False Low Battery
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My system has been up and running for 8 months now and while I had a whole bunch of false low battery shutdowns in the first month or two I have had no problems at all for the last 6 months until now.
A trv showed as disconnected so I took the batteries out and restarted it. This action triggered a low battery email.
I notice no one else has been complaining on this thread. Have Tado fixed this issue without telling us?0 -
I’ve just had a similar problem with 2 of my TRVs - tried just re-starting the TRVs, re-inserting current batteries. They were only 5 weeks old!! Cured one of the TRVs but still had a red spanner against it in the app because I didn’t wait long enough before re-installing it after putting the batteries back - I had a professional fit them initially so I was a complete novice playing with these!!
The other one turned out to by gunked up on the valve pin with green copper deposits and wax so I cleaned it, moved the pin in and out to loosen it up and re-installed it. Kept getting E2 errors as it wasn’t calibrating properly. I think the fitter maybe didn’t do a very good job fitting the adapter and when I replaced the head it would only work if the reading showed at the side rather than at the front of the head!! I don’t need to see the reading - I have a temperature sensor in the room so at least it works this way!! Calibrated and red spanner disappeared from my screen.
No more low battery messages!!
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I have 10 smart valves fitted for a couple of years. In my experience some valves and constantly asking for new batteries with little battery consumption. Other valve batteries are still okay since I installed the system - all get equal use. Having a problem at the moment whereby one valve is requesting new batteries every couple of days. There is obviously a deeper issue here that the company either a: understands and will not address due to culparbility and payout / replacement or b: having had plenty of time to investigate they do not care. Thus I would not recommend the system. Maybe a mass uptake of Trustpilot reviews detailing your experience(s) would help push the point?
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@Gary544 , while you might perceive the TRVs have had equal use, the reality is that the RF communications in some may require much more power due to the amount of building that have to transmit and receive through. This can have a significant impact on battery life although 2 days is pushing it quite a bit!
Can you share the firmware versions of all your TRVs and also what Tado support findings are.
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Hello @Gary544,
I agree with @davidlyall and would also be interested in learning more about your TRVs and interactions with tado° support.
Until then, I can also share some best practices regarding batteries and tado°:- Check if you’re using the correct batteries for each tado° device. If not, replace them.
- Try using a fresh set of batteries. They lose capacity even if you don’t use them. So, even if you’re using brand-new batteries, they might already be low or depleted, e.g. due to a long storage time.
- Make sure that the radio connection between your tado° devices and the Internet Bridge is strong enough. A weak signal can greatly increase battery depletion.
- Check that your Internet Bridge is in a suitable position.
0 - Check if you’re using the correct batteries for each tado° device. If not, replace them.
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Just adding in a suggestion, @Gary544 you can check if you have a fault with a TRV by swapping it with another that doesn't show the battery issue. If the battery problem stays with the TRV then the TRV is faulty but if the issue stays with the location i.e. transfers to the swapped TRV, then you know it's something related to the communication back to the bridge.
As @Emcee has mentioned in point 4, try getting your bridge into an optimal position in the house. A powerline adapter or WiFi extender with ethernet port are useful for this if your router is not in a great location
@Emcee , on point 3 above, is it possible for users to see the signal strength? It would be a really useful feature if we could have a radio strength indicator in the device settings. I'm sure the data is there but it just needs to be displayed. Thanks
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@davidlyall
There isn't a way to see the signal strength as of right now. But if you'd like me to bring it up during the next product planning meeting (August), you could go re-animate this thread (indicate this is still relevant to users in July 2024 with a comment). That way, I can include it in our discussion.1 -
@Emcee. I've done that now1
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Weak signal strength on a device can significantly impact battery life, often leading to rapid power depletion. For more information on recommended batteries visit FAQ section. It's important to note that not all lithium batteries are suitable. These batteries can vary in their chemical composition, which may result in more issues.
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@SteveIreland hello Steve. We use the standard Panasonic eneloops. They are rated at 1900mAh. The primary difference with the pro version is a higher mAh rating, IIRC, 2200mAh. In practice, some of ours are Panasonic, but not branded as eneloops. Not noticed any difference in performance. The big difference I see in different AA battery brands is the variation in physical size and mAh rating. Consistent sizing is important. Duracells get stuck in our LED torches, whereas eneloops fit easily. Higher battery ratings should last longer. There are other threads that discuss the battery variations and what works for users.
IIRC, the network protocol is 802.15.4. Intended for low-power home IOT devices, with a 10m wireless range. Lots of documentation available on-line to read, if you are inclined that way. Tado appears to use the simple mode, everything talks via the internet bridge. There is an alternative protocol mode that allows ‘relay’, which would have a higher battery demand. Distance and communication throughput (proxy for frequency of the schedule) will have an effect on battery life in an 802.15.4 network.
I’ve been analysing 2.5 years of gas consumption data today. Comparing our 2022-24 usage, at the same outside temperatures in 2018-21 … Tado has given us the control to help cut our annual gas consumption significantly. It took us three months to figure out what worked well. The first year reached about 30% saving. The past 12 months are around 50%. ROI is 8.5 months at current UK energy prices. We may be an outlier, and can’t promise that others will achieve the same.
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@SteveIreland our early experiences received a lot of ‘low battery’ warnings. We took to checking the batteries, then changed to Panasonic eneloops, and latterly ignore the warning until the device goes off-line. We had one TRV in our rellies home (of 24) that ate batteries every two-four weeks. When I checked, it had a continuous 10mA battery draw and eventually failed.
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Done with tado and the battery circus. Moving to evohome.0
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Using Tado for about 4 years. I only use Varta recycled rechargable so not the one Tado suggests. Depending on the radiator (or rather how often that one needs to open/close I guess), it lasts between one full season to .75 season. I have a total of 9 TRVs and I need to change/charge batteries every few months.
And it is always the same ride. Warning that the battery is empty mail, I open the app, nothing, I delete the mail. A few weeks later, the same thing and then two things can happen, the app says it is empty and I replace or the app says nothing and I delete the mail.
To sum it up, I always get a few warnings first, before it stays on and I assume it is empty. Not a real hassle….
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UPDATE
2 years on from installation
I have learned to ignore all low battery warnings and only change the batteries when they actually fail.
Doing so means that I still have one or two original batteries working after more than 2 years. I have changed batteries, probably once on most TRVs and none on room stats. which is not too bad at all.
The only real gripe I have with the system is that I have one TRV that keeps losing connection, causing it to sometimes stay on overnight or until I visit that room. Not much I can do about that. I see the new system X allows multiple bridges but is not compatible with mine. A cynical attempt to get another £1000 from me rather than sort out the original system.
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@Folkranger
If you're still within warranty, you could ask support for a replacement Smart Radiator Thermostat. At the very least, they could try to help diagnose the problem.0
