A video doorbell that works fine in March can start dropping out in July. Front doors in the Valley often face full afternoon sun, and the doorbell sits right on a hot wall. Here is what to look at before you buy one, or before you blame the one you have.
1. Operating temperature
Check the spec sheet for the maximum operating temperature. Many doorbells and cameras are rated to around 122°F, and a west-facing door can get hotter than that on the surface. A higher rating, or a door that gets shade in the afternoon, makes a big difference.
2. Wired or battery
- Battery doorbells are easy to put up, but heat drains batteries faster and wears them out sooner. Expect to charge more often in summer.
- Wired doorbells draw steady power from your existing doorbell wiring, so they do not depend on a battery and usually respond faster.
Ring, Nest, Arlo and Blink all make doorbells that can run on battery or on existing doorbell wiring. If you already have a doorbell button and chime, using the wiring is usually the more reliable choice here.
3. Wi-Fi at the front door
The front door is often the farthest point from the router, and stucco and block walls weaken the signal. Before you buy, stand at the door with your phone on Wi-Fi and run a speed test. If it is slow there, the doorbell will be slow too. A mesh node near the front of the house often fixes it.
4. Where the sun hits
- Direct sun on the lens washes out video and makes faces hard to see.
- An angled mounting wedge can point the camera away from the sun and toward the walkway.
- Light-colored doorbells stay a little cooler than black ones.
5. The app and the chime
Make sure the doorbell works with the chime you have, or comes with a plug-in chime, and that the app is one you will actually use. A doorbell that rings inside and on your phone is the whole point.
Already have one that keeps dropping?
The fix is usually signal, power or settings, not a new doorbell. See why Wi-Fi cameras keep going offline, or let us take a look.
Doorbell acting up? See our video doorbell help, or call or text us.
General information only, not legal or professional advice. Rules, fees and products change, so check with your city or the manufacturer. See our terms.