My purchase of a Schlage Encode electronic front door lock and the matching FE285 handle and latch set (purchased separately) yielded several lessons in how to select such devices while avoiding most of the problems. Upon receipt of the lock, I had Lowes re-key it to match my other Schlage house locks (a free service at my Lowes). But note: have this done BEFORE you install the lock! Otherwise, a locksmith must come to your location and will charge accordingly. I have installed my lock and set it up. It will provide access to my home if I require 911 services (I live alone). My medical alert company has a temporary access code for the lock, which it will provide only to 911 responders. And If I am unable to delete that code immediately after responders access my home, that can be done remotely by family members or friends who have downloaded, installed, and set up the Schlage Home app on a compatible cell phone. That prevents responders from abusing the code to burglarize the home later. There is the added reassurance that any use of an access code can generate an immediate alarm on the Schlage Home app. I had to contact Schlage’s excellent customer service by phone to complete the installation and programming of the lock. The Schlage web site has a contact phone number, which is answered by real humans. Some important considerations: 1. This still isn’t a mature market with the ideal combination of design and functional features. It’s likely you won’t get all the aspects of appearance and function that you want in one model. And with Encode being a fairly new model, for which the rollout does not seem to have included a complete set of installation and programming instructions, you are likely to be calling Schlage’s helpful customer support staff for assistance. 2. The Encode Camelot lock does not appear to be available as a set with a matching Camelot latch set FE285. Such combinations are available with some other locks, along with discounts for ordering both sets of hardware together. 3. Encode is similar to Schlage’s other electronic locks (Sense, Touch, Connect), but don’t be misled by this similarity. The setup is deceptively similar, but the programming instructions for those other products don’t work with Encode, nor are the instructions intuitive. It’s challenging to locate programming instructions for the Encode on Schlage’s web site. On the FAQs section of the Schlage Home app, Encode doesn’t even appear as a selection option for programming instructions. 4. Encode is the only Schlage model (that I know of) that can connect to your WiFi network without the use of an external hub or WiFi adapter. That’s why I purchased it. Advantage: one less device and wireless connection to go wrong. Disadvantages: WiFi transceivers use a fair amount of power, shortening the battery life. And you can’t set up the WiFi connection unless you download and install the free Schlage Home app, or other compatible app, onto a compatible cell phone, and set up the connection using the app. 5. The instructions are insufficient. My standardized door cutouts for the latch and lock matched the enclosed template, but neither the latch nor the lock was centered within their respective holes as they should have been. I had to remove material from these holes on the sides closest to the edge of the door to make room for their installations. This, despite the Encode replacing Schlage’s similar, manual latch set and lock on the same door. The biggest omission from the Quick Start Guide: WiFi is not even mentioned, let alone explained. 6. The Schlage Home app’s user interface is minimalist―too much so, for me. 7. Encode is available only in a limited set of finishes. For example, there was not an antique brass finish to match the Schlage interior hardware in my home. I went with the Camelot version with the Aged Bronze finish, hoping for sort of a match. This was a mistake. Aged Bronze not only is much redder than the yellowish Antique Brass―it is so dark that one can’t tell from just a few feet away whether the lock is engaged or not. Like a black hole, it simply doesn’t reflect enough light to see any detail. If I were to start the selection process again, I would go with one of the modern Encode Century designs with very visible features. They will fit any decor as well as, or better than, the option I chose. 8. The Encode keypad and I still are not getting along. As with cell phone keypads, this one’s sensitivity seems to vary from one key press to the next. And when one is entering, say, the six-digit programming code (necessary for adding or deleting user codes), there is no indication of where one is in the process. If you accidentally touch a key twice in rapid succession by mistake, for example, there will be no clue that this has happened. In such situations, you’re likely to fumble for a while and finally start over (expletives deleted). You must press the exact center of a number for it to respond. Easier said than done, during a winter blast or soaking downpour, and when the keypad is somewhere around your navel’s level. I would much prefer a push-button keypad with tactile feedback whenever a key is successfully pressed, similar to a mechanical computer keyboard. Some other Schlage models have push buttons, but those models will not directly connect to a WiFi network. 9. Some electronic locks accept an access code, then require the user to turn the deadbolt manually. Encode automatically moves the deadbolt without your involvement. Slick. But there is a cost. If your door is not exactly and correctly positioned, the deadbolt will rub against the strike and will not travel the required distance for the lock to be fully engaged. This reduces security, and a deadbolt rubbing against the strike plate is likely to draw more power, further reducing battery life and possibly damaging the tiny bolt motor. In the best of all possible worlds, all doors are positioned perfectly forever. In reality, even doors that are perfectly positioned at the outset are very likely to shift and rub over time, due to expansion, contraction, and warping of materials, or shifting of the house. For that reason, I prefer mechanical operation of the deadbolt. But Schlage models with that feature do not connect to WiFi directly. So, there you have it. Look at lock options carefully and choose the compromise that works bests for you.
