Doorbell Continuously rings- (but not a short)

[SKrapp]

My wired doorbell button broke so I bought a replacement (the actual plastic button cracked and fell out) The doorbell worked fine before the button broke.

I purchased a replacement button and removed the old one- here is what stumps me:

As soon as the wires from the doorframe contact the screw terminals on the new button, the doorbell chimes repeatedly. This happens at contact- without the actual button being pressed.

In fact- The doorbell chimes repeatedly if I touch the wires to any metal (screwdriver, or the copper piece from inside the new button, or each other)

I bought a second button after I dismantled the first replacement button trying to make it work (remove diode, etc.).. same thing happens with second button.

The chime works fine, the transformer has output... the chime rings when the wires touch each other...only repeatedly.

Any suggestions before I pull the wires and go wireless?

[philoÂÂ]

Maybe you got a lighted button?

Just get a button that is nothing but a switch

[trader_4]

astic button cracked and fell out) The doorbell worked fine before the butt on broke.

the new button, the doorbell chimes repeatedly. This happens at contact- w ithout the actual button being pressed.

al (screwdriver, or the copper piece from inside the new button, or each ot her)

n trying to make it work (remove diode, etc.).. same thing happens with sec ond button.

n the wires touch each other...only repeatedly.

That would be my suspicion too. Odd though that a chime would be incompatible with a lighted button. The old ones were just a solenoid and that should work. The new ones can be electronic, but you would think they would all be made to be compatible with a lighted button. But it sounds like that's what the problem is.

[Tony Hwang]

Hi,

+1.

[skcoco74]

plastic button cracked and fell out) The doorbell worked fine before the bu tton broke.

n the new button, the doorbell chimes repeatedly. This happens at contact- without the actual button being pressed.

etal (screwdriver, or the copper piece from inside the new button, or each other)

ton trying to make it work (remove diode, etc.).. same thing happens with s econd button.

hen the wires touch each other...only repeatedly.

Thanks Philo and Trader... the new buttons are lighted- nowhere on the net did that detail come up! I'll post later when I try a new one.

[Tony Hwang]

Hi, There are two kinds lighted button. One with LED, one with real small light bulb. Latter one will work OK.

[trader_4]

Don;t you really mean the LED type will work? That's what I would think. Bulb type would draw more current, possibly ringing bell. LED draws very little current.

[micky]

That sounds like a good argument, but try this. Lighted buttons used to work. They were all real small light bulbs. Something changed. Ah, the new design, used on some, uses an LED. Those are the one the doorbells weren't designed for.

[Tony Hwang]

Hi, Drawing more current so solenoid can't activate. LED current draw is very small. I went thru same experiment with our rotary gong type church bell chime.

[Guv Bob]

plastic button cracked and fell out) The doorbell worked fine before the button broke.

the new button, the doorbell chimes repeatedly. This happens at contact- without the actual button being pressed.

metal (screwdriver, or the copper piece from inside the new button, or each other)

button trying to make it work (remove diode, etc.).. same thing happens with second button.

when the wires touch each other...only repeatedly.

Has to be a short somewhere. Solenoid/bell won't ring if it's an open circuit.

[clare]

reverse the wires and try. If it still chimes without pushing the button get a simple non-lighted button. I'm assuming this is an electronic chime - only the RIGHT lighted button will work.

[micky]

You seem to be agreeing with Trader and disagreeing with your previous post. But you don't say so and I can't tell for sure.

[trader_4]

The problem is not that the solenoid can't activate. He said the problem is that the chime activates as soon as he connects the pushbutton, without the button being pushed. That indicates the light is causing too much current to flow when the switch is open. The bulb or LED is in series with the switch. I would think a bulb is going to use more current to generate light than an LED.

And what you posted makes no sense anyway. When you push the button the bulb is bypassed, ie shorted across and it's out of the circuit. It momentarily goes out. The solenoid then gets full current, no?

[trader_4]

A lighted pushbutton is not an open circuit. The light completes the circuit.

[trader_4]

Perhaps the OP can tell us if the old button was lighted or not. And if the new one is a bulb type or LED. From what I see the low cost ones, less than $10 don't say what they are and are probably bulb type. The more expensive ones are the only ones I see that say LED type.

[Pico Rico]

First reverse the wires to the switch. Failing that, then +1

[TimR]

That's what I would do.

An LED is a Light Emitting Diode. A diode is a device that transmits in one direction. It's essentially a short in that direction.

Whoops, that's not gonna work, is it? It shouldn't transmit at all in the other direction, unless you're above breakdown voltage, which you probably are.

Never mind.

Something about that circuit is making a switch that should be Normally Open act as if it were Normally Closed. The diode sounds likely. You could just snip the diode wire. That would be a good test.

[trader_4]

It's also AC, not DC.

[Ralph Mowery]

There is no basic differance in a LED and any other diode. Within the voltage/current ratings a LED acts just as any other diode does except it often emmits light.

[Mark Lloyd]

True, although a LED has a low reverse breakdown voltage (just a little higher than the forward breakdown voltage). The series resistor protects it during both half-cycles of the AC.