On Sun, 19 Dec 2010 09:26:33 -0800 (PST), Chris
wrote:

Hello..

My door bell has stopped working correctly. Need some advice before
tearing everything apart..

The button outside is illuminated.. When pressed, light turns off, but
does not trip off door bell unless I press and hold multiple times.
(when doorbell goes off and depress button, the button stays off until
chimes end.. times when doorbell does not go off while holding down
and release, light goes back on..

Don't think it is switch because light works, and turns off when press
down.. so, I think the circuit is being completed to the door bell..

My guess is either transformer or bell itself.. But, if transformer is
not working correctly, no current would be going to the switch,
correct??

It's not the transformer. They dont' break like "this" whatever this
is.

I'd pull out the doobbell button and touch the wires together. That's
better than the assumption you've made.

I think the button is dirty inside. It's the only part of this system
that is outside, and who wants to live outside? Would you put your
children on the front porch year after year, never letting them come
in? Would you do it? Yet you do it to your doorbell button. You
should be reported to the police. Button-abuser!!

You deserve all the troubles it's giving you, considering how you
treat it.

It's dirty enough to not let the bell work, but not so dirty that the
light doesn't go out. That's not hard. The neon light has a fairly
high resistance. The button when closed will have a resistance lower
than the light, so most of the current will bypass the light. But not
enough will pass to power the doorbell, which has to move the hammer,
the rod inside the solenoid, fast enough to make the plate vibrate
when it hits it (and also against a spring, a weak spring for sure,
but it makes the power requirement slightly higher).

Transformer is about 5 years old.. Door bell is OLD..

thanks.

Chris