I have a transformer wired up to my power system but currently use a battery operated door chime - I now want to go to mains power through the transformer and also put an extension of the door chime into living room to be sure we can hear the caller at the door when the TV's on and loud. How do I do this with the old transformer - which I presume is working OK.
You'd first have to be certain the ding dong is suitable for AC instead of DC working and that the voltage is ok. Might be simpler to replace it with a new one which is.
Some transformers are 'big' enough for two bells - some not. What is the output - should be written on it somewhere.
Push |0-------------------X-------------- ~ >| TRANSFORMER 6-8V AC |0--------------X X---------- ~ | | | | | | |--BELL--| | | | | | | |--BELL--|
You probably need a piece of screw connector strip at X
Owain
two bells operation.
barontorc wrote on 21/01/2007 :
The cheap, simple and easy option is to install a modern wireless doorbell. You can carry the sounder round with you or just use two sounders (or more) operated from one push - no wires etc. to install.
Hi Baron,
I'm not sure that I entirely understand what you're asking, but this might be helpful:
Cheers!
Martin
If you are considering a wireless door chime get one where the sounder is a plug in one (some have a 13 amp thru socket so you don't tie up a socket.
A battery operated one is (in effect) like having a radio receiver switched on 24hours a day - 7 days a week and the batteries will die. The Sender unit only uses power when the button is pressed - but the receiver is using power all the time - waiting - just in case!
All the ones I've heard tend to get drowned out by birds chirping two streets away.
Good grief.
Sounds like the wiring is already in place.
These ones will drown out that pesky birdsong ...
Wonder why everyone seems to suddenly want cordless door bells? Does the original wiring self destruct? It's not like an alarm or network - surely most houses are wired for doorbells from new or have it installed at re-wire time?
On Tue, 23 Jan 2007 00:43:46 +0000 (GMT) someone who may be "Dave Plowman (News)" wrote this:-
Just about the only advantage some have is giving a different sound for the front and back door. However, that can be done with wired systems too.
There's a huge stock of houses built before doorbells were incorporated .... used to aable to leave the front door open ... :)
And those houses still have no electricity? ;-)
FWIW many houses had electric door bells fitted before electric lighting.
Thats it for ac doorbells. If Baron has a dc bell, as is probably the case given battery operation, you need to add a bridge rectifier and reservoir capacitor on the output of the transformer to make dc. Note, as I found by experience, you need quite a big reservoir cap, as the transformer is typically a sall high curent very low duty cycle device.
The transformer voltage needs to be picked to suit the bell, or vice versa. Transformer ac output voltage will be approx the dc voltage you get after the rectifier when loaded, ie when dining, and this will rise about 50% or more higher when offload, so your dinger will need to survive that
So yes its simple, but not quite as simple as it could be. If you give us more info on the V ratings and noise maker type of your kit that would help.
Lastly an RC across the bellpush switch would make it last a good deal longer.
NT
I agree with this. I found (to my surprise) that the mains transformer in my fuse box supplying the doorbell did not support the 3 bells I needed, so I added a Friedland wireless transmitter and 3 Friedland wireless chimes. This works very well.
I actually use rechargeable batteries in the chimes; these need replacing every couple of months. (There is a flashing light on the chime to show they need replacing.)
It's technology, innit?
Personally I have wired phones, a wired computer network and two wired underdome bells like yourself. But people are lazy, and if they can save themselves 90 seconds by not having to screw wires into terminals they will. Also lots of people are convinced that anything to do with electricity (of whatever voltage) is highly dangerous and better left to the professionals (maybe not such a bad idea in many cases).
The only time I have personally dabbled with cordless bells with so that my mother could have a bell in the greenhouse at the bottom of the garden (run via an extender off the main wired bell) - seemed like the perfect solution.
How long before wired doorbells are brought within Part P I want to know?
Cheers!
Martin
PS The two posts above go a long way to explaining why Joe Bloggs has decided that wireless is easier!
I say Thank God for Wireless. Who wants wires spewing all over the place? DIY-ers might like drilling holes in every wall and ceiling they can find, but I prefer a hole-free residence.
I totally agree, but if the job was done properly then you shouldn't have any wires spewing (or visible holes)! Anyway, I think Dave was complaining about people not using existing bell wiring, so for them there would be no need to drill any holes, or even to buy a bit of wire.
They don't like drilling through their new plastic doorframes.
Owain
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