This Video covers all of the Fundamental Information that you may need to know about standard 2-Note Doorbells. There's an Index of different Topics after the Title screen. Of course, you'll get the most complete overview of this topic - if you watch the entire Video - Chris

You are a blessing to my brain. I wish other people made videos this way, all clear, all covered. It explained exactly how my chime was burned unused because of the stuck button. Moreover, after being unable to figure out the schematics on the new chime and watching this I finally realized how come I have two doorbell buttons but only 2 two-pair wires and a God-knows-where transformer, because everything in our house had apparently been custom made, and I connected everything using only 3 wires, and then cut off the uninsulated part of the fourth wire so it doesn't confuse me or anybody else in the future. Thank you so much!

@northsideservicecompany3567

4 ай бұрын

Hi zarkobiz: You're Welcome - Chris

Finally, the complete doorbell explanation. Thanks!!!

@northsideservicecompany3567

2 жыл бұрын

Hi dq1275: Thanks, I hope it helped - Chris

I wish there's more videos like this on KZread. Pratical, useful and making people's like easier. Thanks for making and sharing this!

@northsideservicecompany3567

2 жыл бұрын

Hi Xing Du: Thanks for the kind comment - It's good to know that the Video helped you - Chris

Timing is everything, decided today was fix the 1955 NuTone doorbell. Thanks for confirming my thought process.

@northsideservicecompany3567

4 жыл бұрын

Hi Mike: Glad to have helped a little - Chris

This is a helpful and informative video with some humor added. Thank you!

@northsideservicecompany3567

3 жыл бұрын

Hi 27Fan4Ever: Thanks!! - Chris

Thank you so much for the excellent explanations. With your help, I was able to fix a rear doorbell which has not worked in years. I traced the wire through the house (no easy feat) and found that it had been damaged by one of the plumbers who have worked on the house over the years. I bridged the damaged wire and even the light in the button works! I had given it up for dead long ago. Thanks again for your help.

@northsideservicecompany3567

Жыл бұрын

Hi maja: Well Done! - It takes dedication to trace wires through a house (not fun at all) - Chris

Great instructor! Easy to follow and understand.

@northsideservicecompany3567

Жыл бұрын

Hi Jacob: Thanks, I hope the Video helped - Chris

Perfectly explained, video helped me troubleshoot a problem......THANKS!

@northsideservicecompany3567

3 жыл бұрын

Hi bozo buckets: Glad that the Video helped - Chris

Excellent presentation of the subject. Well done and thank you

@northsideservicecompany3567

2 жыл бұрын

Hi Jeremy: Thanks - I hope it helped - Chris

Such a helpful video. I’ve been pulling my hair out for a few days trying to figure out why the doorbell stopped working - it’s because the plastic tube melted and warped. Used the work around for the back door single chime until I can get a new door chime (and a new doorbell that doesn’t stick!). Thank you!!!

@northsideservicecompany3567

Жыл бұрын

Hi CA Moore: Cool! - Glad the Video helped - Chris

Best explanation so far I seen

@northsideservicecompany3567

2 жыл бұрын

Hi Zan Z9898: Wow - Thanks - Chris

Thus is the best video I have seen. I am still trying to figure it out. I can't find the transformer.

@northsideservicecompany3567

9 ай бұрын

Hi crystal: Transformers are usually in utility areas - on the circuit breaker panel - furnace room - water heater area - basement - attic (not the best place to have it) - on the ceilings of closets - Chris

Thanks for this great video; I have a non ringing doorbell but now I know to inspect the plunger. . I browsed your others and I’m feeling very sad seeing your other videos. When we bought out 1966 house it had vintage 1966 Nutone intercoms everywhere and bad us - we removed them except for one since that one is mounted in a custom wall panel. Even worse I no longer remember where they all were. Now I think they’re rather cool, sort of your fault, lol.

@northsideservicecompany3567

3 ай бұрын

Hi jan: Sorry to have cause you regrets about removing the System :) At least you cna still service the Chime and have it working again - Chris

Awesome video, thank you for posting

@northsideservicecompany3567

3 жыл бұрын

Hi damancarlos: You're welcome - Chris

Thanks for the comprehensive breakdown! Just moved into a building with a two tone nutone doorbell that was installed in the 50s, and it seems to work - I came along looking to find out what I could use to lubricate the plungers! Appreciate it!

@northsideservicecompany3567

2 жыл бұрын

Hi Nathan: The answer is (yes I have to say it) lighter fluid - not the kind you use in a B-B-Q - the kind your grandad used in his Zippo Lighter. Ronson is ok also. Do not use anything else - EVER - Only Lighter Fluid (about 2-3 drops) If the Chime is from the 1950's - It may require a most extensive cleaning due to corrosion on the plunger and inside the solenoid tube kzread.info/dash/bejne/ooql1rSIYM7WnKQ.html and / or kzread.info/dash/bejne/YqWXj7OEZbm5h7Q.html Chris

@NathanBaerreis

2 жыл бұрын

@@northsideservicecompany3567 Thanks! I watched the video and already went out to the wood shop to grab some lighter fluid - the proper sort. It's also useful if you're trying to glue a couple of pieces of wood together with yellow wood glue - denser woods like ironwoods have a lot of natural oils that repel the glue, but lighter fluid will push them back and let it get a hold.

@northsideservicecompany3567

2 жыл бұрын

@@NathanBaerreis Good tip on the wood gluing up - Thanks - Chris

Very well done, Thank you.

@northsideservicecompany3567

2 жыл бұрын

Hi Chris: You're welcome - I hope the Video helped you - Chris

Thank you!! My doorbell from the 50s works again with the lighter fluid trick!

@northsideservicecompany3567

Жыл бұрын

Hi Kelsey: Excellent! Good to hear the Video helped - Chris

15:00 that's what I am going through right now lol thank you for your video, it is helping me a lot!

@northsideservicecompany3567

2 жыл бұрын

Hi Alex: Glad to know the Video is helping - Chris

Thank you so much for this video! Very easy to understand, amusing as well. I am troubleshooting a family member's doorbell right now. I'm getting somewhere, but still a little confused. I can see that their chime has fried the 'front' side coil; the coil evidently got very hot (copper has discolored and there is black, burnt, bubbled-up substance on on it), the hot plunger melted the plastic caps, and was stuck in the on/charged position. Only one button in our case (front door). I was originally thinking the meltdown on the 'front' chime coil with a stuck plunger was the issue, maybe someone just held the button down too long and toasted it, so I originally just switched the wires over to the 'rear' coil, but still got nothing when I push the door button. So next, I took the chime off the wall. I have 2 white wires and two red. Pretty certain we have the standard/common wiring configuration. I (eventually) touched each wire together and still got no sparks anywhere, soooo, if I understand correctly, we're not getting any juice from the transformer as we should be. I think the transformer got fried too?? I'm just not understanding how or why that would be the case. What was the CAUSE of our issue, which somehow fried both the coil and the transformer? My guess is that the switch/button at the door maybe got stuck or someone held the button down? After a few seconds or minutes, maybe the coil and plunger started to melt down, and after being on long enough, the transformer eventually went too? Would that make sense? At this stage of my troubleshooting, I'm thinking we need to replace it all. The chime is toast cuz of the melted coil. The transformer doesn't seem to be supplying any power anymore. And the button at the door, I'm guessing was the cause for it all, if it got stuck? I'm now hunting for the transformer. Thanks for the location tips! Lol. I'm hoping Earl was lazy in this case. If you see this comment, I'd love to know if you think I'm on the right track, or if there is something else I should check or do. Regardless, thank you so much!! Hugely helpful, sir! (:

@northsideservicecompany3567

2 жыл бұрын

Hi kaylor 87: A stuck button is the most likely culprit for the damage to the Chime. You won't get a 'spark' on the wires unless you press the pushbutton (and hold it down) then test for a 'spark' (or use a meter and measure for voltage). If this were a Service Call I was on - I would replace the Chime and Pushbutton - but only the Transformer if it were bad. Well Done with sorting out the problems - Chris

Excellent video.

@northsideservicecompany3567

5 ай бұрын

HI Lucas: Thanks. I hope the Video helped - Chris

Thanks for this great video. I wish more videos were this way because it not only helps you fix any problems but also helps you understand how and why the problem happened. My wiring is one of the 5% because there is a loose wire that is simply capped and does not do anything BUT there is also an additional wire that goes to the transformer screw on the chime. i.e., there are 2 wires connected to the transformer (plus the regular single wires to the front and rear). Still trying to figure that out.

@northsideservicecompany3567

2 жыл бұрын

Hi Wanda Wanda: My best advice is to draw out a wiring diagram of how your Chime is wired - Draw the Chime, the Transformer, the Pushbutton(s). Then, draw in the wires - as they are in your house. Using different colors when drawing the wires can make is easier - hopefully in doing this the "lightbulb" in you mind will snap on and you'll have that moment of understanding. After 40 years, I still draw out circuits because it makes things clearer - Chris

@unmeshk

2 жыл бұрын

Thanks, Chris!

On a DC circuit, it's a good idea to place a reversed biased diode across each solenoid coil to dissipate that kickback (back EMF). But doorbells run on AC circuits, so that doesn't make sense. My only doorbell problem came when I tried one of those first generation "smart" doorbells that replaces just the button. After about a week, I was awakened in the middle of the night, I'd be awakened by a continuous buzzing sound _somewhere_ in the house. It lasted for a couple hours and have stopped by morning. It took me a couple nights to realize it was coming from the solenoid in the door chime. The device had an internal rechargeable battery that it would top off by drawing a little current from the transformer. Since it just replaced the button, it was in series with the door chime. That trickle of current that enabled charging flowed through the chime, and was enough to partially energize the solenoid. So it didn't strike the tone bar, but did cause the plunger to vibrate at the 60 Hz frequency from the transformer. And since it had resonator cavities on either side, that little vibration made a surprising amount of sound. The support people assumed I'd gotten a bad device and sent me a replacement. Same story. After about a week, it started buzzing, usually around 1 AM. And it always happened in the middle of the night, because battery voltage is lower when it's cold out, so that's when the device decided it was time to charge it back up. So then the support people wanted me to install a magic diode, which, of course, made no difference. Then they suggested I remove the old door chime and replace it with their $200 electronic one. At that point I just put the original button back.

@northsideservicecompany3567

2 жыл бұрын

Hi Hayward Hunter: Some of the very early WIFI door cameras were very poorly designed, almost as poorly as their companies customer service departments. - In traditional all mechanical Door Chimes, which are all AC power devices a Flyback Diode is unnecessary because the switching of the coils is done by a fairly robust mechanical switch. Interestingly enough - NuTone switched over to electronically controlled 8-Note Door Chimes in the mid 1990's and these models use Darlington NPN Transistors to switch the coils on. The coils in these Chimes are powered by DC. In these designs there is 1 Flyback Diode for each Transistor. When the magnetic field in the coil collapses, it can generate hundreds or even thousands of volts and without the Flyback Diodes, the Transistors will be destroyed. Chris

Great tutorial! I'm thinking of using these solenoid plungers for make-shift actuators to press buttons.

@northsideservicecompany3567

2 жыл бұрын

Hi tdstr: I'm unsure if these solenoids would have enough force to activate a switch - also, these are short duration solenoids, not designed to be "on" for long periods of time - Chris

Great video, thanks. Now I will bypass the solenoid and hook up my Reolink.

@northsideservicecompany3567

7 ай бұрын

Hi datapro: OK - Chris

just moved into a home with an art deco Nutone chime that didn't work; this video helped me fix it!! Thank you

@northsideservicecompany3567

2 жыл бұрын

Hi Will G: I'm glad that the Video helped get your Chime working again - Chris

@alexhuerta6842

2 жыл бұрын

I am currently going through the same thing lol

@northsideservicecompany3567

2 жыл бұрын

@@alexhuerta6842 I hope the Video helps a little - Chris

@alexhuerta6842

2 жыл бұрын

@@northsideservicecompany3567 thank you! I got it all figured out thanks to your video! :)

This is a really great design. My 1959 chime still works perfectly.

@northsideservicecompany3567

2 жыл бұрын

Hi Gr8thxAlot: Yes, these are a very simple and long-lasting design that may only need some basic cleaning every 3-4 decades - Chris

@Rose-bf5tb

2 жыл бұрын

I have a 1961 house with a 1959 chime doorbell.. how do I get it to hook to a button on the front door??

@Gr8thxAlot

2 жыл бұрын

@@Rose-bf5tb Is there any existing wiring?

@northsideservicecompany3567

2 жыл бұрын

@@Rose-bf5tb Your question is somewhat difficult to answer without more detailed information. It would be best if you contacted us directly - Chris nscompany@msn.com

My brain loves the way you explain. I actually understood everything you said, and it made sense. Thank you so very much!

@northsideservicecompany3567

3 жыл бұрын

Hi Aries Queen: Thanks! - I hope the Video helped you out - Chris

Great tutoring video, I also like the assume part.😂😂

@northsideservicecompany3567

5 ай бұрын

Hi howard: Thanks, I hope the Video helped - Chris

Thank you so much for your video! I have an Emerson Rittenhouse C8329 door chime which I believe was installed in the early 70s. The spring coil of the front plunger is not working and the plunger sank to the bottom without bouncing up. I think one of the solution is to rewire it to the rear plunger. But otherwise, do you have any suggestion as to how this plunger / spring coil may be fixed?

@northsideservicecompany3567

3 жыл бұрын

Hi HaveFun: I am unclear on what "The spring coil of the front plunger is not working" means - Is the Spring actually broken? (this would be unusual) or does it seem to not be strong enough any longer to make the plunger pop back up? Can you actually raise the Plunger up with your finger? If you can, does it stay in the up position on its own? - Chris

Nice explanation sir. I just changed a nutone chime and a transformer. There was no voltage coming out of the transformer. Then the push button lit up but the chime was not ringing. I noticed one of the plumber's tip was melted, so I just decided to replace the chime as well.

@northsideservicecompany3567

6 ай бұрын

Hi sotosbest: To take your description further - The culprit for your entire problem was (is) the Pushbutton outside - The pushbutton kept the Chime energized, which made to coil get hot - which is what melted the plunger tip (probably damaged the coil also) - this also overloaded the Transformer - making its Thermal Limiter open (shutting off power to the transformer) which is why the light on the Pushbutton was out (until the terminal limiter reset) If you don't replace the pushbutton - this can happen over and over, again and again - Chris

@sotosbesthandymanservices3096

5 ай бұрын

@northsideservicecompany3567 yes sir everything went bad from the push button to the transformer to the chime!!!!

This was a super helpful video! I have a NuTone door chime from the late 60's that the P/O had disconnected. I have successfully mapped ( and labelled) the three pairs of wires - Two from the front, two from the back, two from the transformer. However - When I wire everything back up, I still can't sort out why it isn't working. I have diagnosed that the front and rear switches work by using a the multimeter beep mode, and have tested that the transformer wires are 20v. (I don't know where the actual transformer is, so I'm thankful that I have proper voltage). Even when I bypass the front/rear switch and try to test the chime itself, when I wire the transformer directly to T and the other wire to either F or R (to close the circuit), the chime won't activate. When I test the chime itself, there is an open circuit between all three terminals (eg; T F, T R, and F R). Should there be continuity between all three terminals on the door chime? Or is this a sign that the chime is broken?

@Pixelology

Жыл бұрын

Update: Instead of using a transformer, I wired the circuit to use a 9v battery as the power source. When I ring the back door, it chimes! However, when I connect everything back up to the transformer (which is reading 18v), I can't get it to chime. I'm really scratching my head on what the problem is!

@northsideservicecompany3567

Жыл бұрын

Hi Pixelology: When you measure the Resistance of the Coil (T F) & (T R) with your Multimeter set to Ohms, you should have a reading between 5-8 Ohms +/-. There would no reading between the (R F) screws - Chris

@northsideservicecompany3567

Жыл бұрын

Hi Pixelology: Did you try your 9 Volt Battery substitute for the Front Door? Did it work? Your Transformer may be suppling 18 Volts, however it may not be providing enough current (watts or VA) to power the coil. You can try measuring for a Voltage drop from the Transformer by wiring the Chime to be powered by the Transformer, measure the Transformer Voltage while it is in "standby" and then measure the Voltage again when the button is pressed. The Voltage should not drop more than a few 10ths - if it drop by many Volts, replace the Transformer - Chris

@Pixelology

Жыл бұрын

@@northsideservicecompany3567 Hi! Yes, the 9v battery worked for both the front and rear doors. When I measure the resistance between the terminals, I get 8.4 ohms between T F & T R. When I measure between (F R) I get 14.5 ohms. Does the resistance between R F indicate that the chime unit may be bad? I will measure the voltage drop later today (when I have a helper!) At this point, I am hoping that it is the chime unit itself, as I'm convinced that the transformer is buried behind some ductwork in the basement (eg; the lazy installer at this point was the furnaceman).

@northsideservicecompany3567

Жыл бұрын

@@Pixelology No, your Chime Power Unit is not bad - I mistakenly wrote that there would be no resistance between (F R) This is of course wrong, you would actually be measuring both coils together - so double the Resistance is correct - Chris

Great Video, on my door bell chime, it has 3 wires, we currently only use the front door bell. 2 wires are actually connected to the chime and they are on front and rear and non to the transformer screw, it still rings. Any ideas on why?

@northsideservicecompany3567

2 жыл бұрын

Hi Miguel: Nope - There's more to the story, if you investigate into the wiring - Chris

Thanks for making such a great video and interacting with all the comments. My question is: with this unit being so old, would a 24V transformer be fine? Or would it fry the unit

@northsideservicecompany3567

3 ай бұрын

HI anthony: I do not know what "this unit" is. . . Doorbells should always be powered by the Voltage they were designed for - I would guess that your Chime is proably a 16 Volt AC Chime - You can ceratinly increase the Watts of the Transfomer (also refered to as the VA) many Doorbell Trasnformers included only 10 Watt Transformers (very weak) I always use 30 Watt Transfomers, which have a larger amount of available power - Chris

@anthonyt.384

3 ай бұрын

@@northsideservicecompany3567 Thanks for the help. By "this unit" just referring to the chime. The same old vintage one pictured in your video. I was planning on connecting it to a doorbell cam which requres 16V-24V, but warns that "A 16V 10VA transformer sits at the lower end of the power supply spectrum. Aging and wiring conditions could affect its efficiency in powering the Video Doorbell v2 or ringing a mechanical chime." So that's why I was looking into if a 24V, was safe for this chime. Was just afraid 16V wouldn't be enough for the doorbell cam given the old age of the wiring. Do you think a 16V 30VA would do the trick then?

@northsideservicecompany3567

3 ай бұрын

​@@anthonyt.384 With over 600 Videos, I have no idea which one you are referring to about your Chime - That being said, if you Chime is a 16 Volt Chime, it's most likely from the 1960's or later (not really that old) The Wiring doesn't get "old" unless it has been damaged by someone or something (mouses??) If you follow your thinking (no, I'm not picking on you) If the concern is that "age and wiringing condition" is an issue, how would rasing the voltage from 16 to 24 help??? (answer) -It Won't The warning you read "a 16V 10VA being at the lower end of the power supply spectrun" has very little to do with the 16 Volt rating and it has everything to do with the 10VA Rating. 10VA (I prefer to use Watts, as in 10 Watts) is the Available Power Rating from the Transformer - it can only supply 10 Watts to the device(s) it's powering (remember, you are now trying to power 2 devices (the chime and the camera), before the Voltage begins to drop below 16 - As an example, if the Transformer was powering a lightbulb - it could only power the Bulb to produce 10 Watts before it ran out of available power, causing the bulb to dim - If you move up to a 30 Watt Transformer (which has 3 times the availbale power) you could power the same lightbulb up to 30 watts The 30 Watts is the total amount of "available power" - The Watts Do Not ram themselves into the device being powered - The device will simply draw from the "bowl of available power" and use as much as it needs - Chris

@anthonyt.384

3 ай бұрын

@@northsideservicecompany3567 Thank you so much. I'm very much a DIYer and have learned so much from you

I have a Nutone 2-Note Door Chime from the 1960's where I want to convert the old push button door bell buttons to "Ring" type security door bells. Note that the transformer is also enclosed within the chime box. The "Ring" system requires adding their small power supply units to the Front, Rear and Trans terminals. The weird thing is that with my Nutone unit, there is an additional Com. terminal with one red wire and 2 white wires attached. I only ask because after successfully setting up the "Ring" system, only the rear door bell chime works while the front doesn't chime despite having power to operate both front and rear door "Ring" cameras. Prior to installing the "Ring" system the front door bell did work on the chime. Does the Com. terminal play a role in this issue?

@northsideservicecompany3567

2 жыл бұрын

Hi Alan: Clearly you don't have a 2-Note NuTone Chime - You have an 8-Note Chime. This is easy to determine by the Chime having a "COM" terminal connection. Also, what you mistakenly thought was a Transformer - is actually the Telechron Motor that operates the Chime. While is is possible to install the Ring Camera and have it also activate the Chime - It will require much more work for the Installation than just connecting the Ring to the existing wiring. The reason that the "Rear" Camera works correctly is that - the "Rear Door" Chime is a single note - so that connection bypasses the Motor in the Chime and just operates a single solenoid (much like a 2-note chime) This Video show what needs to be done when installing the Cameras - to make them work with your 8-Note Chime: kzread.info/dash/bejne/pmqN1dmmdLG8qaw.html Chris

I wish I could attach a photo. My nuTone looks exactly like the picture you drew here. But it also has a free swinging arm on the bottom with a wire attached to it, and a space for the bottom solenoid to pass between. What is that thing?

@northsideservicecompany3567

4 жыл бұрын

Hi Greg: Send me a picture and I'll tell you what you have - I'll post it in out Community Section also - so everyone can see it - Chris nscompany@msn.com

Hello, I came across your video on door chimes the other day. I have to say after spending quite a few days looking at other videos on this subject yours was the most informative. With that said, I feel you left out some critical information. I am talking about the transformer. You never went into any detail about how to finish wiring this part of the system. The way it is drawn, you do not have the other leg hooked up to the transformer, on the drawing the transformer has no wire at all connected to the other lug. In the real world this will not work, because there will be no voltage going to the chime. I hope you can send me a email if I am wrong. This was a great video, I hope you will correct this. I made my chime like the second one you drew. To test the chime just jumped the wires from transformer to the chime and see if it worked. Mine did not, so simply replaced the unit and it worked. Oh yes, did check to see if transformer had 18 volts on it. Wondering if you could have used rubbing alcohol instead of lighter fluid? I am done, hope to hear from you.

@northsideservicecompany3567

10 ай бұрын

Hi thomas: It would seem that the white board marker got a little smudged when I drew in the 2nd wire to the Transformer - Obviosity, you must have both wires connect to the Transformer to complete the circuit and I do say the "wires go from the Transformer to the chime" The recommended cleaner is lighter fluid - not alcohol - Chris

A button with a light or a smart button must be continuously energised. How is the wiring changed so that the chime isn't also continuously energised?

@northsideservicecompany3567

23 күн бұрын

Hi Andrew: Here's some background that needs to be understood: In a doorbell circuit when the pushbtoon doesn't have a light, the pushbutton is a simple swicth, when the pushbutton is pressed, the contact are closed and power flows through the pushbutton to the coil in the Chime. When you add an incandescenet bulb into the pushbutton, you adding a "resistor" into the circuit (the filiment of the bulb is a resistance wire) this added resistance allows just a little bit of current to flow, which causes the bulb to glow, but is not enough to effect the coil in the Chime. Now for your question: I don't know what your mean by a 'smart button' - If there's some new, addtional device added to the basic doorbell circuit - that requires constant power - it is likely that more wiring will need to be added - Chris

Im trying to figure out how to wire my current setup and this is what I got into. With my door bell button detached and separated, Im still able to ring the bell with one white on Trans and one blue wire on Front and vice versa. (Total 4 wires, 2 blues and 2 whites). I think the bell shouldn't ring at all no matter what since the button is detached. What am I doing wrong or is it mis-wired somewhere?

@northsideservicecompany3567

2 жыл бұрын

Hi Kevin: I'm going to make some assumptions about your Installation - 1) The wires are in pairs (2 wires make a pair) Each pair has 1 Blue wire and 1 White wire - 1 Pair comes from the Transformer - 1 Pair comes form the Pushbutton - Do The Following: Twist the 2 White Wires together and cover the bare ends of the wire - connect 1 Blue Wire to "Trans" - connect 1 Blue Wire to "Front" - Reconnect the outside Pushbutton - Press the Button, it should ring - If it does not work, it would be best if you contact me directly - Chris nscompany@msn.com

Any guess why my wire sets for my basic doorbell system (house built in 1982) all have ground wires? I do have a nutone intercom (A516A) but there was never a door unit, nor was the doorbell ever connected to the intercom system.

@northsideservicecompany3567

11 ай бұрын

Hi dave: My guess is that it's the type of wire that the installer had on the truck, when he wired your house - Chris

Hi - this is very interesting and informative! We have a Google home nest doorbell connected to our NuTone doorbell. The issue is the plunger on the left side (rear) is continuously bobbing up and down. It’s causing the whole unit to vibrate, hence is noisy. Other than that, everything is working fine on it. Can you tell us what’s going on with that plunger thing & how we may fix it?

@northsideservicecompany3567

Жыл бұрын

Hi Monika: I going to assume that your have a standard 2-note doorbell (ding-dong type) Do you have 1 out door pushbutton (front) or 2 pushbuttons (rear) connected to the doorbell? - Do you have 1 Nest Camera (connected to the front)? or 2 Cameras (front & rear)? - If you have 2 pushbuttons, has anyone connected a Diode across the screws of the Rear pushbutton? - If you have a "Rear" camera does the bobbing stop if you disconnect the camera? - If you have only a "Front" camera, the the bobbing stop when you disconnect the camera? - How long have you had the camera(s)? - Did the bobbling start as soon as the camera(s) were installed or did it start later? - Please let me know - Chris

@monikatorre6703

Жыл бұрын

@@northsideservicecompany3567 Hey Chris, thanks so much for the quick response! Yes, standard 2-note NuTone doorbell; yes, 1 Nest camera connected to the front

Have you done videos on LED TV fundamental concepts/circuits?

@northsideservicecompany3567

10 ай бұрын

Hi daryl: No, I don't work on TV's of any type - Chris

If the button is an open switch until you press it, how does it stay lighted? Obviously there is 24vac going to the button but is there a diode in those lighted buttons? Some other option?

@northsideservicecompany3567

9 ай бұрын

Hi Tom, First, almost all Door Chime Systems have been 16 Volts AC since the early 1960's - The bulb (incandescent, resistive load) is across the 2-wires that are connected to the button - this creates enough of a connection to cause the bulb to glow - however the resistance is to high to activate to solenoid - Chris

So if you do the workaround by switching the front door wire to the rear door terminal, won’t the same thing just eventually happen again? How do you prevent the button outside from getting stuck?

@northsideservicecompany3567

9 ай бұрын

If you switch the Front and Rear Connections - without changing the Pushbutton, yes - it will happen again - Pushbuttons usually start acting-up around 10 years (depending on the exposure to the weather) Our rule on any Field Service Call was "everyone gets a new Pushbutton" - Chris

Why is the second layout more complicated? I always mount my transformer on the main breaker panel using a half-inch knockout and run all my wires back to there. I label all my wires as I pull them. Makes wiring a breeze and it's readily reconfigurable if need be.

@northsideservicecompany3567

Жыл бұрын

Hi Helman: Having the Transformer on the breaker panel is fine - Having the transformer be the "hub" of the system - with only 2-wire running to the Chime is where it becomes limiting. If you want to install a Chime that requires 4-wires, you're out-of-luck - unless you can pull extra wires - which can't be done in many homes. - Chris

What if I no longer have a front door and would like the rear door to make two tones, could I simply switch the wires?

@northsideservicecompany3567

2 жыл бұрын

Hi Shawn: Yes - You can disconnect the wire from the "Front" Terminal and move the wire from the "Rear" Terminal to the "Front" - Chris

Thank you! I learned a lot from your video. This is the original chime that was installed in my 1960 home. It has worked perfectly for 62 years. Recenetly, I installed a video door bell and the chime dings and dongs but the dong comes a second later. Not the expected ding-dong sound. At first it would only ding, but after upgrading the transformer I got it to ding and dong. But again, the dong comes a second later than it used to. Any ideas to fix this? Should I lube the plunger?

@northsideservicecompany3567

3 жыл бұрын

Hi Gerry: Firstly - NO DO NOT LUBE THE PLUNGERS!!!! -EVER!!!! - Your Door Chime is now controlled by the Video Door Camera and it's associated parts - The pause for the second note is cause by the Camera System not disconnecting the power to the coil (which causes the first note) soon enough - There may be a setting in the Cameras App which will adjust this - Chris

@gerryguevara9288

3 жыл бұрын

@@northsideservicecompany3567 Thank you. So no lighter fluid either?

@northsideservicecompany3567

3 жыл бұрын

@@gerryguevara9288 Lighter Fluid is a cleaner - It will not solve the situation you described - especially if the Chime did not operate that way before the Camera Installation - Chris

@gerryguevara9288

3 жыл бұрын

@@northsideservicecompany3567 thank you sir!!

@kaylor87

2 жыл бұрын

I know this is 10 months old and I'm sure you figured it out by now, but I also have a bit of input, from my personal experience! Same exact situation at my house last year. Ancient doorbell that still worked great. Switched to a Ring doorbell, and started having problems. This is what I learned: The doorbell wires only supply like 15-30w, which were originally intended to simply/only wack the plungers into the chime. Well NOW, you've hooked a new piece of technology to the same 15-30w, and that smart doorbell requires more power. It's going to use a big chunk of that wattage for its wifi and other systems, leaving an underpowered wattage to wack the chime. In our case, Ring is aware of this potential problem, and they provide a solution in the box even. What's the solution, you ask?? A tiny battery! Who would've thought lol. At the chime, you wire the battery in-line with the button wires. Then when someone pushes your doorbell, the chime gets a little extra "umph" from the battery, which can supply the extra wattage that your smart doorbell stole.

How can you tell if the Transformer is 16vac or a lower voltage one (8-15vac) ? It is a Nutone unit. House was built in early 60's. I can't see any lablelor printing on the Transformer or power unit.

@northsideservicecompany3567

Жыл бұрын

Hi Brian: The easiest and more reliable way to determine the voltage of a Transformer is to measure it's output with a Voltmeter. - Do this buy disconnecting the 2 low-voltage wires from the screws on the Transformer and measure the voltage with your meter set to AC Volts - Chris

RECENTLY I INSTALLED A NEW DOOR BELL MODEL #SS-7580-03 AND EVERYTHING LOOKS FINE BUT SOMETIMES IT SOUNDS BY ITSELF. WHAT DO YOU THINK IS THE PROBLEM ?

@northsideservicecompany3567

2 жыл бұрын

Hi Hector: It looks like like your Chime is a Wireless Model - It probably has a way to set a code in the Chime and Pushbutton - if you didn't set a code that was different from how it come out of the package - it could be picking up a stray signal and activating - Chris

Fantastic video! Thank you. And, you're funny! Have you had any experience with a doorbell that goes off by itself randomly at all hours of the day and night? The odd thing is that it starts its shenanigans at approximately 5:30pm. What the heck is it about that time of day? There is no timing mechanism that we know about. We're baffled - our house was built in 1926 and I think our Nutone is an oldie. Thank you!

@northsideservicecompany3567

3 ай бұрын

HI pam: I would suspect Pushbutton problems as the cause - It's simple enough to troubleshoot - disconnect the wires from the back of the Pushbutton(s) and wait to see what happens - If it is the Pushbutton(s) - replace them with something new - Chris

@pammccubbin6975

3 ай бұрын

@@northsideservicecompany3567 Thank you so much. We have isolated the problem to the front pushbutton. So, I guess we buy a new pushbutton and use the same wires from the house?

@northsideservicecompany3567

3 ай бұрын

@@pammccubbin6975 Yes, you should only need to replace the Pushbutton - Chris

@pammccubbin6975

3 ай бұрын

@@northsideservicecompany3567 Hi Chris. A new pushbutton did not work. We're so frustrated. The doorchime itself started humming and ringing nonstop so we quickly took the new button off and put the old one back on without connecting the wires. This is a 100 year old house and we are old (not 100) people and we can't chase down any attic wires that may be the problem. So now we're calling it a day. Thank you Chris for all your help!!!

29:45 and on. Saved me from calling someone to repair my door bell. It’s a stupid setup. I don’t know why people wire the door bell like that. But thanks for the video.

@northsideservicecompany3567

3 жыл бұрын

Hi windigoking: It's always been a mystery to me also - Chris

Is it possible to increase the volume of simple Nutone Doorbell? We are not hearing ours and it is working just fine.

@northsideservicecompany3567

2 жыл бұрын

The sound from a mechanical 2-Note Chime is limited by it's very design. The size of the Tone Bars and Resonators will set how loud the Chime can be. The one thing you may be able to do is, check the Transformer that's powering the Chime. If it's a modern Chime ( made between 1960 and 2022) the Transformer is likely to be 16 Volts AC. The voltage should not be changed, however the Watts can be. You Transformer may be rated at as little as 10 Watts (10VA) - this gives the solenoids in the Chime only a little-bit of power - therefore they strike with a little-bit of force - If you replace the Transformer with a 16 Volt AC Transformer rated at 30 Watts (30VA) it will give the solenoids more available power - so they can strike harder - making them louder. The sound may not 3 times louder , because there are still the physical limits of the mechanical design. - Chris

@lsypher

2 жыл бұрын

@@northsideservicecompany3567 Thank you for such a wonderfully detailed response. We will look into this solution.

@lsypher

2 жыл бұрын

Where do we find the Transformer for the Nutone Doorbell. It is not in the unit, correct?

@northsideservicecompany3567

2 жыл бұрын

The Transformer is not in the Chime. It is mounted somewhere in your home - it could be ion the garage, basement, utility room, water heater closet, furnace area of right on the Electrical Panel - Chris

@lsypher

2 жыл бұрын

@@northsideservicecompany3567 That is what I thought. I will keep looking for it. Thank you once again. You have been so very helpful and I am very grateful!

So if my door bell light is on but no ring then the problem most likely is the wiring from the door bell to the transformer?

@northsideservicecompany3567

3 ай бұрын

HI wallace: "most likely" can become a trap when troubleshooting - especially a fairly simple 'system' like a doorbell. The problem(s) can be any part of the 'system'. If the light is on, the transformer is probably fine (measuring it is always a good idea) and the wiring to the pushbutton is probablky ok - that leaves the actual pushbutton itself (remove it and disconnect the 2-wires from it, then touch the wires together to see if the doorbell rings) - It could also be the Doorbell itself (can you move the plungers with your fingers?) - Chris

@wallacewinter5907

3 ай бұрын

Thanks Chris. My chime is about 10 ft up so I’ll need to borrow my neighbors latter. I’ll also take the wire off the doorbell and see when I connect them if the doorbell rings.

I get using the chime as the hub, but I'm at a loss how anything works with only using one side of the transformer. Did I miss something in the description that you leave off the drawing?

@northsideservicecompany3567

4 ай бұрын

Hi user-zk8hh4px3l: No, Think about it this way - 1 Wire from the Transfomer goes directly to the "Trans" terminal on the Chime - The 2nd wire from the Transfomer goes to one side of the Pushbutton - The 2nd wire from the Pushbutton goes to the "Front" terminal on the Chime When you press the Button - you complete the circuit - electricity flows through the Button - To the Chime and it Rings - When your Chime is the HUB - You connect 1 Transformer Wire to "Trans" - 1 Pushbutton Wire to "Front" and then twist the remaining 2 wires together - Done Chris

@user-zk8hh4px3l

4 ай бұрын

@@northsideservicecompany3567 Thanks for the response but your diagram shows both wires connected to the same post on the transformer, leaving one post unconnected.

@northsideservicecompany3567

4 ай бұрын

While the "wire" in the diagram may bedifficult to see - If you listen to the description and watch the entire Vide0, you will see that there are always 2-wires that are connected to the Transform - Chris@@user-zk8hh4px3l

@user-zk8hh4px3l

4 ай бұрын

@@northsideservicecompany3567 Ok thanks, it is difficult to see, but what probably complicated this for me was, it appears the original installers twinned the connectors for every connection. They used 4 conductor wire and twisted together the black/red and then the yellow green. Anyway this really helped as I would have never guessed the chime was the hub, and always assumed they must have split the wire up, somewhere in my attic to feed both pushbuttons.

So both wires are connected to one terminal on the transformer.

@northsideservicecompany3567

2 ай бұрын

Hi its4electrci: No, the marker got smudged when I drew in the 2nd wire - 1-Wire on each screw of the Transformer - Chris

@its4electric

2 ай бұрын

@@northsideservicecompany3567 thanks

Thank you for being so thorough. In your drawing, the 2 wires from the transformer appear to go to the same terminal on the transformer in the video, that's not correct is it?

@northsideservicecompany3567

Жыл бұрын

Hi Bokoo143: The line on the White Board probably got rubbed off a little - Each Screw Terminal gets it own separate wire (2-Screws - 1-Wire on each Screw) - Chris

When the doorbell button is pushed, the solenoid is energized causing the plunger to strike the chime. Here is my question- If the button is held down, how does the chime resonate if the plunger is still pushed against it? Wouldn't the plunger act like a finger "muting" a resonating bell?

@northsideservicecompany3567

2 жыл бұрын

Hi Taz: Why would you hold the pushbutton down? The solenoids in this type of Chime are designed for intermittent use - not "on" constantly, which will overheat the coil and damage the Chime. To answer your question directly - If the pushbutton is held down - the coil stays energized - causing the plunger to stay up near the tone bar - due to the design of the Power Unit, the plunger will "flutter" near the tone bar and perhaps touch it infrequently. Anything that continually touches the tone bar after it has been struck, will deaden the resonance - Chris

@tasdau

2 жыл бұрын

@@northsideservicecompany3567 Even a slight delay in releasing the button (like 500 milliseconds) would deaden the ring like here- kzread.info/dash/bejne/lHV91beKopmng5s.html But in this next video the chime continues to resonate while the button is held down- kzread.info/dash/bejne/Y4Zpp6Zuoau9isY.html Possibly the solenoid plunger has enough momentum to strike the chime and then the spring lifts it away slightly while the solenoid is still energized. Maybe the solenoid in the first video is of a poor design where the plunger is too light or the spring is too weak. I suppose activating the solenoid with the chime missing might answer that question. Thanks for the reply

@northsideservicecompany3567

2 жыл бұрын

@@tasdau The chimes in the 2 Videos are Cheap - Poor Designed - Bottom-of-the Line door bells. The sound they produce is awful and unfortunately very common for door bells purchased from home-improvement store today. Another factor that is often overlooked are the resonating chambers - which amplify the sound of the tone-bars. This is a "you get what you pay for" situation - door bells have become a commodity item for most manufacturers (including NuTone ). If you want a truly great sound Chime, look for something that was made between the 1950's and the early 1970's - Chris

@nexarian2523

2 жыл бұрын

When the button is pressed, the length of the plunger that the spring has previously pulled out/away from the power coil generates the inertia needed through its travel towards the magnetic field to momentarily overcome the field & strike the first tone. If the coil remains energized, the plunger will seek an equilibrium point between the resistance of the spring & where the magnetic field is the strongest which is slightly off center of the coil most of the time. If clean & operating properly, neither tone would be muted.

@tasdau

2 жыл бұрын

@@nexarian2523 Thank you for that engineer-minded answer. That's what I figured. Don't know why the other guy couldn't give me a concise answer like that. The vids I linked to clearly show what I was talking about regardless of how "cheap" the mechanism was.

Add another thing to the list of jacked up things about my house. I'm a 5%'er.

@northsideservicecompany3567

Жыл бұрын

Hi h_of_p: Hmmmm - It's to bad that installers don't think ahead some about what they're doing to make it easier for the next guy. - Chris

I have a front door door bell only setup. I measure 22 volts at the transformer which is good, but at the chime, I’m also getting 22 volts even when not pressing the doorbell, And at the doorbell, I’m reading no voltage. Why ideas why the chime and doorbells wires are reading this way?

@northsideservicecompany3567

23 күн бұрын

Hi scott: The 2-wires that are connected to the pushbutton will not show any voltage becasue they are only 1/2 of the circuit that powers the doorbell. If you measured between the incomming wire to the pushbutton and the "trans" wire on the doorbell - you would find that you have your 22 volts. BTW - 22 volts is hight for a 16 volt transformer - Chris

@scottsheck

23 күн бұрын

@@northsideservicecompany3567 thanks for your help since I’m a beginner at this but I’ve watched alot of videos on this subject. are you saying that the measurement im reading at the chime and at the doorbell are as expected? From all of the other videos I watched, they all show that the two wires at the doorbell Measure the 22 volts. And at the chime, it would measure 0 volts, unless I press the doorbell, then it would measure the 22 volts. And that makes sense to me

@northsideservicecompany3567

23 күн бұрын

@@scottsheck You're mixing your questions and results together -- which makes it really difficult to understand what you want / need to know What is the actualy "Problem" that you are tyrying to solve??? - Chris

@scottsheck

23 күн бұрын

@@northsideservicecompany3567oh good point. So my doorbell used to chime, but one day it just stopped working after I installed a doorbell camera. So I removed the camera and went back to the standard push button but now the simple push button doorbell no longer rings the chime. The connections are fine, I triple checked them all.

@northsideservicecompany3567

23 күн бұрын

@@scottsheck There are 2 likely possible problems - 1. The Camera damaged the Chime - 2. When you rermoved the Camera the wiring to the Chime was altered and is now wrong. Also, it could be both things. . . When you installed the Camera, did you replace the original Transformer with a different Transformer? Can you move the Plunger in the Chime with your finger? Push the Plunger down and let the Spring make it pop back up There should only be voltage at the Chime when the Pushbutton is pressed - Chris

That was fun. My 1947 is wired correctly but the solenoids were sticking and one of the plungers had lost its brass tip. I set it up in the garage and tested it with a dc 12V supply. But the dynamics were quite different than with the 16 V AC transformer and the long 18 gauge wiring. The "tone bars" actually long tubes can be moved so the strikers hit correctly. But it is still a work in progress. I don't think Earl the electrician can help. Still struggling the get that melodic ding dong. Anyway, I enjoyed your sense of humor and side comments. Squirrel Raids Bird Feeder - Cyclotron Physicist Builds a Squirrel Cafe. kzread.info/dash/bejne/d2SA18eihc7IacY.html

@northsideservicecompany3567

Жыл бұрын

Hi Claudie: I think your Chime project is in excellent hands and you'll find a solution soon enough - Nice squirrel Video - Well Done! - Chris

@LyneisFilm

Жыл бұрын

@@northsideservicecompany3567Chris, I had to buy a Newhouse Chimebase 2, cut it apart and rotate the solenoids 90 degrees and mount it on the old bracket. The old solenoid system wasn't salvageable. Anyway, it sounds as good as when it was new, although I didn't hear it back in 1947.

Earl was a complete A hole when my house was wired because I have searched everywhere and can't find my transformer so my doorbell can work properly. I believe it's in the wall right behind it but tearing walls apart for that ain't worth it

@northsideservicecompany3567

Жыл бұрын

Hi Lamar: Without knowing the age of your home, it's difficult to make any suggestions as where to look for the Transformer. I wouldn't think it's in the wall behind the Chime, that would be very odd. I have had Service Calls where the Transformer could not be found (we looked very hard for it) The best approach is to simply abandon the original Transformer - find a place where a new Transformer can be wired into the electrical system and run new low-voltage wiring for the Chime - I know I make this sound simply, when in may hones it's not simple at all. - Chris

You know that second way.... They do make 4 leg bell wire.. Doing it like that.. If you use 4 leg bell wire it helps keeping things color coded isolated.. One way to wire code And was comon place when we did doorbell wiring was to.... Ok lets just say the bell wire leg colors are Purple brown pink and orange (color code is fictional) Well lets not use color 4 (purple) because purple is an odd wire color.. he's a weirdo.. One way to do this is make brown a transformer color code specific leg.. The transformer has 2 screws.. Wire it like this.. transformer top screw make it brown and send it to the doorchime screw marked transformer.. Now Bottom transformer screw again makw it another brown wire send it to one side of front door button and also send it to one side of rear door button.. Now on the other screw on Front door button it becomes orange send it to to doorbell chime screw marked front. And Other screw on rear door button becomes pink send to door bell chime screw marked rear.. Yeah you'll have extra not use legs.. but its ALL Color coded.. Other way to do it is to use the 4th color and use purple (4th color) Top screw transformer make it purple (instead of brown) send it to doorbell chime transformer screw.. Everything else stays same.. But that means transformer now has 2 colors.. Thats ok because then you know brown and purple are transformer codes and purple is one side of transformer and is designated power to doorchime.. And brown is designated power to push buttons... Thats actually kind of cool!!! Then so this means orange and brown are front door specific pushbutton legs.. And Pink and brown are back door designated pushbutton legs... Purple is doorchime power only.. No way to confuse it.. But there are other color coding that you can do... but using 4 legs bell wire gives you that option to color code and isolate the system.

@northsideservicecompany3567

Жыл бұрын

Hi Oragnie 84: Written descriptions of a wiring layouts are always very difficult to relate too. If your wiring layout works for you, that's great. I prefer keeping it simpler, Red / White 18 gauge Doorbell Wire that runs from each device (transformer & pushbuttons) to the Chime. The Chime becomes the Hub of the Chime System and the wiring can be made up into any configuration needed. Labeling the wire pairs is helpful for future work. - Chris