On Sun, 08 Jan 2012 00:43:42 -0500, Ed Pawlowski wrote:




On 1/7/2012 2:05 PM, Doug wrote:
I've got a house that the door chime stopped working (making a chime
noise). I know it's not the outside button and the two wires outside
that connect to the button (that go thru the outside brick wall) when
touching each other showed some spark.

Ed makes a good point. I should have seen it. The sparks show
you have power, but why do you think the button is wroking? Because
connecting the two wires doesn't make it ring? Could you hear it from
there? If so, you're right.

The button is the most likely thing to break, because it's a moving
part, and they break a lot, and becaus it's outside and gets rained
on. And mine broke once, from age.

If you get a button with a light, and the light goes out when the
button is pressed, that means the button is working, though I suppose
it could be making a poor connection.

Actually, it could be the button. Some have a resistor (or is it a
diode?) that can get fried. Even if you have power, that can make it
inoperative. Pull the button and check for one wired behind it.

OTOH, out the 30+ year in this house, the bell has only worked maybe 6
months. Anyone we know comes to the side door at the family room.
Salesmen, JW's and politicians seeking election come to the front
door. We don't need no steenkin bell.