Ever since the Ring Doorbell was introduced to the market, it has been quite popular. Its fame is not a surprise, though, given the HD quality live stream and two-way communication features of the doorbell. Installing one of these devices will reinforce the security of your home, keeping it extra safe.
But here’s the question, “does Ring Doorbell need the power to work?” No. This device does not need to connect to a power source to work. Ring Doorbells usually come with a built-in rechargeable battery. You can either take it out to charge or use an optional charging cable. The
Does Ring Doorbell Need Power? Here’s How this Smart Device Runs
The battery is how a Ring Doorbell mainly runs, but there is also a solar power option. Since you do not need to connect it to electricity, you may be able to save a decent amount on energy bills. You also don’t have to drill holes for the wiring just to make the doorbell work. That said, hardwiring the doorbell is also one of its options.
If you do take this route, be careful when doing it yourself. As much as possible, get an electrician to do it for you. It will be safer that way, particularly if you have no experience working on anything electrical. The hardwired option is great because it means you can use the battery as a backup when the power goes out.
Both the hardwired option and solar option helps to extend the battery life of your Ring Doorbell. If used together with an uninterrupted power supply, you can ensure that your device will work all the time. It will further increase the Ring Doorbell’s ability to keep burglars and possible intruders off your home.
While your Ring Doorbell may work even when the power is out, thanks to the battery, your Internet won’t. If you don’t have a Wi-Fi network, you still won’t be able to use the device. Using a UPS can save you from this trouble. It will ensure that your Ring Doorbell actively protects your home.
Power Options for Ring Doorbell
Does Ring Doorbell need power? It might not need to, but it’s good to know you have three power options – battery, solar, and hardwired.
Built-In Battery
Ring Doorbell and Ring Doorbell 2 both have a built-in rechargeable battery. According to Ring, the battery should last at least six months. However, many customers say they end up replacing it every 2 or 3 months. Whether you plan on letting the doorbell to run on battery alone or have it wired, you must keep a few things in mind.
Besides the two mentioned models, there is also Ring Doorbell 3 and Ring Doorbell 3 Plus. They are new models with an extra set of features such as night vision, noise cancellation, and others. Both of them also stuck close to the previous models’ design. Ring Doorbell 3 runs on both battery and hardwired power.
Ring Doorbell 3 Plus is also the same as Ring Doorbell 3 in terms of power. Their features are also quite similar. The only difference is the Pre-Roll Video feature, which gives the Plus version with advanced motion detection ability. It can now detect an approaching individual even when they’re still a few feet away.
Don’t let the battery run out completely before recharging. If you let that happen, you will have to set up the device again. You will know when you need to recharge the battery through multiple alerts. Change the battery as soon as you can when you receive the warnings to prevent it from dying. Follow these steps to recharge your battery:
- Remove the two screws you see at the bottom of the device
- Slide the doorbell up to remove it from the mounting bracket
- Connect the device to a USB power source using a micro USB cable.
- Use a 2.1Amp wall charger to recharge your device within 4-5 hours.
- Check the round indicator light to see the charge percentage. When the light turns solid blue, it means the battery is fully charged.
- When you are done charging, disconnect the USB. Place the device back onto the mounting bracket then screw it back again.
You will likely need to recharge the battery every few months based on the activity your doorbell has. If you had to keep recharging the battery because it runs flat a lot of times, you can go to the Ring app and adjust the motion settings. You should also clear out the place near the doorbell to make sure nothing accidentally sets it off.
Wired Connection
The best setup for using Ring Doorbell is to hardwire it to your house power. Do that while keeping the battery as a backup power supply. It will effectively avoid you having to replace the battery every few months. You can physically connect your Ring Doorbell to the house’s power by running it through the wirings of your old doorbell.
With this, you can charge the battery continuously and use it when the power goes off. If you choose to have a wired connection, make sure you connect it only to an 8-24 VAC power with 40VA max and 50/60GHz. Also, don’t use DC, garden lighting, or halogen transformers. Ring Doorbell does run with these supplies.
Here is how to hardwire your Ring Doorbell:
- Turn off the power source of your old doorbell before you replace it with Ring Doorbell.
- Remove the old doorbell carefully and disconnect its wiring. You will need the same wiring for the Ring Doorbell, so don’t remove it altogether.
- Using the power source of the old doorbell, connect Ring Doorbell to the wiring. Follow the instructions in the manual in doing this or have someone experienced to handle it. Ensure that you used electrical tape to insulate the wiring.
- When you are done connecting the wires, secure the Ring Doorbell to the wall with screws or adhesive tape.
Does Ring Doorbell need power? Not exactly, but hardwiring the device can be beneficial. On the other hand, installing the Ring Doorbell yourself is possible only if you already have old wiring in place. If you did not have an existing electrical doorbell, you need to contact an electrician to do it for you.
Solar Power Source
Thanks to the solar power panel included with Ring Doorbell, you also have an option to use solar as an alternative power source. Like wired connection, it will extend the battery life of your device. The claim is you can charge the battery under direct sunlight for a few hours to keep it fully charged.
You will still have to replace the battery when it runs out. However, having a solar power source means you do not have to do so as many times as before. It is less inconvenient this way but not as much better as a wired connection. The good news is you do not need an electrician to connect the solar bracket to your devices.
All you need to do is follow these instructions:
- Remove the Ring Doorbell and the mounting bracket off the wall. Do this by loosening the screws at the bottom and slip the device over the bracket.
- Next, remove the screws of the mounting bracket to remove it from the wall.
- Put the Ring solar charger on the doorbell’s original holes, mounting it with screws included with the charger.
- When properly secured, plug the charger’s USB cable into the port. It’s located at the back of the device.
- To fix the doorbell into place, clip into the charger, and press down.
- Complete the installation by replacing the screws into the bottom of the device.
With this, your Ring Doorbell can charge with the sun. You no longer need to recharge your battery constantly or have to fiddle with wires. Similar to the rechargeable battery, adjust the settings on the app if you still end up recharging most of the time. Although this happens, surely it will not be as often as before.
How to Check the Battery Levels of Ring Doorbell
You can check the battery levels of the device using the mobile. You can check it there directly following these steps:
- Go to the “My Devices” menu and chose the specific doorbell you want to check.
- Upon selecting, you will see the battery levels close to the screen’s top right-hand corner.
When you check through the app, you will see the battery status in an image that shows the estimated battery levels. However, this is not accurate because it only updates per the events your Ring Doorbell detected.
How Not to Wait in Recharging Ring Doorbell Battery?
The process to replace or recharge the battery of Ring Doorbell is relatively easy. However, it can still be inconvenient after a time. Would you not feel the same way when you have to wait to charge the battery? Fortunately, you don’t need to do that. Instead, you can use a Ring Rechargeable Battery Pack.
You can buy this product together with the Ring Doorbell for only less than $30. This battery pack serves as a backup power source for the built-in battery. Its advantage lies in how you can insert it to supply a charge to the built-in battery with a special quick-release tab. As for charging it, you also connect it using a micro USB.
Conclusion
So, does Ring Doorbell need power? I’m sure you have the answer to this question by now. You don’t need a power source to make the doorbell work necessarily. However, you can choose between the rechargeable battery, wired, or solar power to keep it running. Your choice here depends on which will be most convenient for your home.
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