Can anybody help me on this. I have a rather old electric bell in my house, and I want to buy and put up another bell outside so I can hear it when I am in the garden. Is it a case of just removing the back of the original inserting an extension (bell wire) and running it to a new bell ouside. Will both then ring whwen the button is pressed ? Thanks
Quite likely: However; from a technical point of view there are a number of questions that come to mind! Q is rather like saying how many turnips can one cook in a pot; without specifying the size of the pot and the amount! What actually is/are the existing and proposed new bells? Actually 'bells' or some kind of door chime? What is the electric supply for the existing bell? For example: Does supply come from a battery or is there a mains AC operated transformer? Some systems have a small battery incorporated into the door push button for example. How far away will the new bell be located (wiring distance)? What gauge/size of wire to extend to the new bell? While some 'bell' transformers have a fairly small output there is a good chance that it will work OK. The best way to try it would be to attach two temporary short wires for the new bell to the input wires to the existing bell (leaving the existing bell connected) let the new bell just hang there temporarily; then try it before running new wires any distance to the new bell location. If the two bells are similar and the power supply (usually a low voltage transformer, often mounted, these days at the main circuit breaker panel), is adequate it would appear that both bells should work. The low voltage wire to the new bell should probably be 18 or 16 AWG? You can probably run at least 100 feet (remember that's double the distance as far as wiring is concerned because the two new wires go TO the new bell and then BACK). Will the new bell be protected from the weather? If not it could corrode, 'jam' the system and occasionally burn out something existing. Had a son in law who ignored why their door chime was humming all the time. After a while it burnt out and took the supply transformer with it. A corroded bell push! BTW another item to watch out for; is the bell push button by the door a lighted one? That can be an additional question. Make sure the new 'bell' is very similar to the existing bell/buzzer. Recall one case where someone was trying to use an old 'telephone' ringer bell, acquired at a junk shop or flea market, as a door bell and couldn't understand why it didn't work! Entirely different animal manufactured for a different voltage and circuit design. From an overall point of view of the question; "Yes the basic idea is that low voltage electricity that operates the existing bell is extended to a second bell". If it gets more involved than that get someone with technical knowledge to assist. PS. Would not suggest the two bells be put 'in series'. It 'might' work but probably not.
suggest a new higher current higher voltage transformer, run a new set of wirtes from the old bell connection to the new bell location.
old bells were small loads, a new transformer should fix that
The biggest bother is running the wire. I'm sure you're asking the question to avoid running all the wiring then finding out the project is flawed somehow.
Hook up everything without running the wire - leave it on the spool or however it comes. Push the button. Does the new bell work just sitting on the floor in the hallway? If it does, it'll work after snaking the new wire to the new location.
Might, might not or may ring weaker. Depends on the power capacity of the transformer and the power draw of the bells. Try it. If it don't work, upgrade the transformer too. Maybe 2 newer bells would take less power than the old bell. Check it out.
I'm making a WAG that at some point in your career you were a spec writer.
Jeff
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