I’ve already had a Yale and a Schlage lock fail on me in the last few months due to high humidity. Does anyone have any suggestions for a more robust alternative? It needs to have an open API so I can integrate it with my business’s booking and payment system.
I’m not sure how it would fare in extremely high humidity, but I’ve been happy with my Aqara U100.
Slurry said:
I’m not sure how it would fare in extremely high humidity, but I’ve been happy with my Aqara U100.
Thanks for the suggestion! I’m actually looking for a non-deadbolt solution, which seems hard to find.
@Sullivan
I’m not certain it meets your software needs, but for a non-deadbolt option, I’ve had good experiences with the Lockly Secure Pro Lever. I have four installed across three properties for several years with no issues. They come with a gasket which seems sufficient for typical humidity, but for your situation, maybe applying a protective spray could help.
My advice? Avoid WiFi locks if you can—they’re heavy on battery use. My three-year-old Schlage has been doing well despite the humidity here in Coastal South Carolina.
That’s unfortunate, I’ve had great luck with my Schlage. Just out of curiosity, where are you located? I’m in Virginia, and I’ve been recommending Schlage to my parents in Florida.
Arthur said:
That’s unfortunate, I’ve had great luck with my Schlage. Just out of curiosity, where are you located? I’m in Virginia, and I’ve been recommending Schlage to my parents in Florida.
The lock is installed on an exterior door leading to a room that connects to a sauna. The exterior temperature gets down to 25 F, but inside the sauna, it can reach 180 F with 100% humidity. The heat and moisture escape to the adjoining room causing a lot of condensation on the door and lock. When I inspected the lock, I found water trapped inside from the condensation.
@Sullivan
That does make sense. I hope you manage to find a lock that suits your needs!
@labanslide
I’m not entirely sure, but humidity seems the most likely cause given the conditions.
Sullivan said:
@labanslide
I’m not entirely sure, but humidity seems the most likely cause given the conditions.
That’s rough. I’ve had issues with my Schlage during cold and wet weather, but never thought to connect it to humidity before.
For these conditions, you might want to consider an electric strike instead. They’re easy to install as shown here: https://youtu.be/CPd5Fg01ABg. Best of all, you won’t need to worry about changing batteries.
What about using Boveda packs inside it? lol. If you can access the electronics, maybe coat them with a conformal coating? A polyurethane one should waterproof it well. I use one from MG Chemicals, available on Amazon. Just be sure to cure it properly; I use a heat gun, which speeds up the drying process without melting any plastic parts.
@Paige
Thanks a lot! I’ll try that on the next lock we install. Do you have a specific product you’d recommend, or will any conformal coating do?
Sullivan said:
@Paige
Thanks a lot! I’ll try that on the next lock we install. Do you have a specific product you’d recommend, or will any conformal coating do?
I used the MG Chemicals brand. It takes a while to dry if you don’t use heat. A heat gun works well for quick drying, but be careful with the plastics. If you don’t use heat, just reapply on a hot day the following year.
@Paige
Excellent, I’ll give it a go. Thanks for the tip!