changed to cause this battery draining issue.

chgopatti

8 Messages

2 years ago

My remote siren is not far from the main hub, inside, warm temp.

Something at SimpliSafe must have changed to cause this battery draining issue. Or do I have two duds and out the $$?

justindeloach

7 Messages

They knew a system update was the problem years ago. Call and e-mail them. Don't let them off the hook.

2 years ago

chgopatti

8 Messages

@chgopatti We had no luck whatsoever with battery life regardless of where we moved it. Ended up buying a kit and converting it to AC and have it plugged into an outlet that itself is on battery back up. No more battery issues!

2 years ago

rich708

2 Messages

2 years ago

I was having a problem with the siren batteries going dead in about a month.

I kept the siren and base station behind the TV on the TV stand.

Based on comments here I moved the siren to the desk about 10ft away and I have not had to change batteries for more than 3-4 months.

Apparently the siren was getting interference from the TV.

chgopatti

8 Messages

Glad you found a solution! We had no luck whatsoever with battery life regardless of where we moved it. Ended up buying a kit and converting it to AC and have it plugged into an outlet that itself is on battery back up. No more battery issues!

2 years ago

Snyder1

1 Message

@chgopatti Care to share what you purchased to convert to AC?

2 years ago

rich708

2 Messages

@rich708 A further update on this.....It has been several months since I moved the Siren away from the TV and I still have not had to replace dead batteries. So, the TV was in fact causing the battery problem.

1 year ago

cbmorec26aa7

2 Messages

1 year ago

I am also having the same problem. I'm now using rechargeable batteries, but it's still a pain to change them every two weeks.

I'd love to have an external power supply to eliminate this process. Is that possible?

cbmorec26aa7

2 Messages

1 year ago

I also purchased a new siren. The two week battery drain is still happening.

There's a keypad right next to it, so a weak WiFi signal is not the problem. Ther WiFi router is 8 feet away.

simplisafe_admin

Community Admin

•

1.8K Messages

@cbmorec26aa7 It sounds like there may be some source of interference getting between the Extra Siren and Base Station. When this happens, it forces the siren to work harder to maintain a connection, which can cause its batteries to drain.

Are there any thick walls or heavy appliances between the Wireless Siren and Base Station? If there are, it can help to adjust the placement of the Wireless Siren, or Base Station, to reduce the amount of interference between the two devices and create a clearer path between them.

1 year ago

nickciar1

1 Message

1 year ago

Hi - I’m having the same problem. I doubt it is interference as I’ve had the basestation and the siren in the same placement for years, have not added any new devices near them, and it’s suddenly draining batteries every couple of weeks. I had the same issue with a keypad which was solved by replacing it. Obviously not the ideal solution.

simplisafe_admin

Community Admin

•

1.8K Messages

@nickciar1 Thank you for letting us know a bit more about where your Wireless Siren and Base Station are located. If interference is not at play, it sounds like it may be an issue with the device itself. In that case, please reach out to our Support team for further assistance.

1 year ago

ron0a5c13

3 Messages

1 year ago

I bought 2 sirens when I got my system. The one farthest from the base station is still on the original batteries that came with it over a year ago. The second one immediately drained the batteries so they sent me a "refurbished" one which did the exact same thing. I had it sitting right next to the base station to test their theory and the batteries still die right away. They sent me another refurbised one and same thing. Pretty sure the "refurbished" ones are just the ones people sent back and they box them up and send them out again using the same lame excuse that it's interference. I finally got tired of dealing with it and now use the defective one as a paperweight.

brwolfe

1 Message

7 months ago

Had batteries in siren for over a year, two weeks ago it disconnected so I put new ones in, yesterday they were dead again, nothing else in the environment has changed. Chatted with support and the usual questions all which I have already checked. I moved the siren into the same room 10 feet away now. We'll see how long till batteries are dead again.

ron0a5c13

3 Messages

I still have my original batteries in the one that works and it was the farthest one from the base station. My other one that has been replaced 3 times can sit right next to the base station and dies in less than a week. Of course, simply safe says it's a problem on my end not with their product.

7 months ago

simplisafe_admin

Community Admin

•

1.8K Messages

@ron0a5c13 and @brwolfe Thank you both for reporting. I've brought both of your cases to our tech team for further investigation. A member of the team will contact both of you soon for further investigation.

7 months ago

Javairiya

1 Message

2 months ago

Wow I'm really worried reading all the above. I've recently bought this system with 2 bell boxes, and I'm worried they'll send me the dud recycled bell box. Or I'll have the same problems with batteries dying

captain11

6.7K Messages

@Javairiya While I don't have a bell box I do have an 8 year old aux siren and the batteries last about 10 months with no issues. And everything comes with a 1 year warranty and on certain monitoring plans, most for life. If you have an issue, pick up the phone, troubleshoot and get it replaced.

2 months ago

justindeloach

7 Messages

2 months ago

Good morning,

Please change to rechargable batteries. That's what fixed my issue. I started with regular batteries and it started fine, but then all of a sudden it started chewing through them.

Simplysafe knew and knows this happens.

sharon_6

3 Messages

1 month ago

Same for me. Since I got it about 6 weeks ago, batteries last about 2 weeks, then have to be replaced. The siren is only about 40 ft away from the base station - same distance as the keypad and other sensors. I have a couple sensors about 70ft from the base station and they work fine. There appears to be a design flaw with the siren.

sharon_6

3 Messages

1 month ago

Same for me. A six week old siren is now on its 3rd set of batteries. Its only 40ft from the base station - same distance as the keypad and a couple of sensors. I have a few sensors that are 70ft away, so the problem isnt distance. There’s only 1 wall between the siren and base station and nothing inbetween that could be causing interference. Im thinking this is a poorly designed and tested product. Im going to move it, just in case, and replace the batteries again. If these batteries die, then Im removing the siren from my system.

captain11

6.7K Messages

@sharon_6 A aux siren should not go through 3 sets of batteries in 6 weeks, or 6 months for that matter. Call SS, do the troubleshooting and get it replaced under warranty if necessary.

1 month ago

justindeloach

7 Messages

Hey,

Over a year ago I put rechargable batteries in and haven't replaced them since.

1 month ago

SimpliSafe_Jordan

Community Admin

•

193 Messages

@sharon_6 Hey Sharon! This certainly isn't how it's supposed to perform. The the issue persists please give us a call so we can take care of you!

1 month ago

victoria_115

Siren drained batteries in a couple weeks?

captain11

justindeloach

davey_d

edmarcot45

ron0a5c13

emily_s

neilentona

chgopatti

chgopatti

justindeloach

chgopatti

rich708

chgopatti

Snyder1

rich708

cbmorec26aa7

cbmorec26aa7

simplisafe_admin

nickciar1

simplisafe_admin

ron0a5c13

brwolfe

ron0a5c13

simplisafe_admin

Javairiya

captain11

justindeloach

sharon_6

sharon_6

captain11

justindeloach

SimpliSafe_Jordan

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