Smart locks have been around for a while and if you haven’t noticed that around, they have served pretty well for home security. One of the many questions that arise when talking about smart locks is the smart door lock installation procedure. Contrary to popular belief, it’s not very difficult. In fact, you can install a smart door lock all by yourself. This right here is a comprehensive guide for smart lock installation which will guide and assist you step by step in the procedure. It works with most of the best door locks for home security so don’t worry about not finding what you want unless your lock is custom made specially for you. In case of the latter, instructions for installation would most likely be found on the manual inside the lock package.
Checking your door
First of all, you need to see if your door requires you hard push, or is a tough pull. You will need to adjust your door to be compatible with the type of smart lock before installation. Why? A smart lock is activated by an electronic mechanism. The deadbolt needs to move according to its built into the door frame to work properly.
Next, check whether the center of your deadbolt is a minimum of 5-6 inches away from your door handle or knob. In case it isn’t, I should probably warn you that the interior circuit and alarm unit may not fit. If you want to lock and unlock your door remotely, the deadbolt will need to extend and retract freely on its own without getting caught on anything else, for instance the door handle. Otherwise, the smart lock will just jam up and not work properly, and you may wind up getting locked out of your own home. But don’t worry! We are here to prevent you from doing just that.
Next on your checklist should be:
Does your deadbolt hole has a 1.25 inches radius?
Is your door thick enough to install the lock?
If you couldn’t answer in a positive to the above mentioned questions, a smart lock may not be right for your current door.
If you haven’t had a door installed recently, chances are that your door is slightly misaligned – it’s difficult to close them properly, or they make a screeching sound when opened. If you even struggle while locking it, then you probably have to address that before installing a smart lock.
There is a range of issues that can cause a misaligned door, so it’s better to hire a professional to fix it, because it may take up a lot of your time and still not be fixed.
See if your Deadbolt Works with your Regular Lock
Deadbolts are of two kinds – those you can attach to your already existing locks, and those that are a separate mechanism which you install from the scratch.
Both of these have their advantages and limitations. With the first choice, you don’t need to completely alter the locking mechanism of your door and simply install a higher better version on top of it. Sort of like a software upgrade in your smart devices. However, compatibility issues may arise making it a bigger problem than what you signed up for.
In the second case, you may have to experience a little change and fatigue while installing the system, but after that one time ordeal, problems don’t usually tend to arise so easily.
Locksmiths claim (but only to the extent of theory) that smart locks are not as invincible as we may think and can be hacked if need be. However, this still provides a safer haven than your traditional locks that can be picked or opened with mere brute force.
Install a New Latch
When installing a new latch, in case, your deadbolt doesn’t go with your already traditional door lock, the first thing you need to do is measure the deadbolt hole diameter.
Second on the to-do list is checking the hole diameter. Also get to know the length from the center of the hole to the edge of the door.
Make sure your latch fits in the door side so that it doesn’t causes problems opening and closing the door later on. Once satisfied, fit it into place with screws.
Install the Smart Lock
Drill a hole in the door to match the size of the deadbolt. Then position the smart lock in a position that fits into the door and adjust the dimensions or any hindrances by twisting. This is not some sort of easy way out, it’s near impossible to get a perfect drill.
Secure the lock into the door with a screwdriver to make sure it’s tightly in place and adjusts smoothly with the door.
Most smart lock run on normal AA size lithium batteries, but many locks needs Wi-Fi or Bluetooth to handle features you can control through your smart phones. These functions may not always be available. Especially when there are power outages or internet disconnections.
Smart locks come in a great many variety and they all carry different procedures on how to set them up. The procedures we have mentioned here are only suitable to your standard deadbolts. However, most smart locks are made up of three essential components which helps in keeping it running smoothly: These include the wireless transceiver, the locking mechanism, and a motor, which engages and disengages the locking mechanism.
Each of these components play a specific yet vital role in making sure that your smart lock is able to function as it is meant to. The wireless transceiver is the part of the lock that allows your smart lock to communicate with your smart phone or laptops or any other automated home system/smart device you want, making your home truly a smart home.
The locking gauge and mechanism is usually a first grade deadbolt system while the motor which engages the deadbolt normally runs on batteries that are placed in the smart lock system (as mentioned earlier). However, exceptions are still there as there are some tailor made or specialized smart locks for different kinds of doors that may not employ the use of one or more of these components.
A good working smart lock is not merely ranked upon how proficient it is in makes the process of locking a door easy for you, but also by how safe and protected it makes your home. This is the most basic and fundamental function of a simple door lock. On the outside, it may seems like a simple mechanism that is not so far different from your usual lock that halts unwanted entry, but the mechanism inside is a bit more complex and big part of home security.
Install any interior or exterior paneling
Before installing the interior half of your deadbolt, remove the battery cover and pack from the interior system and plug the cables from the smart lock into their correct electrical components. Then, adjust them into the mechanism and secure the piece with provided screws, if any.
Install those batteries you took out and put the cover back on. Double check to see if the deadbolt is working properly and get ready to program your smart lock. This brings us over to the final step in our installation.
Setting it Up
Once you have installed your deadbolt and everything is in place on the physical front. You need to get to the technology component. Here, if your smart lock company has developed a mobile app, you need to install that app to get access to your deadbolt from anywhere and everywhere. If it hasn’t, there would still be some kind of software available to connect your smart lock with your smart devices. Sign up on the software/app using any reference code provided, make your own account and log in the passwords for your lock. If your smart lock comes equipped with a camera, be sure to check that it works when you operate it from your smart phone. Once done, you’re all set to operate your new smart lock for your modern smart home.
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