How long does your Sonoff DW2-Wi-Fi-L run on batteries?

Ideas & Suggestion Free discussion
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Hi :slight_smile:

How long does your Sonoff DW2-Wi-Fi-L run on batteries???

Mine discharges the batteries for some reason from a few to a dozen hours. Both rechargeable batteries and disposable batteries. I have never managed to reach even a week. :slight_smile:
The sensor is also not burdened with any work. It will change state no more than once/twice.
Reaching 3+ months as the marketing materials claim is fiction for me. :slight_smile:

Clearly there is some problem with DW2 or this one is damaged… Faulty batch… or a bug in the firmware…

Contact with the manufacturer’s support is fruitless. Apart from one brief answer, there is no further communication. :slight_smile:

I prefer to ask how it looks for other DW2 owners before I buy another one and the same thing happens again. :slight_smile:

PS
Firmware 1000.2.1130

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In my case, it looked very similar. I finally gave up and turned to a Zigbee sensor. I recommend you do the same.

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Unfortunately, I’m afraid that this may be a mass problem. But the fact that few people talk about it over time is strange.

I probably won’t be left with anything else but to go with zigbee because rf has only one state and I don’t think it’s possible to buy the old version of DW2 (without L). This old original version works for months on batteries and no problems, only this cursed version L.

What does the PCB look like in the zigbee version of the sensor? I’m interested in the place where the reed switch is soldered? The same as in DW2-L? It’s bloody hard to solder wires with such dimensions. :slight_smile:

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Any response from SONOFF about your device?

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I received one response on Oct 10. I don’t want to publish the whole thing at least for now for good ethics.

They asked about the device’s SN, indicating on the picture where to look. And to record a video of the device’s behavior… which I didn’t do because what can be recorded and observed in the case of DW2? :slight_smile:
I wrote them the SN and once again tried to explain the problem in detail and for the time being there is no further communication.

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Just for info. I mount the first one more then 7 months ago and battery status is still full. Mounted on door which opens twice a day in average.
Then I bought 3 more, and all of them are still full, but these are opened only once a day in average.

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So yours are working correctly… Are you sure they are the L versions?

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Yes i checked and all of them are L versions with FW 1000.2.1130 (last version).

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Apparently I’m lucky :frowning:

What brand/model batteries do you use?

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Activ energy (Hofer brand). Best capacity and lowest price on Slowenian market.

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Hello Morgan, it seems like your unit might be defective. I have two DW2 sensors that I’ve been using for over a year, with 70 to 130 activations per day, exposed to both rain and sun in an outdoor environment. During this time, I’ve only had to replace the batteries twice. I also have some Zigbee models, but I am replacing them all with DW2s because they offer more features, including notifications if they go offline, which Zigbee doesn’t do.

One thing I noticed with another DW2 was that, after inserting the battery, it quickly heated up and drained the battery fast. I always use long-lasting alkaline batteries

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I use a few of these and recall reading that one needs to place a ring of insulation tape around the battery at the positive end.
The reason is that the retainers have a sharp edge that can penetrate the thin wrapping of the battery. I have recently experienced this when a battery set didn’t last a few weeks.
Close inspection showed a tiny puncture in the wrapping and I could feel a sharp corner of the metal retainer.
Hope this helps.

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I confirm. An insulator must be made between the battery holder and the battery.

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Early batches of products did have this problem, causing the battery to heat up and drain quickly. It would be better to wrap the battery, such as with paper. @morgan

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I don’t want to be mean, but the best solution for Sonoff would be to replace the faulty devices or at least send out the housing parts for self-replacement.

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Physical damage to the battery? I don’t see any damage like that anywhere on any of them and I’ve used a dozen or so batteries.

I also don’t feel that the batteries have any higher temperature.

I don’t see or feel any sharp edges in the DW2 itself.

I can wrap the batteries in electrical tape to isolate them from the environment but I don’t see much point in that…

I’ve insulated every element of the DW2 and the batteries… They’re 100% charged, let’s see how long they last this time.

dw2
dw2999Ă—715 141 KB

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Continuing the discussion from How long does your Sonoff DW2-Wi-Fi-L run on batteries?:

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Isolation didn’t help… it worked from 15.11.2024 00:59 to 17.11.2024 17:54
:frowning:

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there is a short circuit somewhere, that’s why the battery is discharging quickly. Check if any paths are not shorted, if the board is heating up. Connect a 3v power supply and check with a multimeter what the current consumption is.

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I don’t have a working meter at the moment. Visually everything looks ok. Nothing shows damage… if there is, it’s probably somewhere I can’t see with my eye.

Unfortunately, it behaved like this since the purchase and the first time I took it out of the box, so it must be a manufacturing defect or some faulty batch. I didn’t complain because I had other things on my mind and now it’s too late. Communication with Sonoff also broke down and they haven’t contacted me again.

Of course, I can try to buy another one, but if it’s the same again, then… That’s why I was curious about the battery life of others. :slight_smile:

However, my old DW2 without “L” works like magic for many months. :slight_smile: