On Aug 19, 11:30*pm, "John Grabowski" wrote:
"Chris" wrote in message

...





Recently my doorbell stopped working. *I didn't really care since we
have a little one who naps, so the lack of neighbor kids ringing the
bell was just find by me. *However, now that I'm trying to replace it
I have a problem. *Here's what I've tried:

1) The chime was 'humming' so I figured it was the doorbell button got
stuck or something. *Took off the old one and it looked like spiders
have setup shop. *I replaced the doorbell button, but still had the
humming coming from the chime.

2) Let's replace the chime? *I tried a new chime (same basic model as
the old one) and this time took the button off to just try connecting/
disconnecting the wires. *I only have one doorbell button so I have
only 2 wires coming out. *No matter how I connect it (front to red,
trans to white or vice versa) the doorbell 'rings' but doesn't unring
and that's where the humming is coming from.

3) Put the button back. *Okay, maybe the taking the button off wasn't
the right idea so I put that back, but after following the same steps
with wiring as before I still get the same problem regardless if I
press the button or not.

I assume that I have power to the bell since it actually 'rings' when
I touch the wires to the trans/front connections, but I'm not sure why
it's not 'off' until I hit the doorbell. *It would seem that my
problem would be the other way around if I had some bad wires. *I've
also tried to trace the wiring in the basement with little luck to see
where it starts and stops since it's behind some drywall.

I had a customer with that kind of problem last year. *It turned out that
the wires were shorted to the aluminum siding at the doorbell button. *When
I cleared that the problem went away.- Hide quoted text -

1) And if not the above, that is wires to the push button near the
door shorted or both touching something metal?

2) Check the button itself they do sometimes corrode and stick 'in' in
the on or making contact condition. Happened at my son in laws one
time, he, being a non-technical type, ignored it and in time it burnt
out both the chime and the transformer!
Fortunately I had used 'spares' otherwise it would have cost them for
new.

3) Another cause could be the (incorrect) use of a push button that
has a small light inside it! When the button is pushed the chime or
bell will 'ring'. But after the push button is released the small lamp
continues to pass sufficient current that to some extent the doorbell/
chime tries to stay partially operated! And may well hum! Solution
snip out the lamp or go to using a non lighted push button that
provides no circuit in the off or unpushed state.

Pleas let us know the outcome so we all learn something!