Doorbell humming
 

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.

Any suggestions?

Thanks!!

Doorbell humming
 

Chris wrote:

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.

Any suggestions?

Thanks!!

The two wires that go to the button are shorted together somewhere, so
the bell thinks the button is being held in. Your mission:find where.
Do you recall what was going on over there around the time the doorbell
began acting up? Perhaps a nail/screw/staple driven into the wall hit
the hidden wires.

Doorbell humming
 

Bryce wrote:
The two wires that go to the button are shorted together somewhere, so
the bell thinks the button is being held in. Your mission:find where.
Do you recall what was going on over there around the time the doorbell
began acting up? Perhaps a nail/screw/staple driven into the wall hit
the hidden wires.

Likely the case. If you have access to the doorbell transformer, often
in the attic, follow the small wires from the transformer. They're
often very casually routed, laying on the ceiling rafters, etc. Often
boards are laid across rafters (for storage or walkabout access)
and these boards, or other objects) can crush the doorbell
wires together, creating a short which will cause the behavior
OP describes. or the wires are stapled here and there which
can also cause them to short.

Doorbell humming
 

On Tue, 19 Aug 2008 15:43:49 -0500, "Leroy"
wrote:

Bryce wrote:
The two wires that go to the button are shorted together somewhere, so
the bell thinks the button is being held in. Your mission:find where.
Do you recall what was going on over there around the time the doorbell
began acting up? Perhaps a nail/screw/staple driven into the wall hit
the hidden wires.

Likely the case. If you have access to the doorbell transformer, often
in the attic, follow the small wires from the transformer. They're
often very casually routed, laying on the ceiling rafters, etc. Often
boards are laid across rafters (for storage or walkabout access)
and these boards, or other objects) can crush the doorbell
wires together, creating a short which will cause the behavior
OP describes. or the wires are stapled here and there which
can also cause them to short.


Or mice
http://i7.tinypic.com/2ex6kah.jpg

Doorbell humming
 

On Aug 19, 5:02�pm, metspitzer wrote:
On Tue, 19 Aug 2008 15:43:49 -0500, "Leroy"
wrote:





Bryce wrote:
The two wires that go to the button are shorted together somewhere, so
the bell thinks the button is being held in. �Your mission:find where.
Do you recall what was going on over there around the time the doorbell
began acting up? �Perhaps a nail/screw/staple driven into the wall hit
the hidden wires.

Likely the case. �If you have access to the doorbell transformer, often
in the attic, follow the small wires from the transformer. �They're
often very casually routed, laying on the ceiling rafters, etc. �Often
boards are laid across rafters (for storage or walkabout access)
and these boards, or other objects) can crush the doorbell
wires together, creating a short which will cause the behavior
OP describes. or the wires are stapled here and there which
can also cause them to short.

Or micehttp://i7.tinypic.com/2ex6kah.jpg- Hide quoted text -

- Show quoted text -

or a doorbell wire getting pinched by a utility line, any conductive
one, like copper water line, or gas line

Doorbell humming
 

Thanks for the quick reply to all of you - I'll start poking around.
We did do some work on the basement a while back (that's where the
wires run through), but I can't think if things started happening
around then or not (I think I would have noticed), however I could
imagine some of the work that was done may have messed with the
wires. I do think that my thermostat is on the same set of wires and
it appears to be working fine so I'll start working from the button to
the chime. Thanks!

Doorbell humming
 

Thanks for the quick reply to all of you - I'll start poking around.
We did do some work on the basement a while back (that's where the
wires run through), but I can't think if things started happening
around then or not (I think I would have noticed), however I could
imagine some of the work that was done may have messed with the
wires. I do think that my thermostat is on the same set of wires and
it appears to be working fine so I'll start working from the button to
the chime. Thanks!

Doorbell humming
 

"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.

Doorbell humming
 

Chris wrote in news:ab1044fc-aaea-4934-9479-
:

Thanks for the quick reply to all of you - I'll start poking around.
We did do some work on the basement a while back (that's where the
wires run through), but I can't think if things started happening
around then or not (I think I would have noticed), however I could
imagine some of the work that was done may have messed with the
wires. I do think that my thermostat is on the same set of wires and
it appears to be working fine so I'll start working from the button to
the chime. Thanks!


I once had the same issue. They had run the DB wire between the
brickmolding and door frame. Either it was not a prehung door of the
brickmold was replaced at some point. No hole for wire in brickmold. just
pressed and squeezed around behind it. It shorted.

To verify you have a short, disco wires at DB button. Disco same colored
wires at DB. Put a circut tester on the two wire ends. You should get
nothing. If you get an on indicator, it's hunt for the short time.

Doorbell humming
 

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!

Doorbell humming
 

Chris wrote:
Thanks for the quick reply to all of you - I'll start poking around.
We did do some work on the basement a while back (that's where the
wires run through), but I can't think if things started happening
around then or not (I think I would have noticed), however I could
imagine some of the work that was done may have messed with the
wires. I do think that my thermostat is on the same set of wires and
it appears to be working fine so I'll start working from the button to
the chime. Thanks!
Unless you are really, really curious, it may be less labor to just
replace the run, if you have decent access to fish new wire. On the
chime side, if it is on an interior wall, you can probably use the old
wire as a pull string. On the door side, usually harder, since it is
likely buried in door frame, or in an insulated wall. If you can pull
inside casing and drill a tiny hole through bottom plate of wall and
decking in the crack, you may have a shot. But try tugging on the wire
where button attaches- I have had them loose enough to use as a pull
string on that end too.

But having said all that- did you try disconnecting the wire and just
shorting the screws at the chime, to see if problem goes away?

--
aem sends...