Arlo Essential Wireless Video Doorbell no longer trickle charging

[Rosstopher]

Hi there, 

For some time now I've had an Arlo Essential Wireless Video Doorbell hardwired and it's trickle charged perfectly. However, over the past couple of months it's failed to trickle charge, which has led to me having to remove the battery and charge it indoors as the battery depletes itself and the doorbell then doesn't even ring when pressed. 

The doorbell is connected to a 8-24V AC transformer and I have checked the current with a multimeter and this is fine, so from a power perspective,  there is no issue. 

Are there any other routes I could take to diagnose the cause of the issue? Would a battery issue possibly cause it to only charge when connected to a wall outlet and not allow it to trickle charge? 

Thanks in advance for any assistance. 

[StephenB]

---

@Rosstopher wrote:

Would a battery issue possibly cause it to only charge when connected to a wall outlet and not allow it to trickle charge? 

---

The trickle charge is low voltage ac, so needs to be converted to dc.  Not 100% sure where that is done, but it seems more likely to be in the doorbell itself.

[Rosstopher]

Thanks for the response. 

I was hoping that it wasn't going to be the more expensive of the two options, but typically it looks like it will be. 

[jguerdat]

Just to add on, what is the actual voltage measured at the doorbell? Just saying it's an 8-24 volt transformer doesn't tell us anything. Also, did you actually measure current or was it voltage? While they're related, they're not the same. It's possible the transformer is failing.

[Rosstopher]

Sorry that would have helped! It was reading 10v - the chime works perfectly, as it uses the one that was in place when we moved in (new build), so struggling to identify the root cause. 

[jguerdat]

As above it sounds like a new doorbell may be needed. If it's still within warranty, use the app to go to Settings, Support and choose the doorbell. Scroll down to Contacts to see what official support offers.

[StephenB]

---

@Rosstopher wrote:

Sorry that would have helped! It was reading 10v - the chime works perfectly, as it uses the one that was in place when we moved in (new build), so struggling to identify the root cause. 

---

It's still possible it is a failing transformer.   The chime might not need as much power as the doorbell.

If you can install that yourself, it is likely less expensive than replacing the doorbell.  If you try this, get the highest voltage transformer that is compatible with your chime (no more than 24 v), and also get one that provides at least 10 VA.

[Rosstopher]

Thought I'd provide an update.  I bought one of those plug in transformer kits used for ring doorbells etc this weekend and trialled that. It was a 24v and still no charging. 

I've checked the warranty and it's looking like it's just out of warranty, so probably no point reaching out to Arlo. Disappointingly short lifespan on a device that has had quite an easy life, under cover so no direct sunlight and cover from bad weather conditions. Probably look at another manufacturer.

[StephenB]

---

@Rosstopher wrote:

Thought I'd provide an update.  I bought one of those plug in transformer kits used for ring doorbells etc this weekend and trialled that. It was a 24v and still no charging. 

---

It could be either the doorbell hardware itself or the battery.

Does the battery charge with a USB charger when you remove it from the doorbell?

[Rosstopher]

Yeah if charges off of USB.

The in-laws have just popped around as we asked to try their doorbell on it to see if it would charge and popped our battery in it. Their doorbell worked fine and the battery started trickle charging (using the original transformer), so it seems to be the doorbell itself that is the issue.  

[BrookeN]

@Rosstopher please reach out to support. Within the app on your mobile device click on the silhouette on the top left ~ support center ~ the device that you are needing assistance with then choose the issue.

[jeremykei]

That's absolutely good news you're able to pop the battery out. The Gen 2 version of this product has the battery built-in! Which means no battery swaps possible, at least not to the uninitiated without taking apart the unit itself. Kinda downgrades the mobility. Anyone who's looking to leverage the conventional battery swap feature will need to keep at least 2 units of the entire product just to swap. Solar panels trickle-charge to an extent but not on busy streets for us and certainly not under seasons. The only other alternative is to use a hard wire, or mod the product.