I NEED HELP!!! ARRGHHH!

[ROYC75]

Hey Baby, if all that fails, go to walmart, buy a wireless, put the batteries in and mount it !

Do you know how to put the batteries in ?


What about the mounting part ?

We are here to help !

[4th and Long]

Originally Posted by ROYC75

put the batteries in and mount it !

Must ... resist ... making .... rude ... comment ...

[chief52]

Originally Posted by Phobia

Forget which wires you think were hooked up to the old doorbell.

Take each wire from the 4 and touch the bare portion to every other wire.

When the doorbell starts chiming, you've found your 2 wires. Ignore the other two. Hook it up to your new doorbell and test it. A doorbell is an open circuit. When you push the button, you're closing the circuit.

Easiest thing in the world.

Did you try Phob's advice? I think he explained it well...

[Baby Lee]

Originally Posted by JennyGump

I was in a home improvement mood today when I went to Lowes. I purchased, among other things, a new doorbell button. My previous doorbell button had actually fallen out, but you could still push the springs and the thing would ring.

Well, when I unscrewed the old button unit, I carefully took note that there were four wires, red, black, green, and yellow, however, only the black and red wires were hooked to the old unit. One on each side.

So, when I installed the new unit, of course it doesn't work.
Now I am wondering what I did wrong. Any ideas?

1. How many wires come out of the house itself?
2. What do the instructions for the new button say each wire on it corresponds to?

I'm guessing that, if you have four wires on the new button, it probably lights up.

[Chiefaholic]

Originally Posted by Baby Lee

1. How many wires come out of the house itself?
2. What do the instructions for the new button say each wire on it corresponds to?

I'm guessing that, if you have four wires on the new button, it probably lights up.

You only need two wires for a doorbell, reguardless if it's lighted or not. I'm not an electrician, HOWEVER I have installed a few doorbells and never saw any of them with four wires (normally two wires of the same color).

[Skip Towne]

Originally Posted by ENDelt260

What the hell? We're gonna get blasted for sexist remarks around here now?

For that matter, who gave the woman permission to talk in the first place?

Hahahahaha. Good one.

[KC Jones]

Joke about pushing Jenny's button in

5... 4.... 3...

[Donger]

Originally Posted by JennyGump

I was in a home improvement mood today when I went to Lowes. I purchased, among other things, a new doorbell button. My previous doorbell button had actually fallen out, but you could still push the springs and the thing would ring.

Well, when I unscrewed the old button unit, I carefully took note that there were four wires, red, black, green, and yellow, however, only the black and red wires were hooked to the old unit. One on each side.

So, when I installed the new unit, of course it doesn't work.
Now I am wondering what I did wrong. Any ideas?

Unless I'm missing something, you got the two wires (red and black) backwards. Reverse them.

And, as a good rule of thumb, ALWAYS make a diagram (or take a digital picture) of the existing wire connections before removing them.

We've all done it, Jenny. At least you weren't working on 120 AC and got them backwards. I have, many times, and it was rather shocking.

[Baby Lee]

Originally Posted by Donger

Unless I'm missing something, you got the two wires (red and black) backwards. Reverse them.

And, as a good rule of thumb, ALWAYS make a diagram (or take a digital picture) of the existing wire connections before removing them.

We've all done it, Jenny. At least you weren't working on 120 AC and got them backwards. I have, many times, and it was rather shocking.

If pushing the button did nothing, then reversing them will probably do nothing either. As Phobes said, the button is most likely a ground interrupt, which is non-directional.
Find out what's coming out of the house and what the wires on your new unit correspond to, and report back.

[Donger]

Originally Posted by Baby Lee

If pushing the button did nothing, then reversing them will probably do nothing either. As Phobes said, the button is most likely a ground interrupt, which is non-directional.
Find out what's coming out of the house and what the wires on your new unit correspond to, and report back.

There are GFIs on doorbell ringers?

[Skip Towne]

Originally Posted by Donger

There are GFIs on doorbell ringers?

Nope, the power is transformed down to 12v. Ain't no way they would put 120v to the doorbell.

[Baby Lee]

Originally Posted by Donger

There are GFIs on doorbell ringers?

Not a GFI, just a ground interrupt. A break between the power and ground that is closed when the bell is depressed. That break can be closed in either direction.

[Donger]

Originally Posted by Baby Lee

Not a GFI, just a ground interrupt. A break between the power and ground that is closed when the bell is depressed. That break can be closed in either direction.

See, this is why household electrical wiring and I don't mix.

My old house in KC didn't have any ground wires; only hot and neutral, I think you call it. I can't remember how many times I shocked myself. The worst was when I put in a new light by the door while it was raining.

Then again, I once mistakenly put a wrench over the terminals of a car battery while I had the wrench in my hand. That was unpleasant.