26
votes
Accepted
Wired to Wireless Doorbell
Don‘t tear the wires out
Some newer doorbells are going wireless. But this is not a universal trend. Better doorbells are actually wired, because they do things that take power. They are lighted (...
26
votes
Doorbell transformer is this it?
As indicated by Ecnerwal the picture you show is an old style telephone line hookup. When you go looking around for your doorbell transformer it may look like one of these:
Mounted on cover of an ...
- 61.1k
18
votes
Doorbell transformer is this it?
Nope. That's a phone line terminal block. Old school. May have rudimentary surge supression built in. The heavy black wire is drop cable (from the pole to your house)
It's not your doorbell ...
- 132k
16
votes
How should I reconnect door bell wiring for multiple flats?
Go to the neighbor who you get along well with, but whose doorbell doesn't work now.
Unscrew that doorbell from the wall and look at the wiring, but don't disconnect it. Duplicate that setup in your ...
- 29.1k
14
votes
In wiring a doorbell, what is an alternative to using a transformer?
The answer is NO. All wired doorbells must be low voltage by NEC. You can find chimes with the transformer in the chime box, or mounted in a jbox behind the chime box, and you run 120 vac to the ...
- 57.5k
13
votes
Is it safe to use a receptacle with wires broken off in the backstab connectors?
Play it safe. Replace the receptacle. What else can you get these days for 71 cents? $1.24 if you get tamper-resistant (which nobody likes but you're supposed to use in many places now) and $2.18 for ...
13
votes
Accepted
Is it safe to use a receptacle with wires broken off in the backstab connectors?
I don’t use back stabs and although code allows them this is by far the largest cause of failed wiring in my experience (worse than aluminum wiring).
Since I don’t see a release I would NOT reuse ...
- 95.4k
13
votes
Can I replace a 115 V doorbell transformer with a 120 V doorbell transformer?
There are 3 issues here. The one in the title is actually the least of the concerns:
115V to 120V
The US electric supply has gradually increased the standard voltage over the past century from 110V ...
11
votes
How should I reconnect door bell wiring for multiple flats?
Chances are good that the two wires that were connected send power to the other "downstream" doorbells (your neighbors). The wire by itself would be the one that goes to your doorbell. ...
- 26.6k
10
votes
Wired to Wireless Doorbell
Those wires going to your doorbell button hook up to a transformer somewhere. Maybe it's behind your chime, or maybe its in the attic, but it's there somewhere. Find the transformer and completely ...
- 26.6k
10
votes
Accepted
Doorbell switch internals
The door bell units that I am familiar with operate on 24VAC. The wires to the push button switch will be excited with the 24VAC line on one wire and the other wire referenced to the 24VAC-RET return ...
- 61.1k
8
votes
Accepted
Replacing a doorbell transformer attached to power extension bar
Do not replace the junction box. It is a standard junction box and there is nothing wrong with it.
Backstab connections fail more often than transformers
Look at the receptacle. See how the ...
8
votes
exposed doorbell transformer inside a walk in closet
The worst hazard here is snagging your clothes. The transformer is low-voltage, so you can touch the wires and probably not feel anything. If your hand was wet, you might get a buzz, but it's not ...
- 26.6k
8
votes
Cover & sound-suppression for doorbell transformer in utility closet
The best way to eliminate transformer noise is to purchase a quality transformer.
The noise is because the laminated core is heavily loaded or overloaded and the plates are actually vibrating because ...
- 95.4k
7
votes
Accepted
What is this thing with wires found on wall inside closet, and how do I remove it?
Those certainly looks like doorbell electromagnets, so my guess is you are correct in assuming it is a doorbell chime unit. Maybe a previous owner removed the door button.
Doorbell chime with ...
- 1,437
7
votes
Double Doorbell?
You don't need a relay and you don't need two transformers. You do need a transformer powerful enough to operate both chimes, so you can't buy doorbell kits with transformer included. You'll need to ...
- 12.7k
7
votes
Accepted
What is this unit attached to my house, and what do I replace it with?
That's telephone. It's not a transformer. It's a terminal block.
Call up the phone company and ask them to have someone come out and show you where your point of demarcation is. That's where the ...
7
votes
How should I reconnect door bell wiring for multiple flats?
Surprised no one has yet said: Get an electrician, with a meter and all that, who can check voltages on those wires, and work it all out logically, without making things any worse.
If you are in ...
- 219
6
votes
Accepted
Can a doorbell transformer sit loose inside main panel?
You won't want to install the transformer inside the panel. Instead you'll install it on the panel.
Remove the retaining nut from the threaded fitting on the other side of the transformer (the bit in ...
- 128k
6
votes
Accepted
Is it safe to "cap" a disconnected doorbell wire using electrical tape?
Doorbells in Europe use mains voltage. The far better way to do this is to disable the supply transformer or other voltage source, or disconnect the doorbell at the transformer if it shares the ...
6
votes
Accepted
Doorbell transformer: broken if low voltage reading on multimeter?
It's not a DC device. It's AC on both the primary and secondary windings. Doorbells operate on low voltage AC.
- 14k
6
votes
This is my doorbell transformer, right?
The first item is definitely a transformer. We can tell that by its core laminations and its appearance.
And it is almost certain that the transformer is a doorbell transformer. (It might be a furnace ...
- 590
5
votes
In wiring a doorbell, what is an alternative to using a transformer?
In the UK, the vast majority of doorbells are battery-powered. On my old-school mechanical doorbell, two alkaline D-cells are lasting me around 3 years.
As for why there's an external transformer, ...
- 1,770
5
votes
How do I set my multimeter to test doorbell transformer
Yes your selecting an AC voltage setting is correct for a typical doorbell transformer.
If you can find the transformer itself the first test would be to remove one or both low voltage wires from ...
- 61.1k
5
votes
How do I set my multimeter to test doorbell transformer
Your multimeter is set to measure ac voltage in the range of 0-200V as pictured which is fine (your doorbell transformer is probably AC).
First measure voltage at the doorbell. If you get ~16V the ...
5
votes
Wired to Wireless Doorbell
There are "wireless" doorbells that can actually take power from the low voltage doorbell wiring, though you may need to adjust the wiring to make it a power delivery circuit instead of a "short-...
- 8,098
5
votes
Replacing old doorbell transformer - wiring
The old transformer has identical wire colors for hot and neutral. The new one differentiates them.
To connect the new transformer, connect the black wire from the new one to the same black wire where ...
- 4,772
5
votes
Cover & sound-suppression for doorbell transformer in utility closet
First, even though the exposed wires are low-voltage, likely 16 VAC, they should be covered for esthetics (if the transformer were accessible to children, not inside a closet, it is likely required). ...
- 4,473
5
votes
What are these transformers in my garage for and how do I disconnect them?
One of them (top picture) is your door bell, and the second one could be the garage opener, sprinkler controller, or low voltage lighting of some sort.
Typically, there is an electrical box behind it ...
- 312
4
votes
Accepted
Where can I buy this doorbell button?
I would doubt it that you will find the exact replacement.
All doorbells that I am aware of, are wired pretty much the same, 2 wires, doesn't matter which screw it goes to. You will be able to find a ...
- 31.1k
Only top scored, non community-wiki answers of a minimum length are eligible