doorbell

[cougarred]

My doorbell has suddenly stopped working on this 4 year old house.

When you push the button, the door chime only hums (it doesn't hum all the time - only when the button is pushed).

I've taken the button off and touched the wires together, same hum noise.

Time to replace the bell/chime unit?

[dkpbxman]

Sounds like it's the bell/chime unit.

The kind I have has 2 strike plates. One above and one below a striker surrounded by a spring. When the front door button is pressed, a small current is sent to that striker sending it up and hitting the upper plate. The spring then sends it back down, where it hits the bottom plate. That makes me hear the familiar "ding-dong".

The unit also has a second striker for the back door button that is cushioned on one end so you would only hear "ding". That's so when you hear it you can tell which door the people are at by the sound you hear.

Since the back door isn't even wired for a button, when that front door striker froze up and wouldn't move at all (not sure why) and all I would hear was a buzz, I switched the small wires inside the bell/chime unit so that the front door button was connected to the back door striker.

So now when the front door button is pushed, I only hear "ding" but at least it lets me know when someone is at the door.

[The Builder]

If voltage and everything is correct, then its time for a new chime unit.

[HayZee518]

take the chime unit off the wall. if it is used for front and back door mark where the wires came from on the chime unit. the front door has two bars and a double ended solenoid. the back door chime has one bumper on the solenoid. clean off the plunger of both solenoids with acetone or lighter fluid and re-assemble. check the return spring. never lubricate the plungers.

[doorbellman]

have you thought about getting a product like, or similar to the "Extend-A-Chime?" It sounds like your push button and doorbell transformer are working well. What a extend a chime does is wire into your existing wired door chime transformer. When the push button is pushed, it sends a wireless signal to a plug in or battery powered receiver. Save you some money and a lot of work replacing a door chime....just a though.

[Nestor]

Doorbellman:

In apartment blocks, will there typically be a door bell transformer in each apartment, or only one for the whole building?

I own a small apartment block, and I have NO IDEA where the door bell transformer(s) is/are. In every apartment there is a 24 volt transformer in one of the bedroom closets, typically mounted on the bedroom closet ceiling. But, I've disconnected one of the wires on the low voltage side of those transformers, and the door buzzer still works in that apartment.

My building has a hot water heating system, and the thermostat in each apartment controls a zone valve in that apartment, so I believe the transformers in the closets are for each suite's thermostat and zone valve.

The door buzzers in the suites have to be getting power from somewhere, but there are no other transformers in the apartments and there are no transformers I can find in my electrical service room. The only other transformer is inside the boiler to provide power to the heating system controls. There simply aren't any other transformers that I can find anywhere in the building to provide power for the suite door buzzers.

I've owned this building for over 25 years, and I still have no clue where the door buzzers are getting their power from.

[HayZee518]

doorbell 2009

this post is more than three years old. like beating a dead horse. I doubt the OP is even around

[Nestor]

Maybe take another look. Look closer this time.

I wasn't responding to the original poster.

I was responding to Doorbellman who posted his response in a three year old thread just a few days ago.