For years we have been using a key pad activated deadbolt for front doors in our various homes - no keys to lose or give to various family members - only four digit codes. Up until now, all of the key pad units we have installed, extend and retract the deadbolt using a small battery powered electric motor.
This issue we've encountered is when the batteries become weak, the motor (in some cases) does not have enough power to retract the bolt and we must revert to another entrance to get into our home. Although these unit allow one to use a key to override the electronics, we never seem to have the key "on us" when it's needed. Fortunately we have a keypad on our garage door and that serves as an alternative entrance when this occurs. These deadbolt retraction failures have been occurring more and more often even with fresh batteries. I suspect the motor is or has worn out.
With this in mind, I shopped the market for an electronically activated dead bolt with manual bolt action. In other words, instead of a motor extending and retracting the deadbolt, one would use a lever or knob to perform this function. The keypad (electronic segment of the unit) would serve to activate the manual knob or lever. I found the Schlage BE365VCAM619 Camelot Deadbolt Keypad, Satin Nickel on Amazon at an extremely reasonable price and it has all of the features I wanted - electronic key pad activation, manual extension and retraction of the deadbolt upon activation.
The unit arrived yesterday and after a few problems with the unit being confused as to whether the bolt was retracted or extended (my fault), the unit works perfectly. Note, I already had a deadbolt lockset on the door, so it was a simple process of removing the old, and installing the new.
It's an extremely high quality unit without the cheap plastic casing my prior unit had on the inside casing. It's all metal. Changing or adding key pad codes (combinations) is relatively easy. One must enter the units six digit master code (don't lose this code, keep it in a place that you can go to each time you wish to change the codes - Using a permanent marker, I wrote it on the inside of the lock), and then enter your personal four digit code. We use two codes however the unit can store many codes. You may want to add a temporary code to let a service technician into your home, then delete that code when the work is completed.
One feature I like is the lighted key pad which our old unit did not have. If we forget to turn on the porch light, by simply pressing the "schlage" button at the top of the keypad, the keys light up.
Here's the basic operation.
When you're leaving the house, close the door, press the "schlage" button, wait for the click, then extend the deadbolt. You'll hear a confirmation click confirming that the locking knob/lever has been disengaged from the deadbolt after the deadbolt has been extended.
When you arrive home, simply enter your four digit code, you'll hear a click, then manually retract the deadbolt and enter the home. I you wish to use the keypad light; simply press the "schlage" button to light it up. Obviously this is not needed during daylight hours.
Basically the nine volt battery is operating the keypad, a knob/level engagement solenoid and the keypad back light and should last for hundreds and hundreds cycles.
Bottom Line - I highly recommend this high quality unit. Schlage BE365VCAM716 Camelot Keypad Deadbolt, Aged Bronze
I have had the brass version of this deadbolt for bout a year and I love it. It is th best one that I have come across (and yes - the most expensive - but you get what you pay for). It is eye-catching rather than an eye-sore. Be careful, some of the cheaper competitor's models have a plastic back that is very unappealing for a main door. The unit is smaller than many by requiring only a 9 volt battery because it does not lock/unlock the deadbolt for you. You do it manually.
Pros:
1) Appealing design (front and back - no plastic)
2) Smaller than most (due to use of 9v battery)
3) Keypad lights up when you touch it for nighttime entry
4) Never get locked out. Give the neighbor a temporary code to get in.
Cons:
1) Pricey ut you get what you pay for
I installed one of these for a client and it seems to be a good product as all the reviewers say. What no one has talked about however is the standard Shlage key that can also be used to open the lock. It seems to me that this would allow the possibility of using a "bump key" to open it. One of the benefits of digital locks is their immunity to bumping. If you want the keypad just for convenience, that is fine. Just remember that any lock that can be "bumped" provides zero security.
We were consistently running into problems with the number of house keys we had given out to: contractors, landscapers and house cleaners. At some point there's no way to track who's coming and going into your house and whether or not they left the keys.
This little gadget eliminates the issue. I can now program the lock with one-time or multiple use codes unique to each individual coming to my house. It installs as easy as any other deadbolt and programming new codes takes about 10 seconds. This has quickly become my favorite new gadget.
I purchased the Schlage electronic deadbolt to allow entry into our house in case I didn't have a key with me. It works very well. Only drawback that I see is that it needs to be placed on a solid door without a glass panel as the lock has a lever on the inside that operates the deadbolt. There is no option for key locking from the inside, only the lever. Locks only keep honest people out, so it's better to have a deadbolt that is key lockable from both sides if you have an exterior door with glass panels. No need making it easier for a thief to get in than is necessary.'
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