Is a Smart Lock Still Smart When Your Electricity Goes Out?
How smart is a smart lock when the power goes out? There's no definitive answer to this question. A lot depends on the type of lock you have and whether you've attended to its basic maintenance needs. But there are some circumstances when a power cut can disrupt your lock's operations.
Some Functions
Of course, a smart lock would be a plain lock if manufacturers didn't account for the possibility of a power cut. But depending on your lock, some functions may automatically deactivate when the power goes out. For example, if your lock is linked to a smart home hub via wifi, this connection will be severed during power loss. You won't be able to remotely grant access to your home via the lock's smartphone app. Other remote functions will also be disabled. But the lock itself should still be functional.
Independent Power
Smart locks have an independent power supply, namely batteries. These are not specialist batteries, and most locks accept standard AA batteries. You will still be able to activate and deactivate your lock. Even unlocking your home with your smartphone (via bluetooth) will work, as long as you're physically present. Deactivating a smart lock with bluetooth means your phone sends the correct deactivation ultra-high frequency radio wave, which doesn't involve wifi.
Critical Maintenance
It's up to you to make sure your smart lock has adequate power. If you neglect this critical maintenance, you might run into trouble (regardless of whether there's a power outage). Much like a smoke detector, a smart lock will let you know when its batteries are low. There will be an audio notification—with the precise sound depending on the lock. Many locks use a high-pitched chirping noise. Do not ignore this sound.
Locked Out
When installing a smart lock, you may have left the original manual lock in place. The locking mechanism of smart locks is often retrofitted to the existing deadbolt. As such, you might be able to still open the lock if you have the key. If not, and if the smart lock's batteries have died, you are well and truly locked out. You'll need to call an emergency locksmith, as there are no remaining options for deactivating or bypassing the smart lock. Once the locksmith has finished their work, it's just a case of changing the smart lock's batteries.
Although your smart lock should be able to perform its primary duties during a power cut, it can't do much if its own power supply is cut. Fortunately, this isn't likely to be a regular problem, although it's an incredibly inconvenient one, and you'll need a locksmith's help to solve it.
Contact an emergency locksmith for more information.