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For whom the bells stall IMAGINE the exasperation when you’re standing at somebody’s door, madly pressing their doorbell and nobody’s answering.You can hear voices inside yet there’s no response. In all probability, the bell is not working and the inmates are not even aware that they have a visitor.
Repairing a doorbell: What do you do if your doorbell doesn’t ring at all or doesn’t sound right? The repair may be as simple as giving certain parts a good cleaning, repairing defective wires or replacing a part. The key pieces you need to check for repairing and cleaning are the bell unit, connecting bell wires and transformer. The materials needed
are: Screwdriver ; cotton
swabs ; alcohol ; electrical tape; wire connectors; multi-tester ;
fine grit sand paper ; old toothbrush; and lighter fluid. |
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Check the wires: Bells or chimes won’t ring if the wires are loose at the sound unit or at the transformer. Check the wires at both areas. Wrap the wires in electrical tape if frayed and tighten them if loose. Make sure none of the exposed wires are damaged and they are connected to the bell terminal. Check the Transformer: To make sure the transformer is working, restore power to the circuit that the transformer is connected to. The transformer is usually located on the junction box or near the circuit box. Set a multi-tester and then touch the transformer’s low voltage terminals with the multi-tester’s probes. If there is a no voltage signal on the register then the transformer needs to be replaced. You can also use an auto light to test if the transformer is working. Just connect the auto light bulb to the transformer using short wires. If the bulb does not light up, the transformer needs to be replaced. A muted bell: Check clappers or plungers: Bells or chimes usually don’t work if their clappers or plungers are dirty. If your doorbell is dirty, the ring usually sounds muffled or muted. Take off the cover to the chimes or bells and inspect the points that strike the chime or bell for dirt. When the gong and clappers on a doorbell unit or the plungers on a mechanical chime unit get dirty and dusty, dip a cotton swab in alcohol to clean them. You can also use an old toothbrush and a lighter fluid on the clappers and plungers. These parts look like springs or coils on both the doorbell unit and the chime unit. Tips * Install a transformer with greater low-voltage output. If you have more than one bell or chime connected to one transformer, the sound of the ring may be weak or delayed. A transformer with greater low-voltage output will give the both doorbells enough power the ring clearly. * Do not clean electric chimes because it will ruin them. * When working with the transformer, turn off the power source and only touch the wires on their insulated covering. * Don’t worry about turning off the power unless you are working with the transformer. Since the doorbell uses such low voltage, there is a very low chance you will get any electrical shock. — Compiled by Chetna
Banerjee |
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In such cases, where
the doorbell doesn’t ring at all or is muted, it may just need to be
repaired instead of being completely replaced. This is relatively easy
to do and can save you time and money.