We recently moved into our first home (built in 1950's). We are
looking to replace the door bell (well the chime part hanging on the
wall). Everything works fine, we just don't like the look of the
original one and want to replaqce it with the simple white chime box.
I have removed the cover (to the original) and it consists of just 3
terminals, front, terminal, and rear. I figure these are for front
door, power, and backdoor. These three wires are simply coming out of
the wall (with a wire nut). The original chime appears to be a NuTone
from 1956. My new door chime says to ensure I'm hooked to a 16V
transformer. I don't see anything there now as there are just wires
coming out of the wall and a wire nut. Looking at the new chime it
doesn't appear doorbell technology has changed much (as it has the same
3 terminals), can I assume there's a 16V transformer in the wall
somewhere? Is there a way short of buying a voltage meter to tell?
Thanks!!

"grodenhiATgmailDOTcom" wrote in
oups.com:

...
coming out of the wall and a wire nut. Looking at the new chime it
doesn't appear doorbell technology has changed much (as it has the same
3 terminals), can I assume there's a 16V transformer in the wall
somewhere? Is there a way short of buying a voltage meter to tell?
Thanks!!


You can try to find the transformer and see if you can read the label.
It's probably a good idea to know where it is anyway. The transformer
shouldn't be buried in the wall since they can go bad. It's probably
attached to an electrical junction box somewhere or the main fuse/breaker
box. They're usually hunks of metal that have a couple of wires like the
ones at the chime location under screw terminals.

Doug

Doug wrote:
"grodenhiATgmailDOTcom" wrote in
oups.com:


...
coming out of the wall and a wire nut. Looking at the new chime it
doesn't appear doorbell technology has changed much (as it has the same
3 terminals), can I assume there's a 16V transformer in the wall
somewhere? Is there a way short of buying a voltage meter to tell?
Thanks!!



You can try to find the transformer and see if you can read the label.
It's probably a good idea to know where it is anyway. The transformer
shouldn't be buried in the wall since they can go bad. It's probably
attached to an electrical junction box somewhere or the main fuse/breaker
box. They're usually hunks of metal that have a couple of wires like the
ones at the chime location under screw terminals.

Doug

Or you might find it in the attic or in some strange location in the
basement. My present house has the attic location right above where the
ding-dong-box hangs in the hallway. My last house had it in the basement
mounted right next to the transformer that operated the zone valves for
the hot water baseboards. Confusing...
--
John McGaw
[Knoxville, TN, USA]
http://johnmcgaw.com

I wouldn't worry about the transformer, most are 16 volt, Just make the
connections the same



"grodenhiATgmailDOTcom" wrote in message
oups.com...
We recently moved into our first home (built in 1950's). We are
looking to replace the door bell (well the chime part hanging on the
wall). Everything works fine, we just don't like the look of the
original one and want to replaqce it with the simple white chime box.
I have removed the cover (to the original) and it consists of just 3
terminals, front, terminal, and rear. I figure these are for front
door, power, and backdoor. These three wires are simply coming out of
the wall (with a wire nut). The original chime appears to be a NuTone
from 1956. My new door chime says to ensure I'm hooked to a 16V
transformer. I don't see anything there now as there are just wires
coming out of the wall and a wire nut. Looking at the new chime it
doesn't appear doorbell technology has changed much (as it has the same
3 terminals), can I assume there's a 16V transformer in the wall
somewhere? Is there a way short of buying a voltage meter to tell?
Thanks!!

Doug wrote:

"grodenhiATgmailDOTcom" wrote in
oups.com:


...
coming out of the wall and a wire nut. Looking at the new chime it
doesn't appear doorbell technology has changed much (as it has the same
3 terminals), can I assume there's a 16V transformer in the wall
somewhere? Is there a way short of buying a voltage meter to tell?
Thanks!!



You can try to find the transformer and see if you can read the label.
It's probably a good idea to know where it is anyway. The transformer
shouldn't be buried in the wall since they can go bad. It's probably
attached to an electrical junction box somewhere or the main fuse/breaker
box. They're usually hunks of metal that have a couple of wires like the
ones at the chime location under screw terminals.

Doug
Hi,
Do you have multi meter? Does new chime has mechanical gongs like the
old one? Probably new one is digital chime generator with small speaker
or buzzer? Usually tranny is 24V and 16V sounds odd. I think you can
measure the voltage from those 3 wires; one is hot and one for front
door button one for the rear door. between those wires you'll see open
circuit voltage. Then you'll know.
Good luck.
Tony
P.S. Couldn't you just spray pait the old one's cover with your color
of chice?
color?

Our transformer needed to be changed for the Dimango remote doorbell.
It had a lower output voltage. In attic directly above the ringer.

On Sat, 27 Aug 2005 16:31:49 -0400, "RBM" rbm2(remove
wrote:

I wouldn't worry about the transformer, most are 16 volt, Just make the
connections the same

Most standard chimes operate on 16 volts.


"nospambob" wrote in message
...
Our transformer needed to be changed for the Dimango remote doorbell.
It had a lower output voltage. In attic directly above the ringer.

On Sat, 27 Aug 2005 16:31:49 -0400, "RBM" rbm2(remove
wrote:

I wouldn't worry about the transformer, most are 16 volt, Just make the
connections the same

Without considering when built?


On Sun, 28 Aug 2005 12:29:56 -0400, "RBM" rbm2(remove
wrote:

Most standard chimes operate on 16 volts.


"nospambob" wrote in message
.. .
Our transformer needed to be changed for the Dimango remote doorbell.
It had a lower output voltage. In attic directly above the ringer.

On Sat, 27 Aug 2005 16:31:49 -0400, "RBM" rbm2(remove
wrote:

I wouldn't worry about the transformer, most are 16 volt, Just make the
connections the same

I don't know how to make it more clear. MOST standard electromagnetic coil
type doorbell chimes no matter when they were made, use a 16 volt AC
transformer.


"nospambob" wrote in message
...
Without considering when built?


On Sun, 28 Aug 2005 12:29:56 -0400, "RBM" rbm2(remove
wrote:

Most standard chimes operate on 16 volts.


"nospambob" wrote in message
. ..
Our transformer needed to be changed for the Dimango remote doorbell.
It had a lower output voltage. In attic directly above the ringer.

On Sat, 27 Aug 2005 16:31:49 -0400, "RBM" rbm2(remove
wrote:

I wouldn't worry about the transformer, most are 16 volt, Just make the
connections the same

"RBM" rbm2(remove wrote in message
...
I don't know how to make it more clear. MOST standard electromagnetic coil
type doorbell chimes no matter when they were made, use a 16 volt AC
transformer.


And if it does not right properly, they look for the transformer. 99.9%
sure RBM is correct so just hook it up.