The Ring Chime Pro is designed to work with all Ring Video Doorbells, and it also moonlights as a Wi-Fi extender for all of your connected Ring devices. With multiple features available, you may be wondering whether it requires battery power to work.
Both generations of the Ring Chime Pro do not have a battery; they plug into a standard wall outlet and primarily coordinate with a Ring Video Doorbell while extending Wi-Fi coverage to other Ring devices.
Since Ring has discontinued the original Ring Chime Pro (1st Gen), the Ring Chime Pro (2nd Gen) has become the de facto companion item when purchasing any of the Ring Video Doorbells in Ring’s lineup. Below, we’ll cover how the remaining Ring Chime Pro model uses your home’s power to operate, as well as what happens if you happen to lose power.
Does the Ring Chime Pro Use a Battery?
The Ring Chime Pro does not use a battery; it relies on your home’s power to work and simply plugs into your wall outlet.
Because the Ring Chime Pro does not run on battery power, users may be concerned about what happens to the device if their power happens to go out.
What Happens If the Ring Chime Pro Loses Power?
If the Ring Chime Pro loses power—whether it’s a power outage, surge, faulty wiring, etc.—it essentially becomes a nice paperweight. Without a power supply from the wall socket, the Ring Chime Pro ceases to function.
Unfortunately, the Chime Pro doesn’t have a failsafe power supply or any backup resources (unless you have purchased something separately for emergency power loss).
If the power loss isn’t obvious, such as a severe thunderstorm, there are some things you can do to try and get it up and running again.
- Unplug it and plug it back in: We know we’re stating the obvious here, but start with the small things and work your way up.Try another device: Plug something else in the Ring Chime Pro’s place to see if the problem is the outlet.Check the breaker: If all else fails, always double-check the breaker to see if it’s been tripped.Reset the Ring Chime Pro: Hold the button on the side for ten seconds to reset it. The logo in the front should light up blue if it is powering up.Try another outlet: If you plug it into another outlet you know is active and get no response, the Ring Chime Pro is probably defective.
It’s the unfortunate reality that our smart homes are so thoroughly dependent upon AC voltage, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, Z-wave, radio waves, etc. Any one of these is never 100% reliable.
The Ring Chime Pro is a pretty reliable piece of equipment, however. It’s a rare case to have one that is faulty and needs to be returned.
How to Keep the Ring Chime Pro from Going Out During Outages
Most of the time, power outages are brief, and when the power returns, your Ring Chime Pro will start up immediately. However, for those extended outages, you can keep it going with an uninterruptible power supply (UPS):
We didn’t list solar battery UPS systems because, honestly, the quality ones are very expensive. You can always check out the Tesla Powerwall. It’s just a tad bit of overkill for a Ring Chime Pro, but it’s probably the coolest thing since the invention of the wheel.
Final Thoughts
If only all Ring devices came with a battery. The unfortunate side effect is that power outages happen. If the Ring Chime Pro were just a chime for the Ring Video Doorbell, that would be one thing.
However, it also happens to be a Wi-Fi extender that helps connect all of your Ring devices on a particular network. If you’re banking on an uninterrupted security system to protect you through unfortunate eventualities, you want a backup power source.
Fortunately, there are plenty of those available. In most cases, you can connect both your router, modem, and Ring Chime Pro without drawing too much power. It’s good to have options, and those options are necessary for a stable home security network.