Doorbell?

Its DC when you use batteries and AC when you use a transformer. ie most door bells work with both.

Looking at the OP, could it just be a simple matter of replacing or re-attaching the return spring?

ie, the solenoid will pull in to hit one of the chimes, but without the return spring it will not then rebound to hit the other.

....a bit of corrosion adds to the friction and can defeat the spring - but not the solenoid

BTDT and no, its just very old and worn out. Its supposed to Ding/Dong when the front door push is pressed and Dong/Ding when the back one is pressed but no amount of freeing up have improved the Ding!

Mike

I asked because reading feedback on Amazon some complain the bell they bought doesn't work well and answers to questions suggested its because its wrong AC/DC.

Also I'm struggling to find a simple bell to replace the current chime that is 12v, most seem to be 8v.

Mike

In a previous residence, there was a Friedland ding-dong bell, with a transformer in the loft that had two secondary taps with the bell connected across the lower voltage, although I can't remember what the actual voltages were now. As the bell wasn't very loud, I reconnected it across the higher voltage tap, which improved things considerably and didn't fuse anything.

I took the view that the current flow was momentary, so was unlikely to cause overheating or blow a fuse on the input side of the tranny, for what was a modest increase in voltage. It seems I was right, as it stayed like that for nearly twenty years and for all I know still is.

They'll be okay, they're only energised for a fraction of a second.

Burglar alarm sounders run on 12 volts (DC, but AC/DC bells are available) if you really want a 12 volt.

Owain

Be very grateful you still have the dong.

That's interesting, for assuming that it predates the incursion of electronics by several years, your description of differing operation front and back suggests to me some form of DC operation entailing a permanent magnet.

... with a luminous nose?

Gareth's was W7 now W10 Downstairs Computer explained :

So far as I remember, they use two separate solenoid coils and two terminals. One coil fires it one way, the other the opposite way.

snipped-for-privacy@gowanhill.com formulated the question :

The bell contacts can and do often jam closed, which means a chime type can remain energised for a very long time. They often overheat melt/ distort the plastic and jam, which might be the OP's problem.

I was thinking that I'd give it a drop of light oil.

GB snipped-for-privacy@microsoft.com wrote in news:qgd6tm$e9r$ snipped-for-privacy@dont-email.me:

No - it will make it sticky - clean smooth and dry.

Curious, then, that the ding should be missing on both front and back

hey owain, you mentioned on another post u got some stuff from j bull of haywards heath, I I know its gone but can you remind where it was located please

In the "Wanted old MK ,metal clad light switches" thread

Their Haywards Heath site is now derelict:

Owain

hey owain, yh its this site id like to visit and take some pictures for myself, but seems a very well kept secret amongst a few explores, even when you have helped them with the unkown sites ah well, thanks for your time thou fella