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Troubleshooting Guide for Abnormal Sensor Battery Drain

If you notice your Sensor battery draining unusually fast (e.g., running out in just a few days or weeks), or showing abnormal battery levels after charging, please refer to this guide for troubleshooting.

1. Root Cause Analysis

Common reasons for abnormal battery drain typically include the following:

  • Low Temperature Environment (Most Common): All batteries perform poorly in low temperatures. If you place the Sensor body directly in a Freezer, standard Alkaline batteries will fail rapidly. The voltage will drop sharply, causing the App to show low battery or the device to go offline.
  • Mismatched Battery Type: In low-temperature environments (below 0°C / 32°F), you must use Lithium Batteries (specifically disposable Lithium Iron Disulfide batteries, like Energizer Ultimate Lithium), rather than standard Alkaline batteries.
  • Poor Signal Quality: If the Sensor is placed in a location with very poor signal (e.g., inside a closed metal freezer far from the Hub), the Sensor will constantly attempt to transmit signals at high power to establish a connection. This will exponentially increase power consumption.
  • Hardware Malfunction: In very rare cases, the Sensor's internal circuitry may have a defect causing excessive power drain.

2. Troubleshooting by Model

For LS1 / LS2 (LoRa Sensors)

LS1 and LS2 are often used in freezing environments, making them the most common subjects of battery inquiries.

Troubleshooting Steps:

  1. Check Battery Type:

    • If you place the LS1 directly into a refrigerator or freezer, you must use disposable Lithium batteries (e.g., Energizer Ultimate Lithium AAA).
    • Note: Early batches of MOCREO LS1 sensors may have been pre-installed with standard batteries. If your device goes offline frequently or drains power quickly, please first try replacing them with brand-new Energizer Lithium batteries.

  2. Check LS2 Deployment:

    • The LS2 is designed to use an external probe for temperature measurement. Please place the Sensor body outside the refrigerator (in a normal temperature environment) and only place the probe inside the refrigerator.
    • If you must place the LS2 body in a low-temperature environment, ensure you follow the LS1 standard and use cold-resistant Lithium batteries.

  3. Cross-Test:

    • If you have multiple Sensors, swap the battery of the "fast-draining Sensor" with the battery of a "normal Sensor".
    • If the issue follows the battery, it is a battery quality issue.
    • If the issue remains with the original Sensor (i.e., it still drains fast even with a known good battery), it might be a Sensor hardware defect. Please contact support for a replacement.
For ST5 / MS1 / ST6 (Rechargeable/Bluetooth Sensors)

These devices use built-in rechargeable lithium batteries and are more sensitive to low temperatures.

Troubleshooting Steps:

  1. Low Temperature Limitations:

    • Strong Recommendation: Do not place the body of the ST5/MS1 in environments below -20°C (-4°F) for long periods. Extremely low temperatures can permanently damage the chemistry of the built-in lithium battery.
    • Please try to use an external probe to monitor low temperatures and keep the body in a relatively warmer place.

  2. Charging Display Lag:

    • Symptom: The App battery level does not update even after charging for a long time.
    • Explanation: To save power, the Sensor does not report battery level in real-time constantly.
    • Solution: After charging is complete (red indicator light turns off), please short press the Sensor button once to force it to immediately report the latest data. The App battery level should then refresh.

  3. Signal Optimization:

    • Check the RSSI signal value on the Hub. If the signal is weaker than -90dBm, please adjust the Hub location. Repeated reconnections due to weak signals are a major cause of battery drain.

3. When Should I Replace the Battery?

The battery level displayed in our App and MQTT is calculated based on Usable Charge Percentage, not a simple linear voltage correspondence.

  • Battery > 20%: Battery status is good, normal usage.
  • Battery ≈ 20%: Recommended to prepare spare batteries.
  • Battery < 20%: Please replace immediately. Low battery causes unstable voltage, which may lead to data drift or frequent device offline status.

4. Need More Help?

If you have replaced the battery with the correct low-temperature battery (Energizer Lithium) and optimized the signal, but the Sensor still drains within 1-2 weeks, this is likely a hardware failure.

Please contact us (help@mocreo.com) and provide the following information: 1. Sensor SN Code (label on the back). 2. A photo of the Battery Brand/Model you are currently using. 3. A description of the Sensor's Deployment Environment (e.g., home fridge, walk-in freezer, etc.).