Doorbell Problem

[mes472]

I just bought a duplex and have a problem with the wiring of th

doorbells. When I moved in, the doorbell for the 1st floor worke fine. The doorbell to the 2nd floor rings the doorbell for the 1s floor and the second floor. I've figured out the wiring and what i going where. I can get the doorbells to work fine if I only hook on up at a time. However when I hook both up at the same time, only on will work. Do I need 2 transformers if I'm operating 2 differen doorbells

-- mes47

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[William Deans]

Greetings,

A) Are you hooking up the doorbells in series with EACH OTHER as well as in series with the button when you should be hooking them up IN PARALLEL WITH EACH OTHER and in series with the button?

B) Your transformer may not be powerful enough. You don't need two-just a more powerful single transformer.

Hope this helps, William

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[Ross Mac]

The wiring should be as follows....120vac to the transformer....transformer output to switch one and switch two with doorbells coming off both switches and the return circuit for both switches going back to the return circuit of the transformer. What you currently have hooked up would have to be explained further to figure an "easy fix"....but that should be the configuration that would work for you. Best of luck in your project....Ross

[John B]

The heftier transformer might be needed only if two parallel loads were imposed simultaneously; very unlikely. It seems apparent that the petitioner has wired his duplex in SERIES, rather than PARALLEL. Another writer has offered good advice, but I suggest the petitioner get help from someone close-at-hand if he can't discern the difference. |-------x----------| x | | xfmr Switch Switch x | | | Bell Bell --------x----------|

So that's a crude schematic of the needed parallel arrangement. Those doorbell switches are "N.O." (normally open) momentary switches. The petitioner might try to have both pressed SIMULTANEOUSLY, given his present wiring, and listen for both bells ringing simultaneously. This would confirm a SERIES wiring, obviously incorrect for the desired result.

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[Banty]

Unhook all of them.

Then the doorbells will work perfectly :-)

Banty (ah...silence)

[Ross Mac]

After giving this a little more thought it appears you have your switches in paralell and the bells in series. the apparent fix is to take the hot side of the bell upstairs and move it to the hot side of the bell downstairs or just reverse your bell connections downstairs that are tied in with the bell upstairs. John's schematic shows how it should eventually be wired....Ross