There are five types of people who don’t require a doorbell; the recluse, the outcast, people with an army of creditors, people on the wrong side of the law and people who can’t afford a door to hang one. There is another small class of people who had eliminated the doorbell. They are the uber rich. Their doorbell consists of a live specimen of the human race standing at the door with an intimidating air about him. So, you can’t simply go and ring them up. Doorbells are very necessary, as you do not want anyone breaking the door to enter when you can’t hear the knock . They also save you from putting one ear to the door with the constant worry that someone may be waiting outside. Install a doorbell, and go there only when anyone rings it. Even the ancients understood this problem and so their houses had heavy knockers or metal bells. Installing a doorbell is easy and you do not have to call in a mechanic. To help you in this, read the article below for tips on installing a doorbell.
Tips On Installing A Doorbell
Basic Information
- Doorbells, buzzers and chimes that are wireless consist of two units. The battery operated push button unit and the sound unit.
- Most doorbells operate on 10 volts and door chimes on 16 volts.
- The transformer should be designed to provide the correct voltage.
- No transformers are required for battery-operated units.
Transformer Information
- No separate transformer is required as it is built into the unit.
The transformers for chimes are a little larger than the transformers for doorbells.
- The main function of the transformer is to reduce the regular current to low voltage. That is it reduces 120-volt power to 10 to 16 volts.
- The transformer has one white wire and one black wire to provide power from the power source.
- Low voltage wires are attached to two screws, which are mounted on the opposite side of the transformer and connected to the bell or chime.
- Most transformers can be mounted directly on the outlet box. The primary power source wires are then run directly into the box.
- If the transformer is not in the outlet box then keep the wires insulated and spliced in the box.
- On the low voltage side of the transformer, connect the two terminal screws with a bell wire.
- To hold the wires in place use insulated staples.
Installing A Single-Button Doorbell
- A button is mounted on one door to operate the bell.
- Connect the terminal screw on the bell button to the terminal screw on the transformer with a wire. Connect another wire from the button to one of the terminal screws on the bell and then from the second terminal screw to the screw on the transformer.
- Mount the bell and transformer on any concealed location and the button on any door.
Wiring For Buttons On Front & Back Doors
- Connect the wire from the terminal screws of the front and backdoor buttons with the terminal screws on the transformer.
- Connect another wire with the terminal screw on both the buttons with the terminal screws on the bell.
- Now take another wire and connect the left terminal screw on the bell with the other terminal screw on the transformer.
Wiring For A Backdoor Buzzer & A Front Doorbell
- If both the front and back doors have a bell then, as they sound the same, it cannot be made out from which door the bell rang. To counter this, install one door with a bell and the other door with a buzzer. Install the buzzer on the back door.
- The buzzer is connected in between the terminal screw on the backdoor button and the terminal screw on the bell. The rest of the wiring is the same.
Wiring Arrangement For Combination Bell & Buzzer
- This unit has three terminal screws instead of two, as both the bell and the buzzer constitute one single unit.
- Connect one wire with one of the back door button terminal to that of the buzzer-bell unit terminal screws. Use another wire to connect the front door button terminal to the terminal screws of the buzzer-bell unit.
- Now using another wire connect the front button with the terminal screws of the transformer and repeat the same for the back button.
- Now wire the central screw with the transformer.
- Place the bell and buzzer in such a place so that the sound can be heard throughout the house.