Project details
Skill
1 out of 5EasyEspecially if the existing wires are in working order
Cost
About $20 to $75
Estimated Time
1 to 2 hours
In this video, electrician Steve Krasner repairs a broken doorbell with This Old House host Kevin O’Connor.
How to repair a broken doorbell
- Unscrew and remove the old, broken doorbell from the house.
- Locate the doorbell’s low-voltage transformer in basement, crawlspace or utility closet.
- Test the transformer with an electrical tester to ensure it’s working properly.
- Use electrical toner to trace the wires from transformer to doorbell location. Toner will confirm that wires are in working order.
- If necessary, extend old wires to doorbell location by attaching new wires.
- Connect the two new wires to the screw terminals on the rear of the new doorbell.
- Screw the new doorbell to the house.
- Remove the cover from the new chimes and screw its mechanism to the wall.
- Connect the existing chime wires to the two screw terminals on the new chimes.
- Snap the cover onto the chimes.
- Remove the toner from the transformer and reattach the doorbell wires to the transformer to complete the electrical connection.
