How to Replace a Doorbell | Ask This Old House

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In this video, This Old House master electrician Heath Eastman helps a homeowner solve an old problem: locating and replacing doorbell components and wiring.

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Master electrician Heath Eastman takes us on a house call to solve a homeowner’s doorbell problem. After moving in, the homeowner attempted to fix an old doorbell, only to have it crumble into pieces. Heath uses his expertise to track down the existing wiring and transformer first before running new wiring and installing a new doorbell, chime, and transformer.

Doorbell Replacements Can Be Complicated
On the surface, replacing a doorbell might seem like a simple proposition. However, locating all of the components (inside the wall and out) can be more complicated than that. Here are the components to find:
The transformer: This is a square block typically located near the electrical panel, in a closet near the front door, or in the basement mounted to a joist under the front door.
The chime: This is the box that makes noise when someone presses the doorbell. It’s usually located above the front door.
The doorbell: Mounted outside the front door.

Once you locate these items, the job may move forward quickly. If not, there’s more work to be done. This guide will explain the latter.

Difficulty: ⅖
Time: 3 hours
Cost: Under $150

Where to find it?
Heath installs a doorbell using the old doorbell wiring. The previous homeowners disabled the doorbell and buried the old chime location in the wall.

Heath uses a tone generator [] to find the location of the old wiring. After confirming there is doorbell wiring behind the front hall walls, Heath uses a magnetic stud finder [] to confirm the location of the studs. Knowing where the studs are tells Heath where the bay in the wall is, so he can run wire to the chime.

After deciding where the chime will go, Heath uses a box cutter [] to cut a square opening to feed the wire through the wall. Using electric fish tape [], he can run the thermostat wire [] to the chime and the basement. To connect the power, Heath installs a new transformer [] in the basement near the electrical panel.

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Materials:
Telephone wire []
Electrical tape []
Fish tape []
Doorbell transformer []
Doorbell chime []
Doorbell button []

Tools:
Wire toner []
Stud finder []
Multi-bit screwdriver []
Tape measure []
Utility knife []
Electrical meter []
Torpedo level []
Drill []
Hammer []
Wire strippers []

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From the makers of This Old House, America’s first and most trusted home improvement show, Ask This Old House answers the steady stream of home improvement questions asked by viewers across the United States. Covering topics from landscaping to electrical to HVAC and plumbing to painting and more. Ask This Old House features the experts from This Old House, including general contractor Tom Silva, plumbing and heating expert Richard Trethewey, landscape contractor Jenn Nawada, master carpenter Norm Abram, and host Kevin O’Connor. ASK This Old House helps you protect and preserve your greatest investment—your home.

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How to Replace a Doorbell | Ask This Old House