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Any household requires general home repair. Learn how to fix leaky roofs and sticky doors and use general home repair tips to knock items off your to-do list.
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Please copy/paste the following text to properly cite this How Stuff Works article:
Club, Fix-It. "How to Do Home Electrical Repairs." 02 May 2006. HowStuffWorks.com. <http://home.howstuffworks.com/how-to-do-home-electrical-repairs.htm> 15 May 2008.
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Fix-It Club
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How to Repair a Doorbell
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How to Repair a Doorbell
When your doorbell or door chime doesn't ring, the fault could be in any part of the circuitry -- the button, the bell or chime, or the transformer. The transformer is the electrical component that steps down the 110-120-volt current to the 10 to 18 volts at which doorbells and chimes operate. You can work safely on all parts of a doorbell circuit except the transformer without disconnecting the power. If you don't know which part of the circuit is faulty:
Here are the tools you'll want to have on hand when repairing a doorbell.
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Step 2: Pull out button as far as circuit wires allow, then detach wires by loosening terminal screws on button. Bring the two bare wire ends together. If bell rings, you know fault is in button. Install new one by connecting the two wires to terminal screws of new button and reattaching button to your house. Doorbell button is a single-pole switch (two wires attached), and you can place either wire under either screw.
Step 3: If bell doesn't ring when you bring the two bare wire ends together, fault lies elsewhere -- in bell or chime assembly, wiring, or transformer. Remove snap-on cover of bell or chime. Removal may be harder than you expect; there are several different types of covers, and you may have to try several procedures. Try lifting cover slightly upward and then pulling it out. If this doesn't work, pull it straight out without first lifting it up. Or look to see whether snap-on cover is held to bell or chime assembly with prongs; if so, depress prongs and pull cover to release it. Whatever you do, never pull so hard that you risk damaging decorative cover.
Step 4: Once cover is removed, look for two, three, or more terminals and wires, depending on how many tones ring in your doorbell system. A standard bell or buzzer has two wires. Detach wires by loosening terminal screws, then connect them to 12-volt circuit tester, or attach them to terminal screws on substitute bell or chime. An inexpensive bell or buzzer or a 12-volt car lamp bulb in a socket with two wires can be used for testing purposes. If test bell or buzzer sounds or bulb lights when you push doorbell button, you will have to install new bell or chime.
 ©2006 Publications International, Ltd. If your doorbell or chime doesn't work, the fault could be in any part of the circuitry -- from a push button to the bell or chimes to the transformer. Before removing any wires at the terminal strip, it's a good idea to tag them so they can be replaced correctly. |
Step 6: If bell doesn't ring or bulb doesn't light at button or bell box, both are okay. By process of elimination, you now know problem must be in transformer or wiring. You'll usually find transformer mounted on electrical junction box, subpanel, or main entrance panel. Bell wires are attached to exposed terminal screws on transformer. Connect test bell directly to exposed low-voltage transformer terminals; don't touch any other screws. If bell doesn't ring, transformer is defective or not getting power. Caution: Transformer is connected directly to power supply, and it carries current that can hurt you. Before working on transformer, deenergize branch circuit that supplies power to transformer. Remove appropriate fuse, trip correct circuit breaker, or throw main switch to shut off all electricity in your home.
Step 8: If transformer is defective, deenergize circuit, and remove transformer. Buy replacement transformer of the same voltage and wattage. You can find electrical information stamped on transformer, and you should find installation instructions on package. Follow instructions carefully. Use crimp-on connectors or wirenuts to attach new transformer to circuit line wires of your electrical system. Then connect bell wires to low-voltage screw terminals on transformer, turn power back on, and press doorbell button. If you've installed transformer properly, you should hear bell or chime.
Step 9: If transformer and its power circuit prove to be working, the only possibility left is a break or loose connection somewhere in bell wiring. Trace bell circuit from transformer to bell or chime to push buttons, searching for loose terminal screw or wire joint. If this proves unsuccessful, you'll have to check each segment of circuit with continuity tester.
Step 10: To test each segment of circuit, disconnect bell wires at transformer to deenergize bell circuit. A continuity tester can never be used on an energized circuit. Disconnect transformer wires at bell or chime, and twist them together so they make contact with one another. Go back to transformer and touch probe leads of continuity tester to bare ends of bell wires. If tester lights up or you get a reading on meter dial, circuit has continuity and there are no breaks or loose connections in line. That part of the circuit is all right. If tester does not register, there's a break somewhere. If that segment is fault-free, go on to next segment and check it the same way.
Step 11: If there is a break, you must try to locate it and make repairs. Sometimes, however, especially where much of the bell circuit wiring is hidden within walls or is otherwise inaccessible, the easiest course of action is to run new segment of bell wire along whatever path is easiest and forget about old wiring segment.
Last but not least on our list of home electrical projects are ceiling fans, which are covered in the next section.
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Please copy/paste the following text to properly cite this How Stuff Works article:
Club, Fix-It. "How to Do Home Electrical Repairs." 02 May 2006. HowStuffWorks.com. <http://home.howstuffworks.com/how-to-do-home-electrical-repairs.htm> 15 May 2008.
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