this post was submitted on 20 Jun 2023
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After running HA for 2 years and tinkering with the stuff I already had, it was time to extend the little machine via Zigbee. I got an Aqara Temp/Humidity/Pressure sensor, which in itself works fine. It just chewed through 30% of battery in 4 days. Now that might be an issue with placement and signal strength (basement through 2 floors), but it doesn't bode well unless it "levels out" at some point.

Which brings me to my actual question: does anyone know any such sensors that are wall-powered in any way? Something that can be plugged in and "forgotten" about?

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[–] thehatfox 1 points 1 year ago

Were you using the Aqara sensor with the battery it came with? Some of the supplied batteries are not always that great, I have had a few that report they are 50-70% life at the start, or they rapidly loose charge. I replaced them with a good quality battery and the sensors have been fine since.

The battery levels reported by Zigbee devices are also not that reliable in my experience. Some will report the same battery percentage constantly, and then suddenly plummet when the battery eventually dies. Of the temperature and humidity sensors I have the batteries tend to last for about 1 year, sometimes longer.