My new smart lock bricked itself during a rainstorm in Portland

I installed a brand new August smart lock on my front door about a month ago. Last Tuesday, during a heavy downpour, the unit just died. The app showed it offline, and the keypad was completely unresponsive. I was locked out for an hour in the rain until my neighbor had a spare key. The company says moisture shouldn't cause that, but the timing was perfect. Has anyone else had a smart home gadget fail right after bad weather?

3 comments

3 Comments

aaron_perry6d ago

Honestly, the bigger issue is how these companies test their stuff. They probably check it in a lab with a light mist, not a sideways Portland downpour. That real world weather proofing is never as good as the box says. I'd bet the seal around the keypad or the battery compartment failed and let water right in. It's a design flaw they won't admit to until enough people complain. You should push them harder on that exact point.

jessica7076d ago

Exactly! Smith.nancy is right about pushing for a replacement. These companies need to test their gear in actual storms, not just perfect lab conditions. Keep bugging them until they admit the seal was bad.

smith.nancy6d agoTop Commenter

Push for a full replacement, not just a repair. I had a client's outdoor camera fry after a storm and the company tried to blame a power surge. I made them send a tech out who found a bad seal on the housing, same as @aaron_perry is saying. Keep telling them the failure happened during rain and ask for their weather testing specs. If they say it's sealed, ask how the water got in then. They'll usually fold and send a new unit if you're annoying enough about the design flaw.

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