on 8/21/2007 4:05 PM Rich256 said the following:
On Aug 21, 1:47 pm, Speedy Jim wrote:

Rich256 wrote:

On Aug 21, 12:03 pm, willshak wrote:

on 8/21/2007 1:33 PM willshak said the following:

on 8/21/2007 1:02 PM Eric said the following:

Sounds like someone's a little confused...

Minor point: the output from the transformer is alternating current,
not direct. This is why polarity doesn't matter.

Major point: if you connect a bell as described below, it will ring
all the time! This is because it'll be fed directly by the
transformer, without the doorbell button being in the circuit to
interrupt the power.

I'm the OP: This is what I was wondering about. Are the two wires to
the converter a complete circuit as they are connected now, or do the
two wires only complete the circuit when the door bell is pressed?
What I can tell you is that the two wires come out of a brown cable
that has three wires. The three wires are white, red, and one that
looks grey and black striped ( it could be another color than grey,
but looks grey). The red is not used and is wrapped around the cable.
If it is not a complete circuit as is, could a ringer be tapped into
one of the wires in series, so that when the doorbell is pressed to
complete the circuit, it has to go through the second ringer to
complete the circuit?

I answered my own question. Using a multimeter set at AC, I get 19.9
volts across the two terminals, so it completes a circuit as it is now.

To avoid this problem, the new bell/chime must be connected to a
point in the circuit that is *after* the button. Best approach,
although possibly difficult to get the wire to the right place, is to
parallel the new bell/chime directly across the old one.

One other possibility, I don't know exactly what they're called but
they make wireless things to do this. You install a little
transmitter inside the existing bell/chime, and there's a wireless
receiver that plugs into any AC outlet. Much easier to set up!

EL

"curmudgeon" wrote in message
. ..

That's a transformer, likely 24 volt.
Yes, you should be able to add a bell in the basement; take two
wires from it and connect those two from the bell to the same two
posts on the transformer where the brown wires are now (keep the
brown ones in place)...so you wind up with two wires on each post.
Since it's direct current, doesn't matter which wire goes on which
post. Use a small bell/chime ...a big one could overload the
transformer when both upstairs and down ring.

"willshak" wrote in message
...

My office is in the basement. Whenever someone rings the doorbell,
I cannot hear it.
The electrical converter box for the ringer is in the basement
under my breaker panel. There are only two brown wires connected to
the converter box. Can I hook up a ringer to that converter box
somehow so that the doorbell rings in the basement as well?

--

Bill
In Hamptonburgh, NY
To email, remove the double zeroes after @

--

Bill
In Hamptonburgh, NY
To email, remove the double zeroes after @- Hide quoted text -

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Somewhere else it has to be a complete circuit. If you have a simple
bell type it will be something like:

|--------switch-----|
Transformer |
|--------bell---------|

To add another bell you need to find where they are connected

|--------switch---|
Transformer |
|-------Bell 1 ----|
|-------Bell 2 ----|

I am thinking that the wires are connected at the present bell
location.

Quote from OP:
"What I can tell you is that the two wires come out of a brown cable
that has three wires. The three wires are white, red, and one that
looks grey and black striped ( it could be another color than grey,
but looks grey). The red is not used..."

That may be the clue.
If the 3-wire cable goes directly to the bell,
it would be possible to use the 3rd wire to connect
a remote bell at the transformer location.

Jim- Hide quoted text -

- Show quoted text -


First have to know more about you present bell. What type is your
present bell? One that has just a "Ding - Dong" or a series of
notes?. Look at the wires to your present bell. I think that same
three wire cable may end there and that third wire is probably tied
back there as well. Also note if there is another cable coming in
from the door switch. Do you have both front and rear switchs? If so
there would be two cables coming in.


OP: There is only one ringer on the wall next to the front door. It is
a simple ding-dong ringer. There are no other door buttons in the back
of the house or any other door. Looking in the ringer, the two wires
mentioned previously are connected to the ringer. The red wire is not
connected and is wrapped around the brown cable.

--

Bill
In Hamptonburgh, NY
To email, remove the double zeroes after @