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Doorbells
Wired Doorbell Buttons
To repair wired doorbell buttons, remove the two screws on you doorbell button. There should be two wires attached to the back.
If you don't see wires, you have a wireless unit. See the article 'Wireless Doorbell Repair' for more information. Faulty wires or the button itself are the culprit most of the time. For related wired doorbell articles, see the article 'Fixing Wired Doorbells'.
Checking the Doorbell Wires
Are the wires loose or corroded? Yes, then turn off the power and clean them up or tighten them. Does the doorbell work now? Yes, great, your done fixing your wired doorbell button.
No, shut the power off and then unhook them from the button and see if the doorbell sounds when you touch the two wires together. Turn the power back on to do this. Does it work? Yes, then the button is bad and needs to be replaced. Obtain a new wired doorbell button and attach the two wires to it and screw it back onto the door jamb. Still not that hard, right?
Sticking Doorbell Buttons
Another issue with a wired doorbell button would be a doorbell that rings constantly. A sticking doorbell button is usually to blame. The button itself might need to be replaced. Turn the power off and unhook one of the wires from the button. Turn the power back on and see if it stops the ringing.
Yes, then it is the button. Get a new one and replace it. No, then it is a short in the wiring. Check the wires for cracks or missing insulation. Repair as needed.
Repairing Doorbell Buttons
Fixing a wired doorbell button will likely involve corroded and broken wires. On occasion the switch inside the doorbell button goes bad.
The first thing to do is remove the two screws on you wired doorbell button. There should be two wires attached to the back. Faulty wires or the button itself are the culprit most of the time. Are the wires loose or corroded? Yes, then turn off the power and clean them up or tighten them. Does the doorbell work now? Yes, great, your done with your doorbell repair.
If you don't see wires, you have a wireless doorbell unit. The article 'Fixing Wireless Doorbell Buttons' will give you some instructions on this issue.
No, shut the power off and then unhook them from the button and see if the doorbell sounds when you touch the two wires together. Turn the power back on to do this. Does it work? Yes, then the button is bad and needs to be replaced. Obtain a new wired doorbell button and attach the two wires to it and screw it back onto the door jamb. Still not that hard, right?
If this does not work then it is a short in the wiring. Check the wires for cracks or missing insulation. Repair the wires as needed. This will only work if the wires are visible. For broken or corroded wires that are hidden you will have to make a choice. Trying to fix or replace the wiring may be too big of a job to tackle. See the series of articles on 'Doorbell Wiring' for more information.
The other choice would be to replace the doorbell with a wireless doorbell. See the articles on 'Replacing Wireless Doorbells' for guidance.
Doorbell Wiring
Wired Doorbells will, obviously, have doorbell wiring. All the components are connected by Wires. This type of system has a transformer that reduces the voltage down to something that the doorbell can handle
Not sure if this is your problem? See the articles 'Troubleshooting Doorbells', 'Repairing Wired Doorbells' and 'Fixing Wireless Doorbells' for listings on all the doorbell topics.
Doorbells have been around ever since 1831. In the early nineteen hundreds they became practical and common. Chimes and bells are a newer development, it used to be a buzzer, are you old enough to remember?. Today, we consider doorbells to be standard item in a home. Knocking is still an option, it's just that not everyone thinks to do it.
Most doorbells fall into two categories. Wired units consisting of a transformer, chime unit and the doorbells themselves. The other style is the wireless units that do not require internal hard wiring to operate. In this article we are focusing on wired units. See the article 'Doorbell Repair', for information on other types of doorbells.
Repairing Doorbell Wiring Using Common Sense
What Can You Save? - Assuming you had a simple problem it could run between $50 and $75 for an electrician to make a repair on your doorbell. You could be sold on a new system which might run $100 to $175 installed, even more for a high end system. Repairing it yourself might be as simple as tightening a loose wire. So your savings could be from $50 to $175.
How Hard Could It Be? - Doorbell wiring is fairly simple. Worst case scenario, replacing the entire system is not that hard. These repairs will have a Difficulty Level of: A Bit of Work. These repairs require a Skill Level of: Handyman. For and explanation of the terms in this section, see 'How to Use This Site'.
What Can Go Wrong? - Most of the components on a doorbell system are low voltage, therefore not dangerous. The exception is the transformer for a wired unit. Electrical shock rules apply, take precautions and shut the power off when working around the transformer. Yes serious injury and death are possible. Ruining a working unit trying to repair it is also possible. You can buy a whole new system for between $25 and $75, not the end of the world.
Troubleshooting Doorbell Wiring
The button is the culprit a lot of the time. See Step One for what to do. It is also the easiest thing. Next comes the chime unit. See Step Two for guidelines. Step Three talks about the transformer and what to do if it is bad.
The 'Wired Doorbell Buttons' are the first place to look when you start having trouble with your doorbell. This article provided tips on what to do.
The chime unit makes the doorbell sound that alerts you when the button is pushed. 'Wired Doorbell Chimes' can be fixed, but they require some special testers to check them.
The 'Doorbell Transformer' provides the power, reducing it from household current. These can be replaced for a reasonable sum.
Summary
A malfunctioning doorbell is not the end of the world. People got along for thousands of years just knocking. It is irritating when you don't know someone has visited because you didn't know the doorbell was not working.
Even if your doorbell repair involved replacing your equipment, it should not have been that hard. Now that you are done with your doorbell wiring you can decide what you want to do with all of your free time. Got more jobs on your list? Relaxing would be another viable option.