‎Base batteries not charging | SimpliSafe Help Center
 
ron_133's profile

Monday, February 13th, 2023 10:12 PM

Base batteries not charging

​I've been getting an error message from my base station that says the backup batteries are not charging. I called support today and they had me power down the base station and pull one of the batteries for about a minute, then re-insert it. It seemed to work, but just 2 hours later the base station started announcing that the backup batteries weren't charging. For the record, the base station is a bit over 2-years old and everything is working normally except for this error message.​

​I called Support back and they're now shipping me a new power supply. I wanted to check on this forum to see if that sounds logical to other users who have also had this problem. Any input would be appreciated!​

Community Admin

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4.3K Messages

2 months ago

Hi @ron_133 ,

Thanks for reporting this issue. Could you please check what type of batteries are installed in your Base Station?

If you see alkaline, that type of battery is not able to charge, which might be why you're seeing that message. The correct type would be NiMH (nickel-metal hydride), and only that type should be installed.

17 Messages

@davey_d​ I checked the batteries the first time I spoke with tech support. They are, indeed, NiMH rechargeable batteries.

(edited)

Community Admin

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4.3K Messages

@ron_133​ ahah, then yes, a replacement power adapter is a good next step (it could be an issue with not enough voltage coming through). If that doesn't work, then the next step is to replace the whole Base Station.

1 Message

@davey_d​ why would the company ship non rechargeable batteries with the system?

This reply has been converted into a comment

2 Messages

2 months ago

When I called Support about the same issue they told me it was something to do with a recent KeyPad update and would be resolved by a new update soon?  I'm getting this error message on the KeyPad and my Base Station is announcing the problem as well.  

Community Admin

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4.3K Messages

@lrunning​ that's partially right. Firmware Update 2.10 included better support for the UL985 standard. Part of that required a way for the system to detect if there's an issue with the batteries or the charging circuit - of course to make sure that the system is always ready in case the main power is ever disconnected.

So it's an intentional feature that was recently added, which detects potential problems with your Base Station and its batteries. So the correct way to address it is the following:

  • Make sure that your Base Station has 4x NiMH type batteries installed
  • Make sure that all four batteries are seated correctly, and there is no corrosion or leakage
  • Reach out to our Support team so we can replace your Base Station's power adapter, batteries, or the Base Station itself

(edited)

1 Message

After this firmware update, I now have to buy NiMH batteries to stop it from telling me they won't recharge and it has already once issued a phantom "alarm off" when the alarm was already off. Not a great update y'all. Quite unhappy and probably will never do another firmware update unless forced to. 

17 Messages

2 months ago

As I said above, at the suggestion of Support, I pulled one battery for about 2 minutes then put it back in. I thought the problem was solved, but then after a few hours I heard the base station announce that the backup batteries were not charging. That's when I called SimpliSafe again, but now, I haven't heard or seen a peep from the base station and it seems to be operating normally. 

It is at least worth a try to remove the bottom cover of the base station (the screw is under the power cable) and to pull one battery for a couple minutes then reinsert it. See if that helps. It certainly can't hurt. I'll let you know how it's going when I receive the new power supply from SimpliSafe.

1 Message

1 month ago

So I was getting the same error message after installing the new update. I have had this system for years now and never recall getting this message. I decided to try this battery truck mentioned above and when I opened up the bottom of my base station to check the batteries I noticed I didn’t even have any installed! After installing new rechargeable batteries, I have not received the error message (obviously). 

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@SawBlade​ That's what we call an easy fix.

27 Messages

I called support regarding this issue and they sent me replacement batteries. Once I swapped out the batteries, the problem went away.

1 Message

18 days ago

@davey_d​ why would the company ship non rechargeable batteries with the system?

This comment was created from this reply

Community Admin

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320 Messages

@mrpipes3​, I'm so sorry to see that your Base Station was shipped with incorrect batteries. I've escalated this to our Support team - a Specialist will contact you soon to make this right! 

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