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??

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

thanks.

Chris

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??

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


*Remove the button and short the wires together momentarily to see how well
the doorbell operates.

In ,
Chris typed:
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??

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

thanks.

Chris

Not necessarily correct, no. Kill pwr to the xfmr and ohm out the wires &
contacts. A relay is probably not working correctly.

On Sun, 19 Dec 2010 12:47:24 -0500, "Twayne"
wrote:

In ,
Chris typed:
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??

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

thanks.

Chris

Not necessarily correct, no. Kill pwr to the xfmr and ohm out the wires &
contacts. A relay is probably not working correctly.

No relays. The switch contacts are likely bad - shorting the switch
will confirm. If shorting the switch doesn't work, most likely cause
is a bad chime, since power is getting to the button light.

I'm betting onr a bad button though

On 12/19/2010 10:12 AM spake thus:

On Sun, 19 Dec 2010 12:47:24 -0500, "Twayne"
wrote:

In ,
Chris typed:

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??

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

Not necessarily correct, no. Kill pwr to the xfmr and ohm out the
wires & contacts. A relay is probably not working correctly.

No relays.

Yes, really: where do you figure a relay is here? Now, if it's some kind
of mil-spec doorbell, maybe it has a relay ...


--
Comment on quaint Usenet customs, from Usenet:

To me, the *plonk...* reminds me of the old man at the public hearing
who stands to make his point, then removes his hearing aid as a sign
that he is not going to hear any rebuttals.

In .com,
David Nebenzahl typed:
On 12/19/2010 10:12 AM spake thus:

On Sun, 19 Dec 2010 12:47:24 -0500, "Twayne"
wrote:

In
,
Chris typed:
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??

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

Not necessarily correct, no. Kill pwr to the xfmr and ohm
out the wires & contacts. A relay is probably not working
correctly.

No relays.

Yes, really: where do you figure a relay is here? Now, if
it's some kind of mil-spec doorbell, maybe it has a relay
...

It's one of a set of possibilities; if there is no relay, well, think hard
nowg!

"Chris" wrote in message
...
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??

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

thanks.

Chris

Couple of possibilities: First, it sounds like you have a motorized 4-8 note
chime, and not the typical ding dong. Some of these old models require 24
volt transformers to work properly, not the typical 16 volt. Check inside
the chime for the specs. Second, many of these old motorized chimes don't
work properly with lighted push buttons. Do what John Grabowski recommends
and shunt the two push button wires to see if that makes it work properly.
you may have to eliminate the lighted PB

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??

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


It's the button.

On Sun, 19 Dec 2010 14:46:31 -0600, "HeyBub" wrote:

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??

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


It's the button.

If it's the button, why does the light go off when pressed? Seems to me it's
a high impedance somewhere, the transformer perhaps.

wrote

If it's the button, why does the light go off when pressed? Seems to me
it's
a high impedance somewhere, the transformer perhaps.

It goes off because it breaks the light contact, but does not make a good
enough contact to ring the bell. BTDT

My doorbell was broken for 20 years and I finally fixed it. Thankfully it
broke again; this time it will stay broken. People that I want to see know
to come to the side door.

On Sun, 19 Dec 2010 16:56:04 -0500, "Ed Pawlowski" wrote:


wrote

If it's the button, why does the light go off when pressed? Seems to me
it's
a high impedance somewhere, the transformer perhaps.

It goes off because it breaks the light contact, but does not make a good
enough contact to ring the bell. BTDT

That's not how doorbell switches work. There is only one (normally open)
contact with the light across it (there is no "breaking" of the light
contact). When the button is pushed the circuit is closed, causing the bell
to ring and the light to go out. If the light goes out, the switch is closed.

My doorbell was broken for 20 years and I finally fixed it. Thankfully it
broke again; this time it will stay broken. People that I want to see know
to come to the side door.

wrote

That's not how doorbell switches work. There is only one (normally open)
contact with the light across it (there is no "breaking" of the light
contact). When the button is pushed the circuit is closed, causing the
bell
to ring and the light to go out. If the light goes out, the switch is
closed.

Maybe, but it is still not good enough to ring the bell. At least it was in
my case. Replacing the button fixed it. Easy enough to check rather than
the OP insist it is not without doing the simplest check first.

On Sun, 19 Dec 2010 16:21:48 -0600, "
wrote:

On Sun, 19 Dec 2010 16:56:04 -0500, "Ed Pawlowski" wrote:


wrote

If it's the button, why does the light go off when pressed? Seems to me
it's
a high impedance somewhere, the transformer perhaps.

It goes off because it breaks the light contact, but does not make a good
enough contact to ring the bell. BTDT

That's not how doorbell switches work. There is only one (normally open)
contact with the light across it (there is no "breaking" of the light
contact). When the button is pushed the circuit is closed, causing the bell
to ring and the light to go out. If the light goes out, the switch is closed.

Don't bet on it. All it has to do is pass as much current as the
light needs to turn the light off - which may not be enough to run the
chime. The ONLY way (well, the simplest, anyway) to know is to short
the button.

My doorbell was broken for 20 years and I finally fixed it. Thankfully it
broke again; this time it will stay broken. People that I want to see know
to come to the side door.

On Sun, 19 Dec 2010 14:51:00 -0600, "
wrote:

On Sun, 19 Dec 2010 14:46:31 -0600, "HeyBub" wrote:

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??

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


It's the button.

If it's the button, why does the light go off when pressed?

Read my other post.

Seems to me it's
a high impedance somewhere, the transformer perhaps.

Yes, high impedance, in the doorbell button.

zzzzzzzzzz wrote:
On Sun, 19 Dec 2010 14:46:31 -0600, "HeyBub"
wrote:

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??

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


It's the button.

If it's the button, why does the light go off when pressed? Seems to
me it's a high impedance somewhere, the transformer perhaps.

Excellent analysis. After due consideration, it is my opinion that your
problem lies with the button.

"HeyBub" wrote in message
...
zzzzzzzzzz wrote:
On Sun, 19 Dec 2010 14:46:31 -0600, "HeyBub"
wrote:

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??

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


It's the button.

If it's the button, why does the light go off when pressed? Seems to
me it's a high impedance somewhere, the transformer perhaps.

Excellent analysis. After due consideration, it is my opinion that your
problem lies with the button.

Agreed. It's the part that's exposed to the elements and skin oil and
whatever else people have on their fingertips when they push the button.
(Eeeewwwwuuuu!) It's the most likely point of failure and very easy to
test. It's where I would start to look unless I knew that something had
changed elsewhere in the "chain."

If that didn't improve things, I would then disassemble and clean the chime
module since that's the only other moving part and could have accumulated
dust and pet hair inside the mechanism. I'd probably measure the resistance
of the wires at the doorbell button before I took apart the chime to see if
there was a problem in the wiring.

--
Bobby G.

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

On 12/19/2010 8:19 PM, mm wrote:
snip

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.
snip

What neon light? I thought we were talking about a doorbell button.

No neon light I've ever seen will fire on 24 volts.

On 12/19/2010 8:23 PM, cjt wrote:
On 12/19/2010 8:19 PM, mm wrote:
snip

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.
snip

What neon light? I thought we were talking about a doorbell button.

No neon light I've ever seen will fire on 24 volts.

For that matter, doorbells generally work on less than 24 volts. The 24
volt system is for the HVAC controls.

On Sun, 19 Dec 2010 20:25:14 -0600, cjt
wrote:

On 12/19/2010 8:23 PM, cjt wrote:
On 12/19/2010 8:19 PM, mm wrote:
snip

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.
snip

What neon light? I thought we were talking about a doorbell button.

No neon light I've ever seen will fire on 24 volts.

For that matter, doorbells generally work on less than 24 volts. The 24
volt system is for the HVAC controls.

You're right. It's not neon. Still, it has a fairly high resistance
and the rest of what I said is true.

I didn't say 24 volts.

On Sun, 19 Dec 2010 21:19:27 -0500, mm
wrote:



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

I don't remember this ever happening, but if the switch could oxidize,
I suppose most of the bare wire could oxidize. Not the part that is
not open to the air when the screws were tightened, but it coudl work
out, I suppose, that when you rub the wires together, you won't make
good contact between them. If you have a hard time making the bell
ring, scrape the bare wires with a knife** until a good portion of
them are shiny. YOu should do that anyhow before you attach the new
switch. (If you could shine up the part of the swith that makes
contact, you wouldn't need a new switch either.)

**I have a friend who uses sandpaper to clean wires, but he's not very
good at home repair, despite owning a home for 30 years, so I don't
know whether to recommend that or not.

"mm" wrote

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!!


As posted earlier, our doorbell did not work for years. We made the kids
stand outside in case someone came to the door and they would alert us. No,
we did not make them stay out al the time, they came in to use the bathroom.
They took turns for meals.

On Sun, 19 Dec 2010 23:04:52 -0500, "Ed Pawlowski"
wrote:


"mm" wrote

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!!


As posted earlier, our doorbell did not work for years. We made the kids
stand outside in case someone came to the door and they would alert us. No,
we did not make them stay out al the time, they came in to use the bathroom.
They took turns for meals.

But the OP doesn't even let his button come it to eat or use the
bathroom.

As posted earlier, our doorbell did not work for years. We made the kids
stand outside in case someone came to the door and they would alert us. No,
we did not make them stay out al the time, they came in to use the bathroom.
They took turns for meals.

But the OP doesn't even let his button come it to eat or use the
bathroom.

The answer is ; go to Home Depot and buy a wireless doorbell!

Dan wrote:
As posted earlier, our doorbell did not work for years. We made the kids
stand outside in case someone came to the door and they would alert us. No,
we did not make them stay out al the time, they came in to use the bathroom.
They took turns for meals.
But the OP doesn't even let his button come it to eat or use the
bathroom.

The answer is ; go to Home Depot and buy a wireless doorbell!

Very nice solution!

Instead of checking a button once in several years,
we replace it by a battery problem every few months,
and waterdamaged electronics every two years........

"Chris" wrote in message
...
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??

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

thanks.

Chris

I just love when the regulars argue. The threads can get so long.

Shorting the wires is a quick easy test.

Checking the label of the chimes is sound advice.

Please do put us all out of misery by letting us know the cause or we could
be debating this next year at this time.


--
Colbyt
Please come visit http://www.househomerepair.com

On Sun, 19 Dec 2010 21:36:15 -0500, "Colbyt"
wrote:


"Chris" wrote in message
...
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??

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

thanks.

Chris

I just love when the regulars argue. The threads can get so long.

Shorting the wires is a quick easy test.

Checking the label of the chimes is sound advice.

Please do put us all out of misery by letting us know the cause or we could
be debating this next year at this time.

I sincerely doubt it is a "specification" issue - the OP said it
"stopped working", which would indicate it WAS working a short while
ago, and nothing has been changed in the installation.