We have a new doorbell with Westminster chimes that is hard wired. When you push the door bell button and release it the door bell chimes the first bell, but stops. If you hold the door bell button in, the bell will ring through the entire 8-note chime. Does it sound like it is miswired or defective. The brand is Heath Zenith. Thanks!
did you replace transformer?
chimes need more voltage........
One of the buttons needs a resistor on it. Did you replace the button? Is the chime new? Did it ever work? The resistor allows it to work through the entire chime sequence. They give you one with the chime and it goes across the terminals of the button. RTFM
Worst case scenario is to put a sign over the button asking people to hold the button through eight notes.
It one note enough to get you to answer the door? If so, leave it be. Who needs 8 notes to tell if there is someone at the door?
If the chime is powered by a transformer, and not batteries, (some can be wired either way) it needs a constant 16 volts at the chime and a switch leg from the chime to each push button. Once the push button is momentarily pushed, the chime uses its self contained 16 volt power to continue the melody until its finished. A standard ding-dong chime only requires a momentary pulse of 16 volts to operate. If this device is replacing a ding -dong chime, it may be wired incorrectly
I had a doorbell button that was plastic, and finally fell to pieces. I went and bought another. On the old one, there was a small electronic device, either a resistor or diode that was wired across the two connectors.
When I installed the new one, the new one did not have one. The doorbell did the exact same thing, ringing only as long as you held the button down. I put the little component from the old one back in, and it still would not work. Apparently there was a polarity issue, as I reversed it, and it worked just fine.
Not sure if you changed button and all, but you apparently are missing something in the setup.
Steve
Hi, Is it a mechanical chime? Then there is a logic board controlling gong motor and such. Sounds like it is not holding the power once button triggers the circuit. I have one in my house.
replying to rjbe2003, PJA wrote: The door push button activating the electronic chimes requires a diode across it's terminals. If it doesn't work, reverse the house wires OR reverse the diode wires (not both). There is no simpler method of determining which way is correct. This should solve your problem. If it doesn't, remove the chimes container and the chimes to get access to the transformer. Measure the voltage across the two transformer screws. It should be 10 to 16 Volts AC. If not, you need a new transformer. If the voltage is correct, you have a faulty chime.
Thanks, PJA, but after ten years I said screw it and installed a brass door knocker.
It sounds like the chimes are expecting DC voltage, then. If that's the case, Don't they have a positive and/or negative connection listed on them someplace? If one of the two wires going to it has a color code of somekind (say, a red line on it), one could designate that the plus or minus one and wire to the switch accordingly. Obviously taking care to place the diode on the proper wire so it can provide primitive DC voltage to the electronic circuitry.
I haven't installed that many chimes, but, the ones I have installed that were of the electronic variety had a plus and minus symbol on their terminals. Some of them actually had the diode already with them and it was okay to wire them to a standard ac output transformer. I've only seen two of them that didn't, and, expected you to provide DC power to run them. hence the diode...
So I made sure that when I ran the bell wire, I made note of which color was to be which polarity. YMMV.
replying to SteveB, John c. wrote: Thanks Steve, I had the same problem and reversing the diode worked like a charm John C
replying to Diesel, Grapevine wrote: this is for electronic door bell, if you have a plunger type (analog) type door bell this is not for you, If you have a digital electronic which has no moving parts, this is for you, In stall diode across the door bell button , if it still don't work flip the diode around this will then work. You need a diode go to radio shack or Frys electronics and buy a small diode *
LOL. It works because the electronic doorbell requires DC but the bell transformer is AC by default. The diode gives you a DC power source, but, at a loss in the configuration you're suggesting.
replying to rjbe2003, Hector Dominguez wrote: I think I have the same problem. Idiot know if I using the wrong push button
replying to rjbe2003, Arnie wrote: The button requires a diode accross it and as I recall...U can't use a lighted button because the lightbulb screws it up!
replying to rjbe2003, Arnie wrote: The button requires a diode accross it and as I recall...U can't use a lighted button because the lightbulb screws it up!
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