How to fix a doorbell
Worried you might miss an important delivery because your doorbell isn’t working? You may not have to call an electrician. Reviving a dead doorbell is often an easy fix.
Read on to learn about the most common things that cause wired and wireless doorbells to fail and how to troubleshoot and repair your hardwired doorbell. If you find a more complicated issue like faulty wiring, there are a few tips on deciding whether to repair or replace your doorbell.
Types of doorbells
The fix depends on what kind of doorbell you have in your home.
Traditional wired doorbells
Hardwired doorbells are very low-maintenance, often lasting for decades without a glitch. They’re also very low in voltage, so repairs are possible to do yourself. On the other hand, a hardwired doorbell is undeniably a tool that’s only good at one job.
While troubleshooting wired doorbells is covered in depth below, wireless doorbells and smart doorbells have different issues.
Wireless doorbells
Wireless doorbells (such as the fully waterproof Avantek kit) are radio frequency devices. When someone presses the doorbell button, a signal is sent via radio wave to a receiver unit in your house, which is usually battery-powered. You can usually customize the chime with these systems.
Smart doorbells
Smart doorbells (such as the top-rated Ring Video Doorbell series system) are WiFi-connected and controlled with either your computer or smartphone app. In addition to ringing, they offer video capture and intercom functionality, much like a traditional security system. They can be powered by battery, ethernet, or hardwired into your existing doorbell circuit.
Most common wireless doorbell issues
Dead batteries: The batteries on wireless doorbells are supposed to last for 2 years or more, but they can burn out much faster, especially if your doorbell button has a light or glow feature activated. Check your batteries as a first step.
Random ringing: Perhaps more irritating than no doorbell is a doorbell that rings continually or randomly. Wireless systems that use radio waves can be accidentally triggered by interference from other radio devices such as car key fobs or even nearby wireless doorbells. If you’re experiencing this issue, try changing the channel (frequency) on your wireless doorbell controls.
Going offline: Disconnection is an issue with smart doorbells, especially those powered with a battery. While it can be caused by multiple things, temporary power loss to the unit is the most common culprit.
How to repair a hardwired doorbell
If your experience in electrical repairs is limited to switching out light bulbs, don’t fret. Doorbell problems are usually an easy fix. Because doorbells are extremely low voltage (anywhere from 10-16 watts or so), it’s one of the safer DIY projects. It will also save you the expense of calling an electrician out who may have a steep minimum charge for a service appointment.
Start by looking for the easiest fixes first, which don’t involve anything dangerous. Doorbell wiring is rarely the cause of the issue.
Test the doorbell button
Because the doorbell button is located outdoors and exposed to the elements, it’s usually the first thing to go. The good news is replacing the button (or the button and cover plate) is cheap and easy.
If the button is stuck, it may be dirty. Try cleaning the button with a cotton swab or cloth dampened with rubbing alcohol or WD-40. This may solve the issue.
If you can push the button freely, remove the doorbell cover plate with a screwdriver. Unscrew the two wires from the doorbell button, then cross them and see if your doorbell rings.
If it does, all you need to do is replace the doorbell push button (usually less than $15).
Test the chime box
If that doesn’t work, check the chime box inside the house, where the bell or chime sound comes from when someone rings the doorbell. This is often located near the entrance to the kitchen, a stairwell or a central hallway.
You’ll need a voltmeter and another person to help you with this step.
Remove the decorative cover (often a small wooden frame) from the chime box.
Check to see that nothing is physically blocking the hammer from striking a bell (in an older home, the hammer may be broken or dislodged).
Using a multimeter or a clamp meter to see if electricity is going through the wire. Ask your assistant to ring the doorbell. If the meter registers current flowing but the bell doesn’t ring, you need to replace the chime mechanism.
If the meter shows no current, you either have faulty wiring or an issue with the transformer.
Test the doorbell transformer
While you’ve got a meter out to test the chime, you may as well check the doorbell transformer, which powers the chime. If you found out in the previous step that you don’t have electrical current flowing to your chime, you need to test the transformer. The transformer steps down the 110-volt electricity from your main electrical panel to the 10 or 12 volts used in a doorbell circuit.
Locate the transformer — this can sometimes be the biggest challenge of the project. It’s a small metal or plastic box around 3 inches wide. It’s often located near your main electrical panel but can also be tucked away in a coat or hall closet, under a shelf or even in the garage.
Test the voltage using the multimeter’s “voltage” setting and touch the clamp points to the screws holding the wiring in place on the transformer.
If it reads less than 16 volts, the transformer needs replacement, a job best left to a licensed electrician.
Deciding whether to repair or replace
If all you have is a frayed connection point, you may be able to splice in some doorbell wire with electrical tape yourself.
Depending on your electrical system and where the problem is, a repair could be a 1-hour electrician visit or could involve opening up the wall or ceiling in your home to replace faulty writing. Given the cost of this type of project, many people with wiring issues choose to bypass the project and get a wireless system instead.
If you end up deciding to replace your current doorbell rather than repairing it, there are so many options with modern doorbells that it can be overwhelming.
Doorbell system pros and cons
Wireless and smart doorbells offer the most flexibility with a host of features and options, including security video and programmable chimes. However, they’re usually more functional than attractive in white or beige plastic.
If you’d like something more aesthetically pleasing or in keeping with the era of an older home, button covers and chime boxes for hardwired doorbells come in a large range of styles.
Traditional wired doorbells: No batteries are required with traditional doorbells, and they’re long-lasting and your home is likely already wired for one. Cons are that you only have one chime option and there are no smart features like a security camera.
Wireless doorbells: Wireless doorbells are easy to install, no electrical wiring is required, and they offer customizable chimes. However, if you want a button that lights up at night, you’ll burn through batteries.
Smart doorbells: Smart doorbells offer a security camera and 2-way talk functions in addition to the doorbell. They can be controlled remotely by smartphone app (and many other features).
On the flip side, they can be pricey. Depending on the model and your internet stability, it may function intermittently. Battery-powered video doorbells are less reliable than hardwired ones.
Rachel Boller is a writer for BestReviews. BestReviews is a product review company with a singular mission: to help simplify your purchasing decisions and save you time and money.
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