Adding a door bell for my shop

[Jerry McEwen]

Hello,

I just finished my shop addition and wired it for a door bell/ buzzer, and while I was running wire I ran a drop to my basement.

Before I added these two to my current doorbell transformer I measured the output, which was 19 volts. When I added the two drops the voltage dropped to 9 volts. The buzzer/ bell seem not to have enough juice, they just hum and when the button is pressed they try to ring.
I used this wiring example (below) for my shop. The house doorbell is wired between the button and bell because I wanted to keep my existing front and back door buttons.

Do I need to get a bigger transformer, or a different wiring plan?

STEP 5


FIG. 5 - Use this system for wiring for a buzzer to the back door and a bell to the front door.



Thanks,

Jerry

[Dewey Torres]

I like the plan but what was your idea behind putting one in the shop?

[Myk Rian]

What the heck is the buzzer for?
If you're losing voltage, check your wire. Might have one that's almost cut through.
For $30 you can buy a wireless doorbell for both doors. Heck of a lot easier.

[Angie Orfanedes]

...which should mean the voltage across the transformer would be unaffected....if it was 19v before, it should be 19v after. Make sure you wired per your drawing - check that the lead going from your new buzzer is going to the correct lead on the transformer. Tighten all the connections. Your wires may also have an intermittent break causing problems as well.

If all else fails, I would unhook the new buzzer circuit, and see if your old doorbell works. Presuming the old doorbell now works, I would put a second transformer in just to feed the shop doorbell. If you can't get the old doorbell to work, your old transformer or wiring may have died...take two aspirins and call me in the morning.

[phil harold]

they just hum and when the button is pressed they try to ring.

Jerry

for those bells that strike a metal bar for the tone
I have seen sometimes the striker is stuck when it hums
I hava also see them melt and then hum

[Rod Sheridan]

Jerry, I've looked at your wiring diagram and I don't understand it.

Did you add a bell in series with another bell?

Regards, Rod.

[Myk Rian]

Looking at the diagram, it's ok.
If you're losing 10 volts, then you either have a staple shorting the wire somewhere, or a staple cut a wire.
If you used too thin of wire that could affect it also. What gauge wire did you use?

[David G Baker]

My door bell has a diode in line and the system won't work with out it. You should not be getting a drop in voltage if you are wired correctly. Can't help you with the wiring, I followed the directions that came with the kit.

[Bill Houghton]

Transformers come in various sizes - amperage capacity - and too small a transformer will be unable to carry a more complex/longer circuit.

[Craig Moulton]

+1 for the staple idea, or something similar.

Looking at the diagram, the load should be fine, because unless you depress both buttons simultaneously, the xfmr will only ever be powering one chime / buzzer / foghorn at a time. To test this, disconnect both wires at the 24V side of the xfmr, and measure between them with an ohmmeter. If there is no short, and no one is pressing a doorbell, you should have an open circuit (very high ohms value). When someone presses a button, it should drop to the reading for the buzzer / chimy thing.

If not, try a new transformer. Good luck.

[Thomas Bank]

As Craig states, the way the diagram is laid out you only have the buzzer or the bell ringing depending on which button is pressed - bell for the front, buzzer for the rear. If you want both to work (buzzer upstairs and bell in the shop), you need a larger transformer to run both at the same time and would have to pigtail off of them so that either button completes the circuit.

[Rick Christopherson]

Just because the diagram is showing these two loads operating independently, it does not mean they are wired that way.

It is also not likely that the transformer is too small. If the two cannot be operated together (whether intentional or not) it is most likely that a wiring error has placed them in series, instead of parallel, like they should be.

[Thomas Canfield]

Another vote for the wireless doorbell. No wire, no holes, just install batteries, stick and use. I bought one from Harbor Freight for about $10. I hung the bell in the center of the shop and find that I can hear it over nearly all equipment, even jointer and cyclone dust collector running. It is less startling than looking up to see someone standing next to you.

[Mac McQuinn]

Why not a centrally located flashing red or yellow light activated by the door bell button? This would seem to work better for getting your attention when running machinery or hand power tools............
Mac

[Chip Lindley]

Yep Yep! A bright Strobe Light will get your attention when running a noisy machine much better than a *bell*! A cordless strobe might be THE ANSWER!!