Jobjar's guide to checking your broken doorbell
Most of the houses I call to have doorbells that don’t work or are in poor condition. Usually, all that is needed is a little attention and time to repair.
Warning: BE SAFE: Messing around with electricity is dangerous if you don’t know what you are doing. It is always better to seek professional advice.
Here is a 7 step guide to check what’s wrong with your doorbell.
1. A typical doorbell is made up of a few components: a push button, a bell/chime and a transformer. They usually operate between 6 – 24 volts.
2. The Transformer is the power source and steps down the voltage from 220/240 volts to 6-24 volts to power the bell/chime.
3. The push button on the door operates or completes the circuit and energises the bell/chime. Check the power first to determine if it’s broken.
4. If there is no power ie 220Volts then check the fuse. Remove the power and tighten all the connections and test again.
5. Still not working? Next test the push button or door bell, remove the two wires and short them together to operate the bell.
6. If the bell works by shorting the wires together the push button needs replacement, if not the bell mechanism itself is suspect.
7. At all times the state and quality of the wiring can effect its operation and may also be a cause of failure. So always beware.
If you’re in the greater Dublin area and you need help fixing your doorbell, give me a call:
Alan Rafter (Jobjar): 087 6617271
