Wired doorbells

[larkim]

Just curious, why do most wired doorbells need a transformer, with the asso= ciated hassle of wiring from a mains source to the tranformer and then to t= he bell, when they could just as easily use a 9V battery in the sounder uni= t instead?

I presume there's a good reason, just I'm too much of a numpty to work it o= ut for myself.

I know there are some battery only devices, but they are all horrible and d= on't meet SWMBO's audio requirements nor visual aesthetic requirements. An= d wiring something up doesn't meet my requirements. (And wireless ones are= either crap, don't work in my house, look ugly or don't make the right sor= t of ring for SWMBO!).

Matt

[Frank Erskine]

associated hassle of wiring from a mains source to the tranformer and then to the bell, when they could just as easily use a 9V battery in the sounder unit instead?

Probably because most (?) bell pushes have an internal lamp, so draw current continuously. A battery wouldn't last very long!

[Dave Plowman (News)]

You won't get a loud sounder *and* decent battery life from a 9 volt battery.

Mains bells also give the possibility of an illuminated bell push.

It's really hardly any more work to fit a transformer if using a cabled system - and it's then forget time for many many years.

[John]

larkim used his keyboard to write :

As others have said, most bell pushes have illumination which would be a constant drain on a battery. Plus, batteries go flat without informing you so you miss people at the door who have been stood there ringing a defunct doorbell. Much, much better to have a transformer and mains power.

For many years we've had the Freidland Underdome D792 bell and it does exactly what it says on the tin. It's small, unobtrusive, but bloody LOUD!!

I work from home and when our next-door neighbours (we live in a semi-detached) are out during the day, or away on holiday, I love to play my music (Led Zeppelin, AC/DC, The Who, Deep Purple etc., etc) at very loud volume and was always missing deliveries/callers when we had a namby-pamby 'ding-dong' type thing, but not anymore - this bell can be heard all over the house, even when listening to Robert Plant and the boys in full gusto lol

[Harry Bloomfield]

larkim was thinking very hard :

All maybe true in the distant past, but pay a bit extra for a good quality modern one and none of that is true. If range is an issue, then get one of the longer range versions.

The only good reason to have a wired system with a transformer, is if you must have a light on the push. Run on battery they do not last long. A wired battery one without a light is otherwise fine, but most installing one these days choose a wireless option.

[meow2222]

sociated hassle of wiring from a mains source to the tranformer and then to= the bell, when they could just as easily use a 9V battery in the sounder u= nit instead?

out for myself.

don't meet SWMBO's audio requirements nor visual aesthetic requirements. = And wiring something up doesn't meet my requirements. (And wireless ones a= re either crap, don't work in my house, look ugly or don't make the right s= ort of ring for SWMBO!).

End users would get pretty fed up with a system that failed reguarly and di= dn't even warn them. You also can't get much power from a PP3, you can from= a 6v lantern battery, a much better match to most sounders.

NT

[larkim]

Show me a nice looking, high quality wireless one with a proper "bell" sounder, and I'll agree with you. I've certainly not found what she needs!

This would be ideal, wireless

its not. And in our newly decorated hallway, I'm going to struggle making a neat job of getting power to a transformer, and then to the bell / button.

Cheers!

Matt

[John Rumm]

So you can power an illuminated bell push...

How about the mains wireless devices - the sounder plugs into a socket, and you can invite TMH round the screw the push to the front door!

[John]

Why do people only think about such things when they've "newly decorated"????

[djornsk]

associated hassle of wiring from a mains source to the tranformer and then to the bell, when they could just as easily use a 9V battery in the sounder unit instead?

for myself.

don't meet SWMBO's audio requirements nor visual aesthetic requirements. And wiring something up doesn't meet my requirements. (And wireless ones are either crap, don't work in my house, look ugly or don't make the right sort of ring for SWMBO!).

This is slightly off-topic, but something I would consider particularly if doing serious redecorating would be to install an old fashoned mechanical bell operated by cable. That if done right and depending on the property could be a quality enhancement and totally green as it were.

j

[ARW]

Unless the customer buys the parts. eg MTS8

of DIN RAIL MODULAR DEVICES FOR USE IN + UNITS AND FLEXIBLE UNITS.

And what was the advice from Wylex technical sercices department (the customer had a NH CU)?

The advice was, "it does not fit the CU, use a seperate enclosure next to the CU".

[Dave Plowman (News)]

Wonder how long before they get smashed by the hoover?

[Dave Plowman (News)]

There is only one reason to install wireless. Sloth.

[Brian Gaff]

I don't think there is any problem with using DC for a bell. I had one for years that ran off four D cells, but the thing is that most mechanical ones, if you like the real chime type employ solonoids which simply goone way when you hit the bell push and bounce back the other when you let go again and the idiots that lean on the bell push seem to be multiplying and started to wear out the batteries. I guess modern bells could hav ehe solonoids operated by a circuit instead to stop this sort of thing from happening. In the case above though the transformer and its rectified output put paid to leaking batteries for ever, well untill I fitted a door phone and decided to use its naff sounding honking as the bell!

Brian

[Brian Gaff]

Mine never had a lamp that was for posers.. Brian

[Harry Bloomfield]

Dave Plowman (News) explained :

I run a wired LAN and a Wireless one. I have LAN sockets in many of the rooms, but wireless side has the major advantage that I can make use of it anywhere I happen to be range, which is anywhere in the house and most of the garden.

A decent wireless door bell has the same advantage, in that I can take the receiver bell unit anywhere with me. I often spend time in the garage/ workshop remote from the house and if I'm expecting an arrival, I can take the bell along with me.

I long ago (before the days of wireless phones) wired up telephone sockets around the entire house and included one in the garage. Only one of those sockets is now used, for the wireless phone. If I'm expecting a call, I carry the phone around with me.

Not a matter of sloth, a much more convenient system.

[Dave Plowman (News)]

And what if you're not expecting anyone? Do you still carry it around all the time like a phone?

Easier to have a few phones to cover the house. Same with doorbells.

You have a different view of convenience than me.

[John Rumm]

Well mine in a socket above dado rail height... so not much danger of that ;-)

[meow2222]

sounder, and I'll agree with you. I've certainly not found what she needs!

a neat job of getting power to a transformer, and then to the bell / button.

Power to the transformer is almost never an issue, just use a 5-8v 1A wallwart. Power from theree on can be run on enamelled copper wire on the surface or slipped into cracks, and remain invisible.

NT

[Owain]

Most of those use about 10 Volt AC and are quite capable of using a bell or chime instead of the internal buzzer.

If it's a warble-y one then that may not apply.

Owain