Why is my evohome controller beeping?

[MrBoy]

Started emitting a single beep about once a minute.
Plugged in and battery shows full, no message on screen. What's going on?

[kevinsmart]

Started emitting a single beep about once a minute.
Plugged in and battery shows full, no message on screen. What's going on?

Typically this happens when the controller is not docked properly and its battery is discharging and running low.

[anniesboy]

From an earlier post.

http://www.automatedhome.co.uk/vbull...ohome-solution

[CT1]

From an earlier post.

http://www.automatedhome.co.uk/vbull...ohome-solution

I repeat this procedure from time to time to make sure the batteries stay charged (should not be necessary, but ....). The biggest problem I find is removing the batteries. They are a REALY tight fit and can be damaged if you have to pry them out.

[anniesboy]

I resorted to inserting a piece of plastic (old pen clip) between the batteries, if you get the ridiculously tight batteries out put a piece of ribbon behind one of them.

[chrisgare]

This is not difficult. Just insert the tip of a small electrical screwdriver and rotate it by 90 degrees to separate the batteries. What is more annoying is that we still have to do this in 2020. Amazing.

[CT1]

This is not difficult. Just insert the tip of a small electrical screwdriver and rotate it by 90 degrees to separate the batteries. What is more annoying is that we still have to do this in 2020. Amazing.

Have tried several objects including screwdriver, pentop and the plastic date tab from sliced bread, to seperate and/ or remove the batteries, none work well and I certainly would not expect other family members to do this. I suggested ribbon a while ago and now have it under the batteries, but they are still reluctant to come out.

My fault for buying such a cheap, outdated product from an unknown company. Should have gone with a well known company with a track record of producing reliable electrical/electronic equipment and purchased a top end product.

[DBMandrake]

You don't need to remove the batteries to reboot the controller. Just break the contact for a second. As mentioned the easiest way is to insert a small flat blade screwdriver between the two cells and twist slightly, hold it there for a second then release. Not difficult.

I've very rarely ever had to reboot mine - it can easily go for 6 months or more without a reboot so its not as if you're having to reboot it weekly...

[CT1]

You don't need to remove the batteries to reboot the controller. Just break the contact for a second. As mentioned the easiest way is to insert a small flat blade screwdriver between the two cells and twist slightly, hold it there for a second then release. Not difficult.

I've very rarely ever had to reboot mine - it can easily go for 6 months or more without a reboot so its not as if you're having to reboot it weekly...

Not a reboot as such, just a battery charge refresh and twice a year is about right. For me around spring and autumn.

I find applying a metal screwdriver to the batteries damages the plastic outer covering and maybe more. Having had things damaged by leaking batteries in the past, I would not want to risk any stress on the batteries in something as expensive as the EvoHome controller. Maybe your unit has more play than mine, or the batteries you use are a tiny bit shorter? Mine jam in with virtually no play, hence even having a piece of ribbon under the does not help much, a major design disappointment in my opinion.

My main point is that we should not have to work around problems like this or the need to retension battery contacts in other components. These should have been eliminated at the preproduction stage and even if missed then should have been corrected for ongoing product soon after customers reported the problem. None of my many other battery operated products have these issues. To say it makes EvoHome look cheap would be doing a disservice to the many cheap battery products that have perfectly adequate contacts.