I installed a new Ring Doorbell 3 Plus along with a solar charger a week ago today. I noticed that the Doorbell 3 Plus wasn’t increasing in charge, and it seemed to be decreasing at a normal rate. I also noticed that in Device Health on the app, it said that the Doorbell was receiving power from the battery and that the solar charger was not connected.
Though the support agent recommend I replace the solar charger, I decided to wait a week to see if the Doorbell would increase in charge. It has since dropped to 91% so I am unsure whether or not to replace the solar charger. It would seem strange that I have a defective solar charger right out of the box, but who knows. Any advice would be appreciated.
Hey @mikesuper26. I’ve been getting some clarification on this concern from the appropriate teams and seeing if we need to update our documentation, which we do indeed need to do. I can confirm for you that it may not show that there is a solar panel connected until the battery has fallen below 90%, as the solar panel will not start charging the device until it hits 90%. We are looking to get this reflected in the documentation properly. From the sounds of your post and the update from today, it seems to me that your solar panel is indeed working, so rest assured that you should be good there.
My apologies for the confusion between our Help Article that you have referenced and the call with support. If you ever find there to be a consistent discharge with no recharge throughout the day/night over a few days time, please reach back out to our support team to see if they can still replace the solar panel.
Thanks for the clarificaiton. I can confirm that my Doorbell 3 Plus charges once it dips below 90%, so it appears everything is working as intended. I did notice that the app never shows that a solar charger is connected, even when the Doorbell drops below 90% - it just charges while still saying that the power source is battery. My only request is that the app recongize that a solar charger is connected, so that there is less confusion on the part of the user.
Hi @user75831. Ensure the Solar Charger is properly connected, and that it is receiving several hours of direct sunlight per day. If the Solar Charger isn’t properly installed, or it isn’t receiving an appropriate amount of direct sunlight, it may not provide a trickle charge to your Doorbell’s battery.
If you’ve checked the installation and confirmed that the charger is receiving enough sunlight, but it is still not providing a trickle charge, please reach out to our support team for further assistance. You can get in touch with our support team at one of the numbers available here.