Is there AC power to the wires behind my doorbell?

[Ron_Jeremy]

This is a 1930's house in southern California that had a doorbell installed well before I moved in. The doorbell chime doesn't work and I'm trying to fix it. I has never worked while I've been here and I've looked everywhere for the transformer but cannot find it. Today I pulled the two screws that secure the doorbell push button to the wall & touched the 2 (very old looking) wires with a Klein voltage tester but it does not beep to indicate power. Is this normal?

 

[Reach4]

Doorbell transformers typically have 24 vac output. They fail frequently.

I don't know if the Klein voltage tester would check that, but I doubt it. This would be a good time to get a multimeter.

 

[Sponsor]

 

[Ron_Jeremy]

Thanks for the help @Reach4 . I have a multimeter. For a correct reading would I set it to DC and simply touch the wires with the probes?

 

[LLigetfa]

would I set it to DC

Most likely AC.

 

[WorthFlorida]

Typically door bell transformers are in the garage high on the wall or on the ceiling. If no garage look near the breaker panel or in a closet. Back in the 1930's, most likely the door bell was operated by the stack of dry cell batteries. Latter on a transformer was probably added. This is what was used in fourth grade science class (1959?) to learn about basic electric and magnetics.

All standard door bells run on 24vac. "Ring" door bells and other electronic door bells is DC. For an old system a diode is placed at the door bell button so only a 1/2 wave ac is sent to the chime. The voltage is only positive (or negative). The voltage sensors that only sense from 70-600 volts or 50-1000 volts. Some models have a 12-1000 volts dual range that will sense 24 volts AC. These non contact voltage testers are for AC only, not DC voltages. I have a dual range, set for 12vac I was able to find a bad mini 2.5v incandescent light bulb on my prewired Christmas tree.

All is not lost, there are wireless door bells units that can be bought. Just google it.

 

[Fitter30]

This might help. Checking power at door button should read not pushing it.

How to Find and Test a Doorbell Transformer

Knowing how to find and test a doorbell transformer means you can get your broken doorbell working again. This guide will take you through the steps.

www.homedepot.com

 

[Jeff H Young]

There are a few components a button, a wire, a ringer, and likely a transformer. And obviously needs power going to a good transformer

 

[Ron_Jeremy]

Thank you all for the help. I put a voltage meter onto the two wires coming out of the wall to the doorbell button and I get 0 VAC. The camera/doorbell I want to buy needs 16-24VAC so I'll have to find another way to power it.

 

[Fitter30]

Need to find the transformer. Where chime is go into the basement look for the wires coming through the floor or in the attic if single story.

 

[Jeff H Young]

Lets just assume a possibility of working transformer for a minute. lets not look for it lets go to the bell and see if there is power there if there is power its possible that there is no need to look around for the transformer. Also I'm not so sure if a cut is in the wire from the button to the bell that by placing a tester on wires at the button you are going to get a reading at all I think you need continuity from button to bell to get a reading at the button. Work with what you have it doesn't necessarily require finding transformer on the first step . Could be just a bad bell who cares in such a case where transformer is

 

[Ron_Jeremy]

@Fitter30 @Jeff H Young thx for the help but since owning the home there has never been a chime or transformer anywhere to be found -- never had a working doorbell. There's only the original front door pushbutton (and the wires in the wall connected to it).

We are currently using this wireless doorbell for doorbell duty

https://www.homedepot.com/p/Honeywe...obe-Alerts-and-Push-Button-RDWL313P/300134875

but it doesn't solve my problem of no power at the original doorbell wiring in order to use a new camera doorbell.

 

[LLigetfa]

Need to find the transformer.

Look on the outside of the breaker panel where they are often fixed to a knockout.

 

[Ron_Jeremy]

@LLigetfa Nothing there. I have a feeling something went awry during the renovation that happened just before we bought the home about 15 years ago and it wasn't an issue until I decided I wanted a camera doorbell.

Anyway, I just noticed there's an external power supply and wireless chime available for the doorbell/camera I want to buy but unfortunately the latter is out of stock.

G4 Doorbell Power Supply

The UVC-G4-Doorbell-PS is an optional power adapter for the UVC-G4-Doorbell and UVC-G4-Doorbell Pro. Instead of using existing electrical wiring, one end connects to the doorbell and the other end plugs into a standard US electrical outlet. Maximum distance: 6 m (19' 8") Features: Plugs into...

store.ui.com

Protect Chime

A WiFi connected chime that can be plugged into a standard wall outlet and paired with a UniFi Protect doorbell. This device is ideal for homes without a wired chime system or one that is incompatible with their Protect doorbell. Managed with the UniFi Protect application: Version 2.0 and later...

store.ui.com

I will go ahead and buy the power supply for now but will have to figure out an aesthetic way of bringing the cable through to the inside of the wall and down to the AC wall outlet. Any suggestions?

 

[Reach4]

If you could trace the wire, to the transformer, you could avoid having to run new wires. I don't have a recommendation for a wire tracker/tracer for you.

You would probably have to replace the transformer. They tend to fail.

 

[Ron_Jeremy]

Hi @Reach4 I have no way of tracing the wire beyond the 1" that protrudes from the wall to the original doorbell. The house is built using stucco (or is it plaster?) for the walls so trying to find where the wires go is impossible (for me).

 

[Reach4]

Trackers/tracers trace thru walls. You clip onto the doorbell wires, and track the path.

 

[LLigetfa]

I might suggest an upgrade to the Doorbell Pro and power it with the PoE adapter that is currently in Early Access. That way, you don't need to use WiFi through the wall as the PoE adapter does data a well. Mind you , I don't know when it might come out of EA since buying EA product in Canada is a challenge.

Also, the Pro has a second down-facing package camera if porch pirates are an issue for you.

 

[Fitter30]

Inside wall hopefully no insulation. Older home probably has one or two fire stops need a stud finder run down the wall. And

Fishing Electrical Wire Through Walls

Run electrical cable through walls and across ceilings without tearing them apart. Here are tips you need to tackle an electrical project.

www.familyhandyman.com

 

[LLigetfa]

I have no way of tracing the wire beyond the 1" that protrudes from the wall to the original doorbell.

Most folks would "tone" it out with a tone generator and probe.

You can cobble together a home made tracer with a small battery, a lightbulb, and an AM radio. Get a helper to scratch the wire on the battery terminal to make it "spark" while listening on the AM radio tuned to a quiet part of the dial. The scratching generates static that the radio picks up and the volume of the scratching changes with the distance from the wire.

 

[Jeff H Young]

@Fitter30 @Jeff H Young thx for the help but since owning the home there has never been a chime or transformer anywhere to be found -- never had a working doorbell. There's only the original front door pushbutton (and the wires in the wall connected to it).

We are currently using this wireless doorbell for doorbell duty

https://www.homedepot.com/p/Honeywe...obe-Alerts-and-Push-Button-RDWL313P/300134875

but it doesn't solve my problem of no power at the original doorbell wiring in order to use a new camera doorbell.

a button and a couple wires dont cut it. good luck . Id say build a brand new system