How to Fix Your Home's Doorbell

When company comes and tries to ring your doorbell, does it work? If not then the following steps will help you figure out why it isn't working and guide you towards repairing it.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Doorbell Chime Kit
• Voltage and Ohm Meter

1. There are really only 4 things that can be wrong with a doorbell that would keep it from working. They are the doorbell button(s), the doorbell transformer, the doorbell chime, or the actual doorbell wiring that runs from the transformer to the buttons and then to the chime. Most times it is either the transformer or button. Unless there is no high voltage power to the transformer itself.

2. Have someone press the front door button and listen closely at the doorbell chime to see if you hear anything like a hum or a buzz when the button is pressed. Sometimes the plungers in the chime stick. If you hear any type of action at the chime that could possibly rule out the transformer as the problem. If you don't hear anything then go to the next step.

3. 
   Touch the tips of the pliers to the two screws and listen for the chime to ring.

   I would check the button first by backing out the 2 screws and carefully pulling the doorbell button out away from the wall where you can see the two wires that hook to it. Take a pair of needle nose pliers and touch both screws on the button with the pliers to short them together. If you hear the doorbell ring then your problem is the button.
   If you don't hear it ring, leave the button as is for now and go to the doorbell chime. Take the cover off and locate the wires that hook to the chime. There, it should say transformer, front, and rear. Take your meter and see if you read any voltage where the wires hook to the chime. Hold one meter lead on the doorbell transformer screw and the other meter lead on the front door screw while someone presses the front button. If you do read 16 volts when the button is pressed then the problem is in the chime. If you don't read voltage then go to the next step.

4. Locating the transformer that feeds the doorbell system can be tricky sometimes but fairly easy to spot if you know what to look for. If it's not behind the chime then a trip into the attic is next. While in the attic you want to head for two area's, where your chime is located and where your front door button would be. Feel around for the small wires that should be coming from the front door to the chime and the wires coming from the chime will lead you to the transformer.

5. I have found the transformer box under the floor a few times but not many. Most doorbell systems run off of 16 volts so once you find the transformer you want to check the two screws where the wires hook up with your voltage meter to see if the transformer is putting out the right voltage. If not, there is your problem. If it is putting out 16 volts then here is where you need a helper for the next step.

6. 
   Two wires hook to the transformer and the other two tie together.

   On the doorbell transformer there should be two wires hooked to it and then there should be two wires that are hooked together. Undo the two wires that are hooked together. One should head towards the front door and the other should head to the chime. Take your meter and touch one lead to the screw on the transformer that goes to the chime and touch your other lead to the wire that you undid coming from the front button and have someone press the front button. If you read voltage when the button is pressed then the wire is bad from the transformer to the chime. If no voltage is read the wire to the button is bad.

7. It may sound confusing but it is fairly simple if you think about the process of it all. For the chime to ring it needs a positive and a negative from the transformer. A two wire cable goes from the chime to the transformer. One of those wires hooks to the transformer screw and sends a negative to the chime. A 2 wire cable then goes from the doorbell transformer to the front button. One of those wires hooks to the positive on the transformer and sends the positive to one side of the button. When the button is pressed it sends the positive through the button and back to the chime to ring the bell. That is why two are hooked to the transformer and two are hooked together to complete the path from the button to the chime.
   I would now like to thank Laura Danley for her help.

Tips & Warnings

• Check for any tripped breakers or blown fuses that could be feeding the transformer.
• If you have to check the high voltage side of the transformer be very careful. If you don't feel comfortable with it have an Electrician check it for you.
• When spending any time in an attic during hot weather be aware of the dangers of heat related illnesses and come down if you get too hot.

[fareeha1016]

on 11/15/2009 This article is written in such detail with all the proper mechanical steps. I will refer to it once my doorbell goes bad. Bravo! You have been recommended. 5*

[babblebubble]

on 11/14/2009 LOL - Thanks. I hope it does not have anything to do with the transformer. I don't remember the last time ANYBODY, in this house, went up into the attic. I'd have to build up some courage! (I bet there's spiders...)

[powerleg5]

on 11/13/2009 Laura, If you have any trouble getting your doorbell working let me know and I will help you cyber troubleshoot it.

[babblebubble]

on 11/13/2009 My doorbell doesn't work either. I really like the flow of this article. It is well organized, and the details are easy to understand. I will put it with my favorites, in case I ever decide to fix the doorbell. (o: 5 stars!

[soanyway]

on 6/21/2009 Great article on doorbells! Mine does not work....cause I don't want it to! It does not hurt your fingers or hands to press a doorbell, it does hurt to keep pounding on the door.....eventually they go away! LOL