Setup:
Again, as much of this was covered in the previous review I will just cover the changes from Gen. 2 to the Pro version. As you do the install following the steps in the app you will come to a point in which it asks if you want to proceed with DoorSense or without. Of course since this is a major feature I opted to install it. Again the app will walk you through exactly what you need to do. In my case doing the recessed mounting it tells you that you will need a 5/8 drill bit. The only issue I had with this installation is that my hole seemed a bit loose for the sensor. I was able to rectify that by wrapping the OD of the sensor with tape to make the fit snug in the bore. Once you have this mounted you will proceed with calibrating the lock and sensor. In just a few minutes the lock is up and fully functional.
One other change that I have made since my original installation was will the August Connect. As I mentioned in my original review I found the unit to work great in one location but found at my home it had a very weak Bluetooth signal. After talking to August support they confirmed that the signal is strongest if the face of the Connect (side with button) faces the lock. Since mine only viable outlet is on the same wall I purchased an outlet adapter that has a
side tap. Now the Connect faces the lock and Bluetooth signal is greatly improved. Just a tip for anyone having issues with this device.
At this point you have a fully functional lock through the app. But you are still missing out on another great feature they added, Z-Wave Plus support. Set up is relatively easy, but you need to go into the menu of the August app and select Z-Wave Settings. In the screen cap below you will see my Z-Wave setting screen now shows that it is connected, but prior to that button on the bottom said Add to Z-Wave Network. Clicking this started the set-up, part of this is done in the August app the rest is done in your home automation hub app.
In this case I opted to link the August Smart Lock Pro to Iris. While not officially supported, since it is a Z-Wave Plus device there is basic functionality in the app. To add the lock to Iris I used the Advanced User pairing. This was not without issue though. The first time I paired I was able to actuate the lock a few times then the lock indicated it was jammed in Iris, but no such message was shown in the August app and the lock was still fully functional through it. Even after repeated cycling this jam never cleared so I force removed the lock and repaired it. Since then the lock has worked perfectly even though it shows as an uncertified device. Since this comes through with generic capabilities I was happy to see I could still link this lock various activities. As shown below I added it to my Good Night scene with locks/closes all door and arms the alarm system every night. I tested this out and it worked perfect.
I was also happy to see that if the lock is actuated via the Iris app the August app history properly logs it as a Z-Wave activity. In the August app you can also set Smart Alerts and one option is to be alerted for each user, operated manually, left open or auto locked.
In my case I was most interested in the door left ajar alert since I have a son that has a tendency to not close doors. Setting this up is super easy and it allows you to pick how long the door can be open for before triggering an alert. I set mine up for 3 minutes figuring that was enough time for typical tasks, bringing in packages/signing for packages but not so long that I am concerned about the door being left open and people being too far away to fix the problem.
Performance:
As with my previous review of the Gen. 2 lock I am quite happy with the performance of this lock. As I mentioned, after reorienting the August Connect I found responsiveness of the lock dramatically improved. But there were a few issues I had the first time around; lack of scheduling and Bluetooth connectivity issues. Happily these have been addressed with the new lock. While the app hasn’t added a scheduling feature, the inclusion of Z-Wave Plus means I can now set this to happen with my home hub. While not a perfect solution for all this works great for me. The other issue was with Bluetooth connectivity which I mentioned might be solved by use of their Connect. This did help with the frequent Bluetooth disconnects but I was annoyed that even with the August Connect associated with the lock in the app it always defaulted to Bluetooth rather than Wi-Fi. Not so for the Pro version; here it auto-detects which connection is best and establishes communication over that radio. A simple change but makes remote access much smoother.
Z-Wave Plus: I did find some lag in the operation of the lock through the Iris app rather than the dedicated August app but it is so minor it wasn’t even worth trying to figure out if it was my home hub at fault or something with the way the lock processes Z-Wave commands. As mentioned I did have issues with the lock initially indicating it was jammed in Iris but a repairing has since cleared that up. It is also important to note I don’t think my hub was fully connected initially. I say this because in the Z-Wave settings it still gave me the option to connect a hub. Now that it has been repaired the only option is to remove. Again I don’t know which side is to blame, but if you are having issues check this page, if it doesn’t say Remove Z-Wave Device try again.
DoorSense: Initially when I read about this I really didn’t think it added much value. But when you stop and think about it, knowing your lock is “locked” means nothing if the door is open. As I mentioned my son is not the best at closing doors and often they are not fully closed when he does. This means it is not uncommon for the door to pop open later with a breeze, but now with DoorSense I will get an alert. While I do not use the auto-lock feature this would be invaluable information to know after you leave your home. When I tested the alert I found it came quickly after my preset time was up. Overall this was the unexpected benefit of this new upgraded Pro lock.
