Fixing
a Doorbell
Does your home
have a door bell or chime unit that only rings on Halloween? In most cases,
this is pretty easy to repair.
The most common
culprit in the failure of this system is the easiest to get to. It's the
push button. Remove the button faceplate, which is usually held in place
by a couple of tiny screws. There should be two wires attached to the back
of the button unit.
I know what
you're thinking . . .electrical shock! You'll be happy to know that bell
and chime systems are operated on very low voltage, 12 to 24 volts. At most,
you'd only get a tingle. However, having said that, if you wish to err on
the side of caution, avoid touching the wires or go to the entry box and
trip the switch to that controls that circuit.
But back to the button, remove the wires and touch them together, (assuming
you didn't shut off the current) and if the chimes or bell ring, you know
the button is not doing its job. Check the contact points and clean the
ends of the wires. If the button still doesn't ring your chimes, buy a new
button.
If the touching
of the wires failed to ring the unit, your next step is to check the buzzer
or chime itself. You're still dealing with low voltage at this point. Check
all the connections to be sure they are tight and not bothered by corrosion.
Look to see if the clapper on the bell is close enough to hit the bell.
With a chime unit, clean the striker bar using rubbing alcohol.
Using an inexpensive
test light make sure there is power to the unit. Have some one push the
button and if the tester lights up, you have current. If not, the next step
is to check the transformer, usually in the attic or as part of the chime
unit.
While the wires
coming out of the transformer carry the low voltage, the wires coming in
are carrying full house current, so be very cautious in dealing with the
transformer. Shut off the power and hook the test light to the low voltage
side. Restore the power and if the light comes on, the transformer is OK.
If not, using the proper caution, test the other side to be sure current
is getting to the transformer.
If all this
checks out and there's still no "ding dong", it's a wiring problem.
When replacing wiring in the walls, attach the new wires to the old and
use the old wires to pull the new through the wall. It sure beats fishing
the wires! |