| The best time to plan the installation for wiring a | | | | The doorbell wiring will use two hot lines that run |
| doorbell is when the walls and ceilings are still open | | | | from the chime box to the doorbell. If the |
| during new construction or remodeling. If you | | | | doorbell is controlling two locations, then it will |
| want to install a doorbell for the first time in a | | | | most likely have two different chimes so you |
| finished house, you may want to consider a | | | | know which door to answer. The cable will |
| wireless doorbell so you don't have to cut into the | | | | connect to the transformer with two hot screws |
| walls to do the wiring. | | | | for each doorbell. The cable will also attach to |
| Wiring a doorbell in a new home is very easy. | | | | each doorbell with these two hot cables. When |
| Doorbell wiring is low voltage wiring which uses | | | | the doorbell button is pushed, the circuit will |
| around 12-volts. The wire size is about 18-guage | | | | complete the electrical current and the doorbell will |
| wire. It's actually called doorbell wire, so you can't | | | | chime. |
| go wrong with that. | | | | Once all the wires are attached, you can secure |
| You will need to run the wire from each doorbell | | | | the doorbell, chime box, and transformer. Turn on |
| back to the doorbell transformer. Doorbell wiring | | | | the house power and test the doorbell. |
| requires a transformer that connects to a | | | | To replace an existing doorbell, you will only need |
| 120-volt circuit. It reduces the electric voltage to | | | | to detach the old doorbells and replace them with |
| about 12-volts. | | | | the newer bells. If you want a different chime, |
| Be sure to turn off the electricity before you | | | | then you will need to replace the chime box by |
| wire the doorbell transformer to the house | | | | removing the old wiring and connecting the newer |
| power. Turn off the breaker and tell other family | | | | wiring. |
| members what you are doing. | | | | In some cases, you will need to replace the |
| The transformer will have a hot screw and a | | | | transformer for a new doorbell and chime if it |
| neutral screw. The black wire from the house | | | | needs different voltage to function properly. This |
| power will connect to the hot screw and the | | | | can be done by first, disconnecting the house |
| white wire will connect to the neutral screw. This | | | | power, then replacing the transformer with the |
| will give the doorbell transformer power. There will | | | | new transformer. After that you can turn the |
| be one hot wire and one neutral wire that runs | | | | power back on and test the new doorbell system. |
| from the transformer to the chime box. | | | | |