If it's still reporting 100% battery but the lock is definitely low, it's probably because it's not able to talk to the Hub. I have the same lock that I have to keep an eye on. If it ever stop reporting status I have to unplug the battery and plug back in and it will start reporting again. Apparently when it loses contact it goes in to a mode where it is trying to find the hub and it drains the battery quickly.
In fact I am using Hubconnect and I have this one lock still on ST because it was much worse on Hubitat. I could move the ST hub closer to the lock which makes it much better. I can't move the HE hub as it will then cause problems with locks and devices on the other end of the house. One of these days I am going to get another HE hub to add to my system for better coverage and then I can move almost all my devices to my HE hub.
I’ve been using lithium batteries for 5 years. They last at least a year versus alkaline which last several months. The reason they aren’t recommended by Schlage is because of quick discharge which could mean you cannot get into your house if batteries die, assuming you don’t have a key. I have another door with a Schlage lock so it’s no big deal to me as chance of both dying at same time is minimal.
Now why are yours dying so fast? When I migrated to Hubitat 2 years ago I had similar problems. It ended up being a mesh issue because then many of my Zwave switches were older non-plus models. Replacing those along with adding 3 Aeotec repeaters the locks work great.
I have several lights switches close by and 3 Aeon 6 z-wave extenders running from the hub to the lock. Just couldn't get this lock reliably to stay connected on the HE hub.
Without looking at your layout it's hard to say but Zwave is limited to 4 hops. So even if you had 20 repeaters it could only use 4. Also as @ritchierich mentioned regular Zwave devices can also cause issues. Placement of the hub makes a big difference though. I have mine on top of my fridge in the middle of the house and only 4 or 5 devices out of 150ish actually use another device to repeat. Rest are direct connect to C7 (Single story 3400sq/ft).
That is probably it, as I do have many Z-wave switches that are the old non + devices.
At one point I thought I might have to consider replacing some of the older switches, after adding the Z-wave range extenders to no effect. I placed one right by the Hub, one about half way between the lock and hub, and the last one within about 2' from the lock.
The solution of just moving my ST hub closer to the other end of the house and putting the lock back on ST was the cheapest option. I did this about a month ago and yesterday was the first time I noticed that the lock had fallen offline. I couldn't get it to last an hour on the HE hub. It is an old Schlage, probably one of the first ones I ever bought. I have two other BE469s that are working fine, but both of those happen to be pretty close to a HE hub.. If I do replace it I will probably be a Zigbee lock.
That is what brought me to this thread because I went through two sets of batteries in about a month with this lock. At first I just said screw it, I don't really have any automation on that door and I was able to get the Lock codes on it. After replacing the batteries twice I decided I better figure something else out.
I've slowly been replacing all my battery devices with mains powered devices. Particularly for the motion sensors. The lock is a tough one though since it requires some difficult wiring runs in my house due to a window over the door, head space above the door in the attic, and I haven't found a suitable replacement lock yet. Also the batteries in mine last about a year so there's not a big driver in frustration level at this time.
For my setup, my HE is in my network closet near the top of the ceiling, so about 9' high, near the middle of the house.
I recently installed my Aeotech repeater which is directly in front of the lock, but maybe 8 feet further from the hub. I think when I get home I'll reposition the Aeotech to be more in-between the front door lock and the hub.
The hub is about 15-20 feet line of sight from the door lock but there are multiple walls between the two.
Yea, walls can be a big issue for signal as well as nearby electrical fields from AC wiring or appliances. Try to keep the hub at least 6 feet away from any electrical outlets and such. The cleaner the signal the better.
That will be almost impossible. It sits in my network closet with all of my other gear. I have other ports in the house but I don't really want it sitting on the kitchen counter. This lock is the only item I have issues with. I'm hoping a factory reset and re-positioning the Aeotech repeater are going to make a difference.
Yea, I was struggling with this also which is why it ended up on top of my fridge. Luckily I had a drop right next to the fridge so it wasn't difficult for me.
Did you check to see if the lock has entered high-power mode? The manual says this happens if three motor actions in low power mode fail. The only way back to low power mode is doing a factory reset.
Edit - sorry, I see @TechMedX and @lewis.heidrick made this suggestion earlier already. The motor sounds different in low power mode and high power mode.
I haven't because I don't know how to check what mode it is in, but I will definitely be doing a factory reset this weekend to ensure it has a fresh start
My first BE469 was purchased in 2015 or so and it had 6.X firmware. It gave me all sorts problems with HE and never would pair. My other has 7.X firmware and it was troublesome at first, left it on ST for about 9 months, but moved it over after I had replaced a bunch of older Zwave switches. I replaced the first lock with the Zigbee version last summer and it has been great, no issues at all other than the $200 price tag.
Have you tried unplugging the battery and reconnecting it? Not kidding.
I have the same lock, it's been on the front door for 2-3 years now. Mine does this every couple of months, regardless of battery level. The keypad is dead, and it won't respond to automation commands. But the battery is fine. Pull the back cover, unplug, plug back in - works for a few more months. Lather, rinse, repeat. I strongly suspect there's a firmware issue in the Schlage and it just goes off in the weeds every once in a while...
So tonight I excluded the lock from HE, factory reset and added it back in. Earlier in the week I already moved the Aeotech repeater. I can already tell a difference with the way it locks much less powerful sounding. Also it never worked in the lock code manager before but now it does. Guessing I should have done this a long time ago. I'll update here if for some reason the batteries die quickly again.
Let me make a suggestion: replace the guts of the BE469NX (which I believe you have, although you didn’t say) with the guts of a BE469ZP (the Z-Wave Plus version). The guts module (with the electronics) is the same on all of the models (CEN, CAM, etc). Schlage doesn’t sell that module or the circuit board separately, but you can often get the inside module separately on eBay (what I did) from someone who is selling the individual module parts from a used lock, or you can get a “for parts” or used or open box lock on eBay. Only “gotcha” is that, if you just get the guts module, you need to make sure the seller sends a photo of the DSK sticker that is on the mounting plate, and make sure the serial number on that sticker matches the serial number on the guts module’s sticker. I have seen MUCH better battery life on the Z-Wave Plus units (I replaced both of ours).
And, make sure the striker plate is properly aligned/adjusted so the deadbolt opens/closes smoothly, without effort.
