AuburnChick's Adventures

Um…let’s see…

I fixed the doorbell.

Say what?!

Yes, AuburnChick’s been at it again…making home repairs.

A couple of days ago, I discovered that the doorbell at my house was defective.  I now suspect that it’s been broken for awhile.  I wonder how many visitors we’ve missed because of this.

What does AuburnChick do when faced with a new repair job?

Google, of course!

I found a few different sites that basically said the same thing.  According to the ‘net, doorbells are comprised of three elements:  the button at the door, the transformer, and the chime.

I printed out one set of instructions and proceeded to the front door, where I followed the first set of instructions.  After touching two of the wires together and getting a tiny spark(can we say scary), the doorbell still didn’t ring.  So, the problem wasn’t with this element.

On to the next.

I realized that a trip to Home Depot was in order.  I’m very comfortable in Home Depot.  I’ve gotta tell you that the doorbell aisle is a fun place to visit!  If you want to annoy a lot of people on a Saturday morning, take your kids and let them push all of the buttons.  Who knew that I could have Greensleeves play in the middle of the summer whenever someone visits?

I’ll admit that I was a bit overwhelmed by the different products available.  Do I get a wireless (which my friend Figaro mentioned in a chat earlier that day), or do I stick with the wired?  Do I get the entire chime set or just the transformer.

If you’re smart, this is where you look for an employee.

I’m smart, and that’s just what I did.  I got a 30-something male who gave me the eye that belied his thoughts, “You’re going to fix that yourself?”

To his credit, he didn’t give voice to this thought.  But he did give me a stern warning to mess with only one wire at a time…that the voltage would be strong if I messed up.

I started getting nervous.

Really nervous…especially after his third warning.

I wound up buying a transformer and a chime.

And I headed home.

I was relieved that Rooster would be there while I switched the parts out.  I didn’t want to electrocute myself and not have anyone find me for hours.

First, I set out what I would need…

Then, I went to the circuit breaker box to find the switch labeled doorbell, but there weren’t any!  Ugh.  What to do?

I went back to Google and discovered that most electricians wire the doorbell in with another circuit since the output is so small.

Great.

I knew that I could do the job without turning off the power, but the Home Depot employee’s warnings kept ringing in my head.

I decided to turn off the main switch.

Rooster had no clue what I was doing until, from the bathroom, he hollered out, “Who turned out the lights?”

I had to laugh.

I climbed a chair armed with a screwdriver and flashlight, which I placed between my boobs.

Go ahead and laugh.

I couldn’t figure out how to handle everything along with a flashlight.  You’ve gotta be resourceful!

I decided to change out the transformer first.  It was a nerve wracking job.  I think I’ve watched way too many shows about the Special Forces…the kind where they’re diffusing bombs, twisting wires together…that sort of thing.  Do I cut the green or the black wire?

In all seriousness, all I had to do was unscrew the tops of each set of wires, one at a time, and connect the same colored wires from the new transformer.

Still, it was scary.  I knew the power was turned off, but what if there was a little bit of juice flowing?

I got the transformer hooked up, and we tested the doorbell.

Still no go.

The problem wasn’t the transformer, but I wasn’t about to switch them back.  I figure the house is six years old.  The part probably needed to be changed.

It was now time to change the chime…a far easier task.

Notice the words Rear, Tran, and Front?  You can wire your doorbell for front and back doors, and they’ll ring differently so you’ll know which door your company is coming from!  Way cool!

My back door isn’t wired for a doorbell, so I didn’t need that.  I switched out the chime and connected the wires properly.

Rooster ran and tested it.

Ding-Dong.

Molly started barking.

It worked!

What an amazing feeling…to know that I fixed the doorbell!  One last task remained…the new cover…

When the Mr. came home and asked what I’d been up to, he cocked his head quizzically and said, “I didn’t know the doorbell was broken.”

Don’t even get me started.

Filed under: This-n-That | Tagged: do-it-yourself, doorbell, home improvement |