Wiki: Doorbell wiring

meow2222 · 2008-09-29T13:10:22+00:00

Another one for your condemnation...This article covers choice and fitting of wired doorbells.==Kit or self assembled==Doorbell kits are easy, as you don't need to worry about voltage,[[Electricity Basics|ac versus dc]], regulation or anything else. Youeven get all the bits in one pack. If you're not too fussy, these pre-packed kits make life easier.Assembling your own system from diverse parts is more complex, but notvery difficult. And of course its much more flexible.==Sounders==You get a choice of* Bell* Ding dong* ElectronicMechanical sounders tend to produce voltage pulses on the [[LowVoltage Wiring|cable]], so mixing electronic and mechanical sounderson one circuit is not best practice, and may kill the electronicsounder.Generally speaking, and these aren't always the case:* bells are the loudest* dingdongs are medium volume, but much more pleasant to the ear* electronic sounders can produce various sounds, but generally aren'tso loud.==Switch==The bell push is just a momentary switch. It doesn't matter whetherthe switch goes in the -ve or +ve fead to the bell. Many also have alow power [[Filament Lamps|filament bulb]] inside, which lights whenthe switch isn't being pressed.Since it switches low voltage at not much current, the switch can bepretty much any type of momentary push-to-make switch. Custom switchesare perfectly DIYable where a character bellpush is wanted.Improvement in switch reliability and longevity can be gained byfitting a [[snubber]] across the switch contacts. This also eliminatesone of the causes of interference to audio equipment & digital TV.Snubbers are not usually fitted, but if you put time into making afancy switch it makes sense to take another minute or 2 to make itlast.Note that mains [[snubbers]] aren't effective for low voltage use.More suitable component values would be 15-22 ohms plus 10uF (for dcsystems) or 15-22 ohms & 1uF non-polar for ac systems.A [[Filament Lamps|filament bulb]] in the bellpush acts as a[[snubber]], but...