Ring doorbells are the most popular and sold home security device in US and Canada and people are always happy with the free services offered by the company. But, like another electronic device, your doorbell could get into overheating issues.
So, why does the ring doorbell overheat? There are several reasons for your ring doorbell to overheat like improper transformer wiring, software issues and extreme heat and exposure to the direct sun. The most probable reason for overheating and burning in Ring doorbells is improper installation. (1)
When you install a doorbell, be sure to follow the manufacturer’s installation instructions carefully. If you don’t, it might overheat and burn.
This article is my complete research on the ring doorbells facing overheating issues and how you can fix this.
Why is Ring Doorbell Overheating?
While most of the overheating problems faced by Ring Doorbells are due to improper installation, no updating of Ring firmware or exposure to direct sunlight, we can’t deny the fact that there could be a hardware issue.
In 2020, Ring asked their customers to return the Ring Video Doorbell 2 due to a hardware problem causing a fire in the doorbells. (2)
At that time, a total of 350k units of Ring Video Doorbells (2 generations) were already sold in the United States and 8,700 were sold in Canada.
According to Ring, the fire issues with the doorbell were due to the installation process which they later updated and asked their customers to install the doorbell correctly using the updated manual.
Ring further stated that the devices were not defective, but mounting them with any other screws than the small security screws included with the product was causing damage to the doorbells.
So, if you are facing any overheating issues with your Ring doorbell, you need to fix this as soon as possible as this can lead to a fire hazard.
How To Fix Ring Doorbell Overheating?
We have already mentioned the reasons that can cause overheating in Ring Doorbells and going to each one of them one by one helps us identify the exact problem and then fixing that particular problem becomes easier.
Check Transformer Wiring
The transformer wiring in Ring Doorbell becomes crucial when it comes to hardwired ring doorbells.
If the transformer wiring is not done properly, it can cause overheating issues and can also cause other problems with your Ring doorbell.
Make sure to check the transformer wiring and also the transformer that you are using. A faulty or incompatible transformer can also cause this problem.
You should also look for the power supply that your Ring Doorbell is getting. The excess power supply also causes overheating in devices so use a multimeter to check the power supply reading.
Install Ring Doorbell in Shade
Now that you know that your Ring Doorbell transformer is working fine and the power supply to the device is within the limit, you should check for the location of your ring doorbell.
Ring doorbells can withstand weather conditions whether it is hot, cold or rain but the exposure of your Ring doorbell to excess heat and to direct sunlight can cause a malfunction in the internal components of the device.
You can easily fix this by placing your ring doorbell in shade.
Usually, we place doorbells outside our front porch and providing shade to that area can protect your ring doorbell from exposure to direct sunlight.
Use a light color or silver faceplate
This is one of our expectational research based on science, we have read that dark color absorbs excessive heat as compared to light colors.
Ring doorbells are available in two different colors, silver and black. Black color absorbs more heat as compared to silver.
So to check whether the change of colors have any effect on Ring doorbell heating, we used silver and black faceplate on two different doorbells and placed them at the same place for 3 days.
We observed that the Ring doorbell with a silver faceplate was used to heat up less as compared to the doorbell with a black faceplate.
I know that the Ring Doorbells look astonishing with a black faceplate and therefore like you I also had the same, but I replaced that with a silver faceplate and now the overheating issues are completely gone.
Update Your Ring Doorbell
You must have noticed your smartphone has a lot of issues like not ringing or heating up fast because of not updating with the latest software, the same happens with Ring doorbell.
When Ring releases the latest update for your Doorbell and it doesn’t get updated, the Ring device acting up or ring doorbell overheating becomes a common problem.
You can easily fix this by updating your Ring Doorbell with the latest firmware.
Apart from fixing the overheating issue, the update in the software also fixes up bugs, and software glitches and makes ring devices more secure.
Contact Ring Support
This is the last step that you should do when none of the above methods fixes up the overheating issues on your Ring Doorbell.
There could be a hardware issue that overheating up your doorbell, so contact Ring support. If they found out that your device has a hardware issue and it is under warranty, Ring will send you a new device for free.
What To Do When Your Ring Doorbell Camera is Placed in Hot Weather?
There are a few things you can do to keep your Ring Doorbell in working condition when the weather is too hot at your location.
Ring doorbells work fine at 113°F (45°C) but when they operate for a long time at this temperature, they will shut down and stop working.
But when the temperature reaches 120°F (50°C), the device stop working completely and this increased temperature can cause damage to internal components.
So, if you are living in a location where the temperature can easily get to this level.
- Take out your Ring Doorbell and bring it inside your house.
- Remove the batteries and allow them to cool.
- Never charge your battery until they cool down.
- Direct sunlight can heat your device more than the ambient temperature which can cause an instant shutdown. It’s better to install it in a place that gets 3-4 hours of shade in the afternoon.
Conclusion
Overheating can easily become a serious problem for your Ring Doorbell if you are not careful, but there are plenty of ways to reduce the risk of this happening. Use our well-researched key takeaways and fix overheating issues with your Ring doorbell.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Does temperature affect Ring Doorbell?
Extreme heat and cold have negative consequences on lithium-ion batteries, such as those in Ring devices. When the temperature drops, these batteries begin to lose their charge and if it cools enough, they’ll stop operating altogether.
In addition, when the temperature rises, the Ring doorbell shuts down itself to protect it from getting damaged. However, the overheating of the ring doorbell camera can cause a malfunction in internal components too.
How do I know if my Ring Doorbell is bad?
If your ring doorbell is going in a bad condition, you will observe the following:
- Check if your Ring Doorbell wifi signal constantly dropping.
- Your Ring Doorbell shuts off regularly.
- The screen goes blank or frozen during a live event.
- Ring Doorbell is not ringing.
- Night vision has stopped working.
- The trouble with the Ring Pro, is it works for a while and then stops.
