If you have changed the battery on your Schlage lock and noticed it is not working there could be many reasons why this is happening.
It could be the batteries, either the batteries are wrong or you did not install the batteries correctly. It could also be the hardware itself, a wire loose or is it an older Schlage lock that needs to be replaced.
In this article, I will go over the reasons why your Schlage Lock is not working after a battery change and ways you can solve this issue on your own.
Why is Schlage Lock Not Working After A Battery Change?
When your Schlage lock doesn’t function after a battery change, you won’t be able to do things such as unlock it (while unable to unlock you may also notice it keeps spinning), connect it to Wifi, and several other things. These are the issues I’ve written about because I’ve experienced them myself recently.
1. Schlage Lock is Damaged
If you are having issues with your Schlage Lock not working after you did a battery change it could be that the lock is damaged. Like all mechanical devices, they will wear and tear over time. Parts could be misaligned sometimes, causing the lock not to work properly.
If you have had this Schlage lock for a long period of time, in some cases the parts can be worn and in worse cases, parts can get broken. There are ways to see if your Schlage lock is damaged and if that is causing the lock not to work.
Fix – Check to See If Schlage Lock is Damaged
Look over your Schlage lock and see if there is any visible damage, this could be scratches, or scruffs on the surface of the Schlage lock. Check to see if there is any misalignment of the bolt or latch.
When you are going over the lock and examining everything from the strike plate to the bolt and latch, make sure to tighten any screws that can become loose.
Make sure the lock works by the turn bolt or a key, if it has one. If you have noticed no visible wear and tear on the Schlage Lock then there could be another reason it is not working.
2. Batteries Were Not Installed Correctly
When you have replaced the batteries on your Schlage lock and the lock is suddenly not working, it could be as simple as not putting the batteries in correctly.
This happens all the time and if one battery is not put in the right direction the entire lock will no longer work until the problem is fixed.
It could also be the way the tray is not properly on, when the tray is not fully seated this can cause connection issues to the lock.
Whatever it may be, checking to see if the batteries are in the right direction is a good place to start looking for solutions to the problem.
Fix – Look to See if Batteries Were Installed Correctly
When replacing the batteries on the Schlage lock there are slots you place the batteries into. Check to see if you placed the batteries in the right direction by removing the batteries and placing them back into the right slots.
Making sure they make up with the direction on the tray. Another thing to look for is when you put the tray back that it is fully seated and secured properly back onto the lock.
3. Wrong or Low-Quality Batteries
When changing the battery on your Schlage lock it is a common mistake for people to use whatever battery they find in their junk drawer.
This can actually harm Schlage Lock’s overall performance. If you put in the wrong batteries altogether the lock will not work, if you put in low-quality batteries you may notice technical issues with the lock. Such as losing power more often and malfunctioning altogether.
Whether your batteries are wrong or low quality there are ways you can check to see if that is the problem with your Schlage lock not working after changing the battery.
Note: If you use low quality batteries, you could experience issues such as your Schlage lock not connecting to wifi. If you have been experiencing connectivity issues, I’ve done an article that lists out all of the possible reasons why you’d be experiencing this aside from using low quality batteries.
Fix – Make Sure That the Batteries Are Correct For That Specific Lock
Depending on what type of Schlage lock you have can determine what kind of battery the lock uses. Here is a list of what batteries each Schlage lock model takes.
- (4) AA Batteries: Schlage Sense, Schlage Connect, and Schlage Encode.
- (2) AA Batteries: The Schlage Keypads with Built-in Alarms.
- 9-Volt Battery: FE575, FE695, FE595, BE365, BE367, BE369, and BE375
Here are the AA batteries (view on Amazon) that I use for my lock.
Fix 2 – Do Not Use Low Quality Batteries
Grabbing whatever battery you can find can actually harm your Schlage lock, making the lock either have issues with the performance or in some cases not work because of the low battery quality.
There is a way to check your Schlage lock battery level. You can see if there is anything noticeably wrong with the batteries themselves.
If they have any signs of leakage, corrosion, or other damage this could be a sign to get newer batteries for your lock.
If you have the Schlage lock linked to your phone you can also check the battery level percentage on your front door settings. If you noticed the percentage is low even though you just replaced the batteries, it could be because the batteries are low quality.
Going out and buying new batteries for your Schlage lock could be just the thing to get it back up and working once more.
4. Disconnected Wires
Disconnected wires can be the reason why your Schlage lock is not working after you changed the battery. It could be that the main wires are loose or it can be a broken wire that is causing this issue.
Either way, a loose or broken wire can be what is causing your lock to not work. Wiring is essential when it comes to smart locks, if you have basic knowledge of wires this could be easy for you to detect.
However; if you do not have any electrical knowledge there are ways even you can follow to see if a loose or disconnected wire is the issue.
Fix – Inspect the Wires of Your Schlage Lock
The first thing you are going to want to do is, depending on the Schlage lock you may be able to check the wires between the back and front panels.
You will want to remove the battery cover, check to see if the wire connected to the batteries is correctly snapped to the connector plate, and make sure that the wire and batteries are firm and secured as well.
If you need to take it to lock off make sure that you are confident enough to disconnect the wires and reconnect them. If you find any wires that are damaged, check your locks warranty and see if you can get it replaced.
5. The Lock is Dirty
With most mechanical devices they become dirty, especially when they are exposed to elements such as dust, dirt, water, and other debris. Schlage locks are meant to be maintenance-free and tend to never need much cleaning.
This does not mean they can not get dirty, if you have had the lock for some time and it has been exposed to the elements it could keep the lock from not working properly.
If you notice that your lock is dirty and you need to clean the internals of the Schlage smart lock, it is a very delicate process.
Fix – Inspect and Clean the Schlage Lock Internals
Cleaning your Schlage lock internals should only be done when absolutely necessary. If you have noticed a lot of dirt and dust on the keypad and within the lock it may be time to inspect and clean it.
If your Schlage lock is not working cleaning it could do the trick. Also, go to the manufacturer’s instructions to avoid any damage if you are doing any cleaning or maintenance on a Schlage lock.
If you want to get the dirt and dust out of the lock you can also use a can of compressed air.
Make sure when using the can of compressed air to blow the dirt and dust off the locks you use a short burst and keep the can at some distance.
You can also use a soft brush to clean the lock, using something soft will make sure you do not scratch anything important.
If you are using any form of liquid do not use any harsh chemicals that can damage the Schlage lock. After you are done cleaning, put the batteries back and see if the cleaning is just the fix your lock needs.
6. The Schlage Lock Needs to Be Updated or Reset
When you changed the batteries on your Schlage lock you noticed it was no longer working after you put the new batteries in, it could be that you need to update the lock or even do a reset on it.
If you checked if the lock was dirty, that the batteries that you replaced are not only brand new batteries but are the right kind and put in properly, and your lock is still not working an update or reset could be the trick you are looking for.
If you want to reset your Schlage lock for your specific model, I’ve done an article on this.
Fix – Update Your Schlage Lock
To update your Schlage lock you can find the Firmware by going to the setting in the Schlage Home app. This will guide you through the updating process and let you know when the lock needs an update.
- Create or log in to the Schlage Home app
- Select where your lock is located and the lock that needs the update
- When you see the “Connected” appear on the bottom of the screen you will see “Update Firmware” when you tap on that it will guide you through the update.
Fix 2 – Reset Your Schlage Lock
When you are resetting your Schlage lock you are going to make sure you have two things: your programming code and your default user.
Also, note that not every Schlage lock resets the same way check the Schlage lock resetting guide before you do this. Here is a way to do the factory resetting on your Schlage lock.
- When you remove the batteries from the lock, hold down the lock button then put the batteries back in.
- Hold the lock button down for 30 seconds or until you see the lock light flash three times.
- Reprogram the lock with your default programming code when the lock reset is complete.
There are a few ways you can see why your Schlage lock is not working after you replace the batteries. As previously stated, it could be the batteries or the lock itself.
If you have tried everything and the lock is still not working, always contact the support team and see if they can figure it out. Over time locks can become worn and dirty, maybe all it needs is a good cleaning or a factory reset.
7. Replace Schlage Lock Or Contact Support
If you have entered new batteries, did a reset, checked for damage, and tried all of the other small fixes, and it still won’t work, it’s time to either replace your Schlage lock.
I personally use the Schlage Encode, which I picked up from Amazon.
Note: Only pick up a new Schlage lock if you’re convinced the one you currently have has too many issues. There’s no point in picking up a new lock if the problem with your current lock can easily be fixed.