7 Ways to Reduce Battery Drain on your Yale Smart Lock

Changing batteries in your Yale lock and other smart devices might start feeling like a boring chore over time.

Maintaining high signal strength for your Wi-Fi, Z-Wave, or Zigbee connection is one method to ensure your smart lock doesn’t eat away at your batteries unnecessarily.

So, to learn how to fix this and other issues, read on!

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1. Use Only High-Quality Alkaline AA Batteries

Providing reliable power to your smart lock throughout the entire year is paramount; hence, using fresh high-quality alkaline batteries on your Yale smart lock can help maintain its battery life.

Avoid using Lithium or other forms of rechargeable AA batteries as these tend to die out immediately after it reaches a 20% state of charge. As such, they’ll die out even before you are notified of the low battery indicators.

So make sure to use alkaline AAs. Never mix in with old batteries and always use a fresh set of the same brand.

Low Battery Indicators

Be mindful of the low battery indicators on your Yale locks. Regardless of the model, they’ll always use red-colored indicators, either on a separate low battery icon or the Yale logo. Also, the models that interface with the app will provide you with constant notifications. Some go so far as to notify you via Email.

Whatever the case, always make sure to replace the batteries as soon as you receive this notification.

Yale Assure Lock Touchscreen Indicators Legend 2 — Low Battery Indicator on a Yale Assure Touchpad style lock

Most Yale models guarantee the smart lock will be able to unlock the door 10,000 times or an entire year.

However, models such as the Linus are only guaranteed to last 6 to 9 months. The Assure Lock 2 is guaranteed for only three months with Wi-Fi since it only uses two AAs.

2. Disable Auto Relocking

Optional features such as Auto Relocking can consume a lot of battery, especially with frequent use.

If you don’t feel the need to use these extra features, I suggest switching them off via the app or manual programming. Depending on your circumstances, this can help extend the battery life by another month or so.

When the auto-relocking feature is enabled, the lock will automatically run a timer after you’ve unlocked it. When the timer is up, it will relock the door.

To disable auto relock:

Enter menu mode by:
1. Typing in your master PIN code
2. Pressing the gear/hash button
Then, press “3” followed by the gear button
After that, “1” along with the gear button
Again, “1” and then the gear button
Press the checkmark button to exit programming mode.

This will disable auto relock. To re-enable it, you can follow the same procedure, but in step 4. Press 2-5 to configure the timer for the auto-relocking feature. These run as 30 seconds, 60 seconds, 2 minutes, and 3 minutes based on the number.

To learn more about programming functions, check out this guide.

3. Mute the Speaker

If you have a modern Yale Assure lock with a touchpad and speaker, you can set the speaker to “silent” so it won’t always include a speaker prompt whenever you initiate a command. Here’s how:

Enter menu mode
Press “4” followed by the gear button
Press “3” then the gear button
After that, press the checkmark button to exit menu mode.

This will mute the speaker, to re-enable you can press “1” (High) or “2” (Low) during step 3 of the above step-by-step.

4. Check Deadbolt Operation

One of the major components that can consume a lot of battery is the locking mechanism in your Yale lock, specifically the electrical motor that helps extend and retract the bolt.

So if the motor is sluggish and struggles to push the deadbolt into the strike plate holes, it can cause unnecessary battery drain.

To avoid this, check the mechanical operation of the deadbolt and confirm if everything is operating smoothly.

Test the motor

To identify issues with the motor, I suggest keeping the door ajar and locking the door using a code. If the bolt struggles to extend, there might be an issue with the motor.

Alternatively, you can check the mechanical operation of the deadbolt with the thumb turn to figure out if the bolt is causing a lot of friction.

If the bolt doesn’t seem to be working smoothly in either case, try opening up the internal lock and checking for any visible damage. Try to clean the lock of any dust and debris also, try to minimize friction on the bolt by applying dry lubricants such as graphite powder and PTFE-based lubricants.

Yale 1 check mechanical operation 1 — Checking for smooth mechanical operation of the deadbolt using the thumbturn

Besides that, you can check for alignment with the strike plate holes and readjust if necessary.

5. Improve Wi-Fi Signal

If your home’s Wi-Fi router is further away from your Yale smart lock, it might be struggling to find a strong signal. If this is the case, the Wi-Fi chip on your smart lock might be working overtime trying to extend its reach and find a strong signal.

You can check the Wi-Fi signal strength of the lock via the app, or simply use your smartphone to gauge the signal strength. Ideally, you need to have at least 40 ft of unobstructed distance between your router and smart lock.

Try restarting your Wi-Fi or bringing it closer to your smart lock. You can also set up Wi-Fi extenders, Yale connect bridge, build a mesh system, or clear out any obstructions that might be blocking the signal.

Also, if you’re using a home automation network such as Z-wave or Zigbee, follow the same instructions above and ensure signal strength is high enough to reach your smart lock.

To learn more about diagnosing Wi-Fi and other network-related errors, check out this article.

Disabling the Smart Module

You can also try disabling and re-enabling the smart module to re-pair with your smart home hub. Here’s how:

Enter menu mode by:
1. Typing in your master PIN code
2. Pressing the gear/hash button
Press “7” followed by the gear button to enter smart module settings
Press “1” to join a network or “2” to disconnect from it.
After pressing either of these, press the gear button to confirm
Press the checkmark button to exit menu mode.

6. Check the Cables and the Internals of the Lock

Making sure the power cable that runs from the inside to the outdoor keypad isn’t pinched or damaged is paramount. If it’s loose or slightly damaged with exposed wiring, it can cause excessive battery drain or even cause the keypad to lock out.

Clean any dust or debris and check if the cable is secured in the correct position. Also, try reconnecting the cable for good measure.

Yale Assure Lock Touchscreen Remove Inside Lock 1 — Opening up the internal lock on a Yale Assure-style smart lock

7. Attempt a Factory Reset

A factory reset can help clear out any glitches and recalibrate the locking mechanism. However, don’t forget that you will lose all your existing codes.

Also, make sure the door is closed when you’re carrying out a factory reset as the lock will try to recalibrate the bolt and see if it aligns with the strike plate holes.

Contact Customer Support

If you experience extreme battery drain and are unable to fix it after following the steps laid above, the lock might be malfunctioning due to an internal defect. Contact Yale support for replacement if you’re within the warranty period.

Remember to have your proof of purchase and serial number ready.

Frequently Asked Questions

1. Can I Use the Yale Lock Without Any Smart Modules?

Using a Yale lock without smart modules is possible and can help somewhat with conserving battery life.

However, the lock will not connect to your smart home hub or app and you’ll be missing out on many smart features such as remote unlocking, instant notifications, and integration with smart assistants like Alexa and Google Assistant.

Also, without a smart module, locks will be limited to 25 or 50 entry codes, rather than the 250 available with full functionality.

Under typical conditions, Yale lock batteries should last around one year.

2. How Long Does a Yale Lock Last on a Fresh Set of Batteries?

On average, most Yale smart locks that take in four AA batteries can last around a full year on a single charge. However, recent models such as the Linus, Conexis, and Assure Lock 2 may drain faster.

3. How Do I Know if the Batteries Are Low on A Yale Lock?

Usually, the Yale app will send you notifications and the keypad will signal low battery using red warning indicators. This can be a dedicated low battery icon on the keypad or a red flashing on the Yale logo button.

4. What Can I Do if The Batteries in My Yale Lock Are Completely Dead?

If you’ve got a keyed cylinder smart lock, you can use the provided physical key to unlock the door. Otherwise, you’ll have to use a spare 9-volt battery to provide emergency power to the lock from the outside.

5. I Changed The Batteries But the App Still Keeps Giving Low Battery Notifications.

To fix this, lock and unlock the door 3-4 times using the App. This will help update the lock’s smart settings and prevent low-battery alerts. Also, try force-closing the app or reconnecting your phone’s Wi-Fi and Bluetooth.

Conclusion

Minimizing battery drain can help you extend the battery life of your smart lock and make sure everything is running smoothly.

As long as your wireless networks are strong and you use high-quality batteries, you won’t run into any issues with excessive battery drain.

So make sure to follow through with the steps I’ve outlined in the guide and contact customer support if you experience any sudden changes in the battery level.