What is the Ring Doorbell? Simply put, the Ring Doorbell—also known as the Ring Video Doorbell—is a series of security cam devices that double as ordinary doorbells. It’s a doorbell and a front porch security camera in one product. Made by Amazon.com, it helps safeguard your door and make you aware of who are the people who keep frequenting your home, especially if they’re uninvited guests and whatnot. It’s the best product for all your security needs, turning your simple doorbell into a smart device with a camera and intercom functionalities.
With that in mind, what should you do in case your Ring Doorbell stops working? Do you search for the warranty and have it replaced immediately? Or should you troubleshoot it yourself first in case you can fix it on your own?
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Ring doorbell not working: How to Fix!
When it comes to fixing your Ring Doorbell, it’s all about figuring out what’s wrong with it and how it’s malfunctioning. Its individual features might be unavailable or disabled. Maybe the video camera isn’t working. Maybe the doorbell won’t ring or chime. Whichever the case, when most people think of a Ring Video Doorbell not working, they usually refer to it absolutely not working at all, from the camera to doorbell and various other functions.
See more: Ring Doorbell No Power: How to Fix! – Tips and Tricks
If your Ring Doorbell is as dead as a doornail or dead weight, it might be “bricked” like a cellphone and should be returned to the sender for a replacement ASAP since there are warranty policies available to safeguard you from getting a dud of a product. Otherwise, it might be battery problems.
- Insufficient Power Symptoms: Your doorbell video camera might not be getting power or it might have insufficient power. It might arrive at your doorstep D.O.A. or it might work for a couple of minutes to months, only for it to stop functioning. The symptoms to insufficient power include regularly losing Wi-Fi network connection even though you don’t need to power cycle it to work properly and it freezing up or shutting down during the ring tone sound after pressing a button.
Also, Device Health’s voltage reading gradually drops during the evening when night vision is activated. The white light on the front will also turn off, indicating it’s regularly shutting down. It also freezes up during live events at that. You might have insufficient power as well if your unit’s night vision doesn’t work or its internal doorbell isn’t ringing correctly. This is also applicable if your Ring Doorbell works fine for a couple of events or hours but then stops working altogether.
- Power Issues and Minimum Voltage: If your Ring Doorbell isn’t working, it might be because its power source is damaged, insufficient, or otherwise compromised. The unit requires a minimum of 16 volts AC at 20 volt-amps when connected directly to a transformer or your power grid via plug when used as a webcam. When used with an internal doorbell, it requires 30 volt-amps instead. You can check the Ring unit’s voltage through the Ring app and selecting your model of Ring Doorbell before tapping into “Device Health”.
For something like the Ring Pro to function properly, you need 3,700mV of voltage. Your unit might not work if it’s below that threshold. To fix your impaired device functionality, it can be as simple as checking if the doorbell video cam is plugged properly to your power grid or if the wiring for your hardwired doorbell isn’t frayed or short-circuited in any way. Take note that the level of charge and Device Health correspond to each other. Additionally, voltages above 4.05V can shorten the lifespan of your Ring Doorbell.
- Out of Power or Out of Battery: Even if your power source for the Ring Video Doorbell supplies 16 volts AC or more, it might become less than that because wire resistance tends to keep that ample supply of electricity from reaching the doorbell cam. In other words, your Ring Doorbell might end up not working because it’s out of power or out of battery due to resistance from the excessive gauge or length of the wires involved. Therefore, the best way to fix this is to find ways to lower that resistance and make sure enough energy is being transferred to your doorbell cam.
Additionally, if your doorbell transformer for your Ring Video Doorbell, Ring Pro Doorbell, or Ring Video Doorbell 2 is rated less than 16 volts A/C at 20-30 volt-amps, you need to replace it with a higher voltage transformer to be able to support your Ring Doorbell unit. You might need to hire a licensed electrician altogether to fix the wiring and install the transformer. Don’t attempt a DIY transformer installation if you’re not a licensed electrician yourself. Usually, fixing the wiring and installing a higher-voltage transformer is your best bet in making your doorbell cam work.
- Depends on the Circumstances: How to fix a non-functioning Ring Doorbell depends on whether or not it’s hooked up to an internal doorbell chime or not. If you bought the unit that allows you to use an existing doorbell, you need to check if your Pro Power Kit and the like are properly installed or not. If you’re powering your unit with a doorbell transformer instead, then you should take a better look at the transformer in question. In the case of the Ring Pro, you’ll need to install a Pro Power Cable.
When dealing with a Ring Pro that’s hooked up into an existing chime, you need to check and ensure that the Pro Power Kit is properly installed. Follow the directions included in the kit. There are also videos available on the Ring.com website that will walk you through the whole installation process. There’s a webpage available on the same site that gives you more details on how to install the Ring Pro Power Kit for good measure.
- Ring Community Support: If your Ring Video Doorbell, Ring Video Doorbell 2, or Ring Video Doorbell Pro is connected directly to the doorbell transformer without any internal doorbell chime included, then contact the Ring.com for more details. Specifically, you should go to Ring Community Support to get recommendations, advice, and tips on how to properly deal with your malfunctioning or de-powered unit prior to biting the bullet and having it replaced if it’s still within warranty.
The Ring Pro in particular requires specific steps that should be followed carefully when it’s being installed using the Pro Power Cable. Additionally, there’s an optional setup you can use in order to fix power failure issues—using a plug-in adapter for your unit. You can power the Ring Pro using a plug-in adapter so that you can fix its power issues without requiring an electrician but risking having pranksters unplug it when you’re away. There is a guide on how to power the Ring Pro with a plug-in adapter on the Ring.com website as well.
- Product Defect: Your Ring Doorbell might not be working because it’s receiving insufficient power as a hardwired device. However, what if it’s a battery-powered doorbell that you’re supposed to charge once or twice a year? If it’s running out of juice easily, you can fiddle with your Ring settings using the Ring app, particularly when it comes to motion detection that might drain your doorbell camera’s battery sooner than intended. However, if it runs out of power too fast then it might be an issue with the battery itself.
Always make sure that the battery of your Ring device is amply charged for 5-10 hours before putting it back unto the unit. Undercharging it will result in the unit draining the battery much faster than intended. Like in the case with the unit, if your battery is defective such that it lasts much shorter than the 6 months or less it’s supposed to run on then you can send the battery (or the unit) back for a full refund. Or you can even opt for an outright replacement unit for good measure. Contact Amazon.com for more details. You’re supposed to place the unit or the battery back in its box and papers for a delivery man to take it away from you.
See more: How to Replace The Ring Doorbell Battery
The Bottom Line
These doorbell security cams from Ring.com and Amazon.com will give you peace of mind and security as well as convenience at your fingertips at all times, whether you’re away from home or at home. With that said, in case you end up with a busted unit, here are the ways you can go about fixing them by yourself in a sort of “first aid” sort of manner before you need to call a repairman or Ring.com itself to get it fixed or replaced. Regardless, it’s unlikely for you to get a bad product that doesn’t function from the get-go and you can always send it back for a full refund or an immediate replacement.
It’s important to always remember that the Ring Pro isn’t supposed to power down when it’s hardwired or has a battery installed with it so address this issue post-haste instead of waiting a bit at the first sign of trouble (in case you have a 30-day money-back guarantee involved). In fact, the unit’s battery (if required or included) should come with its own charge straight out of the box.
References:
- “How to Solve Power Problems with the Ring Video Doorbell Pro“, Ring.com, Retrieved July 8, 2020
- “Troubleshooting Issues with Ring Video Doorbell Pro“, Ring.com, Retrieved July 8, 2020
