Almost every house has a doorbell near the doorway. With a simple push of a button, your friends and neighbours can announce their presence and request entry into your home. However, if it is not working, you need to repair or replace it. If you are planning to replace it all by yourself, then the only qualification is that you should be good at working with electrical systems. In this article, we will learn how to install a wired doorbell at your home.
Before we begin, let’s first understand the components of the doorbell and how it works.
What are the Components of a Wired Doorbell?
A standard, wired doorbell consists of three components:
1. Doorbell Push Button:
The push button is installed outside the house, usually beside the main entrance door. When a doorbell’s button is pushed, the chime rings to alert you that someone is at the door.
2. Doorbell Chime:
The chime produces the sound; it rings when the doorbell button is pushed.
3. Doorbell Transformer:
The doorbell transformer wires into your electrical system and allows you to connect your doorbell push button and chime at a much lower voltage.
How does a Wired Doorbell Work?
When you press a doorbell button, you complete an electrical circuit that allows household electricity to flow through the doorbell’s electromagnet. Then the electromagnet’s magnetic field powers the mechanism that generates the doorbell sound. Then, using the magnetic field created by the electromagnet, a simple chime doorbell moves a magnetic piston to strike two- tone bars, producing the well-known “Ding Dong” sound.
Doorbells operate on low voltage, meaning they consume very little energy. A doorbell mechanism is incomplete without a transformer. The transformer converts a standard household current of 120 volts to the lower voltage required by the doorbell, typically between 6 and 16 volts.
How to Install a Wired Doorbell?
Installing a wired doorbell involves low-voltage electricity. As mentioned earlier, it is a relatively simple DIY project if you take the necessary precautions, such as turning off the power before you begin.
Tools and Equipment
- Drill bits and drivers
- Flathead screwdriver
- Phillips head screwdriver
- Wire stripper
- Pliers
- Voltage tester
Materials
- 50 feet 20/2 coated copper wire (Note: Length here given is just for an indication and actual length would depend upon your requirement.)
- Doorbell transformer
- Doorbell base (chimes)
- Plastic wire connectors
DIY Procedure
Step 1: Check if Your Home is Wired for a Doorbell
Hardwired doorbells are installed during a home’s construction, when an electrician can easily run wires through unfinished walls. If the house isn’t wired for a doorbell, the simplest solution is to buy a wireless doorbell.
If your home is not wired for a doorbell, and you prefer a wired model, installation can be costly because you must fish new wires through the walls, which is time-consuming.
The procedure entails locating a nearby junction box, installing a new transformer, and running new wires to the side of the door.
To check whether your house is wired for a doorbell, you need to turn off the power at the main breaker box and remove the doorbell. Check to see if there are any wires behind it.
Step 2: Check if the Doorbell Transformer is Operational
Transformers are small boxes connected to an electrical box by a series of small, thin wires. They convert 110V or 120V electricity to the 8V, 16V, or 24V that a doorbell needs. They’re usually found in nearby closets, basements, utility rooms, and other out-of-the-way locations.
To check if the transformer is working, use a multimeter. Then set the multimeter to volts AC, and on the two screws holding the wires in place, place the probes. The transformer is faulty if there isn’t a reading on the multimeter.
Step 3: Cut off the Power to the Bell at the Breaker Box
A wired doorbell is linked to the home’s electrical system, so you’ll need to shut off the power to the bell at the breaker box before installing a new one. The bell’s transformer reduces a home’s standard 120V to less than 24V to accommodate the low-voltage wires connecting to the button unit and the chime box.
Step 4: Disassemble the Existing Doorbell
Remove the doorbell button from the wall with the screwdriver and disconnect the wires from the doorbell button. Next, remove the doorbell’s chime cover and disconnect the wires from the chime. Then, using a screwdriver, remove the screws holding the chime to the wall.
Remove the cover plate on the transformer’s electrical box. Using a non-contact tester, ensure the power inside the box is off. Then, remove the wire nuts and wires connecting the transformer to the electrical circuit once you are certain that the power is turned off.
Step 5: Change the Doorbell Transformer
If you need to replace the doorbell transformer, now is the time. To begin, remove the existing doorbell transformer from the electrical cover plate and re-use the entry and locknut to install the new transformer.
Wire the new transformer into the electrical system while the breaker is still turned off by twisting the wires together and capping them off with wire nuts. Finally, reconnect the wires from the chime and button to the transformer before reinstalling the junction box’s cover plate.
Check the chime’s package to see which voltage it requires (8V, 16V, or 24V), and then connect the wires according to the transformer’s wiring diagram.
Also, before proceeding, turn the breaker back on briefly and test the new transformer to ensure that it works and that the voltage is correct. Check the voltage with a multimeter.
Step 6: Connect the Wires to the Button and Chime of the New Doorbell
Install the new chime on the wall. Then, connect the wires from the transformer and the wires from the transformer to the button. If you have multiple doorbells, ensure the wires are connected to the terminal labelled “Front” or “Back,” as appropriate. If not already done, connect the transformer wire to the transformer terminal and the button wire to the other terminal.
Mount the new doorbell button. Connect the wires from the transformer and the chime to the doorbell button. Do not worry about how you have connected these two wires. You must only make sure you connect each wire to a terminal.
Conclusion
Now that you know how to install a wired doorbell, you can replace it at any time. Follow the above procedure and install your doorbell on your own. However, remember that the most important thing is to turn the breaker off before dealing with any electrical work.
Apart from this, we have also written article on smart lock for your home. You may refer the following link:
5 Tips to Choose the Best Smart Lock for Your Smart Home!
Author Bio
Jennifer Kiminza – Jennifer Kiminza is a content writer and content marketing professional at Hub Spot, an inbound marketing and sales platform that helps companies attract visitors, convert leads, and close customers. Previously, Jennifer worked as a marketing manager for a tech software startup. She graduated with honors from Nairobi University with a dual degree in Business Administration and Creative Writing.