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Installing and replacing a doorbell is the most difficult task. If you know how to work with an electrician at least a little, you will succeed. Next, we will talk about how to connect a bell in an apartment, house – wired and wireless.
Types of apartment calls
There are two types of electric room calls according to the connection method – wired and wireless. Wired ones are connected to a 220 V network, there are models that operate on a low voltage of 12 V. They are called wired because the bell button and the indoor unit must be connected by wires.
In wireless electric bells, the button and the indoor unit are not physically connected. They have a miniature transmitter (in the button) and a receiver (in the indoor unit). They communicate with each other at some frequency. There are two types of power cordless calls:
- The internal block and the button work from batteries.
- The button is powered by batteries, the indoor unit is powered by 220 V. Moreover, there are two ways to implement indoor units: with a standard connection to the outputs with wires and with installation in a socket. In the latter version, there is a conventional electrical plug on the case. In this case, connecting the bell in the apartment and house is very simple: you need to install the indoor unit into the socket, screw the button at the entrance / gate and insert the battery.
As already mentioned, in the wireless version, the button and the electric bell “communicate” with each other through signals. Signals can be transmitted in analog or digital form. More reliable signal transmission in digital format – less prone to distortion. In addition, such models have the ability to change the channel through which the reception / transmission takes place. When transmitting an analog signal, this is not possible. Why is it bad? The range of calls is 100 m or more. And if there is some device in this zone that operates on the same frequency (call or other), your receiver can pick up its signals. In this case, there are false positives.
Doorbells are also separated by non-apartment and street calls. They differ in that for those that are installed outdoors, the buttons are sealed and dustproof. In addition, it is recommended to install them under a small visor – there will be fewer problems.
Connecting wired electric bells
As mentioned earlier, wired doorbells differ in that the button and the indoor unit must be connected by wires. Connection diagram through the junction box in the photo below.
A phase wire is connected to the button, from the second terminal of the bell it goes to one of the wires of the indoor unit. On the second remaining free wire, we connect the “zero” (subject to the color marking, it is usually blue or light blue) of the junction box. If the indoor unit has a ground connection terminal, a yellow-green conductor is connected to it, which must also come from the junction box. If there is no such terminal, but there is a conductor, it is isolated.
The difficulty of connecting a home bell is that the wires must be run through the wall. Sometimes this is too inconvenient, then a hole is made near the door frame.
If this connection seems too complicated for you, look for wired bell models with an indoor unit that plugs into a wall outlet. There are some. An example in the photo.
Everyone knows how to connect a bell in an apartment if it has an electric plug. In this case, it will only be necessary to stretch the wire connecting the two blocks through the wall. To do this, it will need to be disconnected from one of the parts, pulled through the prepared hole, then connect the wires in place.
Connecting and Powering Wireless Calls
First, we will talk about those models whose indoor units are connected to a 220 V network. If there is a plug on the case, you know exactly what to do. If there is no plug, but there are two wires, connect two wires to them that come from the junction box. If there are three wires, isolate the yellow-green, and connect the blue and the second (it can be brown, red, black, white, etc., but definitely not green and not yellow-green).
If both units are powered by batteries
There are no problems with how to connect a bell in an apartment or house, if both units of which are powered by batteries. Just in a suitable place in the house, drive in a nail or tighten the screw on which you mount the indoor unit, put the batteries. You do the same with the button, but you mount it outside – near the door or gate. In order to fix the button, the case must be opened (there may be small screws, but usually you just need to pry the case with a screwdriver).
There are several mounting holes on the back wall. Attach the back cover to self-tapping screws or dowels (depending on the material), then install the batteries and close the cover. This completes the wireless call connection.
Wireless calls are good for everyone, except that problems can arise in winter: some types of batteries freeze and stop working. They have to be changed every 10-15 days. It is very inconvenient, as it is difficult to understand that the call has stopped working due to a dead battery. You can get rid of this situation in the following ways:
- Use lithium batteries. They are not afraid of frost – they can work without problems up to a temperature of -30 ° C.
- But batteries of this type for 9 V or 12 V are simply unrealistic to find. They are almost non-existent. Outputs:
- Look for doorbells with buttons that use AA or AAA batteries. There are such lithium.
- In some sealed container, connect several batteries of a smaller rating so that they give the desired voltage at the output. Fix this container on the inside of the fence, bring out the wires and apply power to the button.
In winter, it is important to provide power supply - Find a lead-acid battery that delivers the right voltage. They can be found in companies involved in burglar alarms. There they are not afraid of frost, there are different denominations.
- Put the batteries in the house, pull the wires to the button.
Having finalized the system in any of the proposed ways, you will have much less problems with the power supply of the call button on the street. Now you know not only how to connect the bell in the apartment and on the street, but also how to ensure its operation in cold weather.
Non-standard equipment
In some cases, two buttons or two blocks with calls are required. If two buttons are needed, they are connected in parallel.
In practice, this means that the phase comes to the first button, and a wire is connected to the same contact, which goes to the second button. From the second contact of button No. 2, the conductor enters the free contact of button No. 1, and then goes to the doorbell.
The wire connecting the two buttons is desirable to find the same color as it comes from the junction box. It is possible and another, but not blue and not yellow-green. That’s it, you know how to connect a bell in an apartment with two buttons.
In other situations, you need to connect two calls. This is often necessary when installing an electric bell in a private house. For example, one in the house, the second on the street or on different floors, in two different wings of the house, in the summer kitchen. In general, there are many options.
Among the wireless doorbells, there are such kits – in two rings and they are tuned to the same frequency, so you just need to install them in the right places. You will have to fiddle with wired ones – pull the wires. In this case, calls are connected in parallel.
The electrical connection is made in the same way as described above. The phase from the button goes to one call, from it goes to the second. A neutral wire from the junction box is connected to the free contacts of one and the other bell.