Before Ring doorbellls, what were the two common voltages for doorbell transformers?

[micky]

Before Ring doorbells etc. in the 70's to 90's, what were the two popular, common voltages for doorbell transformers?

My house came with the low voltage version and things were fine until about 1995 I moved the bell itself to the basement (since I worked down there and couldn't hear the bell in the front hall) and put a nicer one in the hall. Then the little transformer didn't have enough ooomph and I had to buy a bigger one which had more voltage.

I'm trying to figure out what voltage it is, and I can't just go up to the basement ceiling and measure it because now I have a pile of tables and wood etc there, with no place in the basement to move that stuff even temporarily. I'll have to step half-way on the ladder and half-way on the pile and risk my life, or at least my bones.

So, what were the two voltages? What is the greater of the two?

TIA

[Dean Hoffman]

16 and 24 a.c. from a look at what Amazon sells. Read up on Class 1,2, and 3 circuits in the national electrical code if you're really bored. Generally, less than 30 volts is considered safe from electrical shock. Maybe you can pretend you're one of those guys on American Pickers. Pretend there's something stashed away that's worth a million dollars.

[bud--]

Measure the voltage across the doorbell pushbutton.

Transformers have a VA (power) rating in addition to voltage.

Also depends on current. Class 1 includes doorbell, heating thermostat, and is "power limited". Mostly old doorbell stuff I have seen is 16V, might be some 24V. Heating is 24V.

[Clare Snyder]

I have seen 16 and 24. Current one is 24. Adding a second bell does not need higher voltage, it needs higher current - usually rated as Va

- or Volt Amps which is a POWER rating. 24 volt

16 volt 10va was a common size. There are also "tri volt" units (Zenith) with 8, 16, and 24 volts - 20VA on the 24 volt, and 10va on either the 8 or 16 volt taps It is an "off-center-tapped" transformer. The more common units today are 16 volt 20 or 30 VA. Most chimes require a minimum of 10va to operate reliably and if you have 2 chimes 20Va is almost a requirement. 24 volt transformers are used where long runs of cable are used to allow for the voltage drop across the long wire.

Years ago door "buzzerz" ran on asingle 1.5 volt "bell battery" about the size of a beer can

[micky]

Let me rewrite this to put a comma after "one, had to buy a bigger one, which had more voltage.

Yes, of course. When I went for bigger, it included a higher voltage. Maybe even smaller would have if they all were 24 volts by then. .