I'm Thinkin' About My Doorbell...and it's Electrical Problem

[ANC]

OK. I'll make this quick. I came home yesterday and as soon as I walked in the door, I got the burning plastic/electrical fire smell and heard a low humming. It turned out to be my doorbell chime. I hit the breaker and disconnected it. The transformer in the doorbell was extremely hot so I kept it disconnected and turned the breaker back on. At first I figured I need a new doorbell, but then the paranoid freak that I am thought "You're going away on vacation in a week, you want this place to burn down?" So I called an electrician who is coming out today.

Anywho I was doing some googling about it online and most commonly this happens because the doorbell button at the front door gets stuck and is constantly keeping the circuit open to the chime. I went to the secondary transformer (Doorbell->Secondary->Transformer->Circuit Breaker) and it felt very slightly warm. I would think this is normal since there is power flowing through it. Oh well I'm pretty sure it's just as simple as replacing the button and the chime, but I'd rather pay the money for peace of mind.

Have any of you had this problem? Any electricians wanna give their 2 cents?

[Freakshow]

I can't help you. But I think you know someone who can...


http://help.com/user-avatars/user-photo-95621-938871.jpg

[biggestmexi]

How old is this setup?

[ANC]

I can't help you. But I think you know someone who can...


http://help.com/user-avatars/user-photo-95621-938871.jpg

:lol: I actually was laughing about that when I was calling the electrician. Also was thinking about singing "Ring My Bell" and dancing around while he was checking the voltage. I wonder how uncomfortable that would be..

How old is this setup?

The button at the front door has been there since before I moved in (almost 4 years ago) but I changed the chime the week I moved in. So the Chime - 4 years, the button - probably 10 years.

[biggestmexi]

Does sound like it could have been a small short there.

If you leave anything plugged in with a transformer for a very long time you will have a warm feeling coming from it.

And by the secondary transformer what do you mean. Where is that at?

I can understand the one getting the power to the system. Some of the wires from that system run the front and then to the doorbell (switch) then back to the doorbell chime.
If you hold the button when you ring it yourself it should only ring once or does it stay buzzing or w/e. herm obviously not because if it did you would hear it. But the transformer that was hot where was that located? Could be just a bad wire or something.

I would assume there is only one and then the electrics to the speaker.

So maybe one for the Whole system and then another to change the voltage to the speakers. Weird. I would like to take on of those apart.

You could also get the new wireless systems that you just plug in. I am sure that there are some wireless ones that you can wire into the house but still have the switch be wireless anyway. That would MORE THAN LIKELY cancel any of these problems that you have being the the doorbell button really wont be a switch any more. It would be more like that button on your key fob for you car and if you hold it, it will not keep any circuits open other than the one in your remote.

I am not very familiar with doorbell electronics though.

[ANC]

Does sound like it could have been a small short there.

If you leave anything plugged in with a transformer for a very long time you will have a warm feeling coming from it.

And by the secondary transformer what do you mean. Where is that at?

I can understand the one getting the power to the system. Some of the wires from that system run the front and then to the doorbell (switch) then back to the doorbell chime.
If you hold the button when you ring it yourself it should only ring once or does it stay buzzing or w/e. herm obviously not because if it did you would hear it. But the transformer that was hot where was that located? Could be just a bad wire or something.

I would assume there is only one and then the electrics to the speaker.

So maybe one for the Whole system and then another to change the voltage to the speakers. Weird. I would like to take on of those apart.

You could also get the new wireless systems that you just plug in. I am sure that there are some wireless ones that you can wire into the house but still have the switch be wireless anyway. That would MORE THAN LIKELY cancel any of these problems that you have being the the doorbell button really wont be a switch any more. It would be more like that button on your key fob for you car and if you hold it, it will not keep any circuits open other than the one in your remote.

I am not very familiar with doorbell electronics though.

What I mean by the secondary transformer, I mean the one that isn't in the chime (see below)

http://images.doityourself.com/stry/2053.jpg

I think I'll tell the electrician to disconnect the transformer altogether and I'll just go with a wireless one. That's probably the easiest option.

[biggestmexi]

What I mean by the secondary transformer, I mean the one that isn't in the chime (see below)

http://images.doityourself.com/stry/2053.jpg

I think I'll tell the electrician to disconnect the transformer altogether and I'll just go with a wireless one. That's probably the easiest option.

Ah yes. Must have been a short.

I would definitely go wireless.

[biggestmexi]

Ha.

For no reason at all. I was thinking if you get the kind that you just plug into an outlet, you can also get a timer so you can actually have the Doorbell on when you want. Then you can have it off when you dont need it on.

EXCELLENT.

[ANC]

Ha.

For no reason at all. I was thinking if you get the kind that you just plug into an outlet, you can also get a timer so you can actually have the Doorbell on when you want. Then you can have it off when you dont need it on.

EXCELLENT.

I would like the kind that squirts water at you when you ring it..

http://www.zymetrical.com/images/products/squirtingdoorbell.jpg

Let the comedy ensue!

[Freakshow]

You know, I always thought he was singing "I've been thinking about your doorbell and when I'm gonna bring it." And that in turn made me think of wrestling (Stone Cold? The Rock?). This foray into the strange, random workings of my brain is brought to you by Lightspeed breifs...

[ANC]

random workings of my brain is brought to you by Lightspeed breifs...

"When you need to get naked in a flash...."

[OGC]

In my day we didn't have any fancy doorbells. We had to knock on the door to announce our arrival and we learned to like it.

[DonInNC]

This has happened to me a couple of times because of the fat-fingered fedex guy. I ended up just disconnecting the doorbell until I can figure out a doorbell configuration that won't get stuck.

[ANC]

This has happened to me a couple of times because of the fat-fingered fedex guy. I ended up just disconnecting the doorbell until I can figure out a doorbell configuration that won't get stuck.

I may just go old school:

http://www.themusicbug.com/originals/Traingle.jpg

[ANC]

OK a little update to this riviting tale....

Basically when I got a screen door installed, the aluminium molding on the outside shorted the wire for the button. I had the electricians disconnect the transformer and went out and bought a battery powered wireless unit. Done.

However the electrician informed me that I have a electrical violation/fire hazard with my circuit breaker panel.

Apparantly it's a Federal Pacific Electric FPE Stab-Lok Electric Breaker which were built like shit and tend to cause arcing inside the box and cause fires. (I advise you all to check your homes) He opened up the panel and I could definitely see a circuit that has discoloration from the arching. Great! So the paranoid ass that I am I figure that while I'm on my honeymoon I'll be constantly thinking whether or not I come back to a pile of ashes or not. I say f-ck it and schedule them to come tomorrow to replace the panel..... nothing feels better than unexpectedly having to drop $2,000 one week before your wedding.

Now I say ahhh, all will be fixed and I'll feel better... but then I thought "Hey all my neighbors probably have the same problem...:unsure: Fuck it I gotta move.

[SatCam]

congrats on the wedding tho

[ANC]

congrats on the wedding tho

Thank you sir. :smile:

[ahhdurr]

when ya gonna ring it? when ya gonna ring it?


In my day we didn't have any fancy doorbells. We had to knock on the door to announce our arrival and we learned to like it.



We loved every goddam minute of it.

And did I tell you about how we all used to cram into a size 8 shoe?