Smart locks are becoming increasingly popular in recent years. These Smart locks are designed to make it easier for people to get into their homes by replacing traditional keys with smartphones.
The answer is yes, but to an extent. To prevent the smart lock software from malfunctioning due to heavy rain, the touchpad has an automated locking mechanism. The lock will automatically lock if heavy rain is detected.
How Waterproof Are Smart Locks?
Your smart lock probably can handle more water than you think, but let’s not put it to the test, okay?
Many electronic devices, including cell phones, are becoming more water-resistant. This water resistance is more of a convenience than a need. Unless you are talking about smart locks.
Waterproofing is needed for your smart lock. It wouldn’t be worth the $200 you spend on it if it wasn’t water-resistant enough to handle rain. Smart locks are amazing devices that perform a lot of useful things, but they aren’t worth replacing every time it rains.
Almost every smart locks are going to come equipped with waterproofing built-in. In fact, if it doesn’t have waterproofing, you’re looking at an anomaly. You almost never have to worry about your smart lock breaking from the outside of your door due to water, as a general rule.
However, any smart lock could be broken by heavy rain. If you live somewhere that it hails, your lock might get damaged and eventually lose its outdoor waterproofing.
Are Smart locks waterproof on both sides?
This question is only for people who are putting a smart lock on an outdoor entryway that is exposed from all sides. While this kind of setup is rare, it will need waterproofing on both ends of the lock to work.
Smart locks are not waterproof on the inside, which means that if it rains, the side with the deadbolt lever will break.
These locks are designed to withstand weather that hits the part of the door with the keyhole or some form of a numeral pad, not the side where the batteries and wireless connectivity are stored. Unfortunately, there isn’t much of a need on both inside and outsides for waterproof locks. Smart Lock manufacturers will make products that appeal to the masses, and waterproofing on both sides is a rare need.
Why waterproofing is expensive and rare?
It’s difficult to make anything waterproof, especially devices with replaceable batteries. Because smart locks are installed on something, making them waterproof is very tough.
Many smart mobile/cell phone manufacturers are quick to advertise water resistance, but in reality, these features aren’t perfect. The majority of waterproof devices are waterproof for the simple reason that getting anything into the components is hard. Since most phones nowadays come with a built-in rechargeable battery, there is no need for an access panel to use the phone.
Because water had such easy access to sensitive innards, many devices failed as a result of these access panels. Smartphone manufacturers are inclined to make devices that can handle a drop into a toilet or a swimming pool, but smart locks never leave your front door. (well, they shouldn’t leave your door anyway)
A smart lock’s outside is waterproof, but it’s easier to waterproof than its previous counterpart. Even the fanciest locks need just a touchpad, which is extremely easy to waterproof; in fact, they are mostly waterproof anyway.
Only one or two insulated wires will pass through the door to the other side, and the outside of your lock will be well-sealed. The electronics on the outside of the door are really simple and do not perform any computations. The power for the device on the outside is safely stored inside, so it does not need to be taken care of.
Waterproofing a part of a device is really simple, but waterproofing the entire device is hard.
Boats, as an example, are mostly waterproof, but if you get water on the wrong side of them they are not. In this way, smart locks are similar. The parts that need to be waterproof are, but the parts that don’t need to be aren’t.
Waterproofing the inside portion of a smart lock
Unfortunately, there aren’t many resources available for waterproofing your own things, and the resources that are available are fairly bad.
The hope is for you to be able to create your own custom solution that meets your needs and is not too ugly.
Here are some options/solutions for you to consider:
Give your lock a roof
Luckily for humanity, they developed a way of waterproofing our homes. You can do this by installing a waterproof barrier above us in order to divert rain into drain systems that have been established over many years.
Installing a rain blocker on top of your smart lock is a very simple solution to the smart lock situation.
There is have so many things out there that you could use. If needed, you could simply hang a tarp over the top of your smart lock to protect it from the falling rain.
Lots of Vaseline and Silicon
Silicon is used to seal the smart lock to the door. This is needed to prevent water from entering the space between the door and the smart lock. This is where the majority of the water that will ruin you will be found.
Vaseline is a great waterproofing solution for electronics. Disassemble your smart lock and fill the entire thing with vaseline, even the battery compartment. Fill every single nook and cranny with the stuff.
This can get messy and it’s surely not a permanent or ideal solution, but if you’re in a need, it’ll work for a month or two.
Use something less gooey if you live somewhere with an especially hot climate; otherwise, the vaseline will drip out during the summer.
Finally, use silicone on any visible cracks that might let water to enter. This is really important. If you put a lot of silicon over the cracks in the battery compartment, as an example, you will protect it far better than if you only use the cover.
Plastic bag
This is the most annoying of all the solutions, but it might be the most effective. Wrap some really strong plastic around your smart lock, and then screw it in tightly. Although you will lose access to the actual locking mechanism, you may still use your smartphone or tablet to unlock it!
To be honest, this is going to look really trashy and cheap, but it’ll probably work.
Are smart locks waterproof
