Wireless doorbell

[Van Chocstraw]

My doorbell stopped so I checked the 3 batteries in the ringer unit with a flash light. Sure enough, one was dead as only 2 would light the light and the one would not with either of the other. Decided to put3 new batteries in the unit. Later went down to the bench and for some reason check the batteries on the meter. One was 1.5 volts, the second was 1.5 and the third was NEGATIVE 1.5 volts! Not dead. I have never seen a D size dry cell reverse polarity. This unit did work when it was installed 3 years ago. How is it possible for the D cell to reverse polarity. The ringer unit is strictly batteries, no AC plug.

[Sam E]

Since I wanted to put in a little math:

(+1.5v) + (-1.5v) = 0v

[Tony Hwang]

Hmmm, Rchargeable ones can do that. But on a dry cell?

[Bob F]

That cell had been installed backwards. The other cells reverse charged it.

[hrhofmann]

But they could only do that if the light was turned on so there was a complete circuit, and it would had to have been on for quite a long time to discharge and then reverse charge the one cell.

[Bob F]

If the battery was dead, it could have happened quicker, or it happened while the batteries were in the ringer unit.