[Seanbreweraz]

I am trying reinstall a doorbell. I have 120 from the breaker to the transformer. Then when I hook up the wire to the doorbell and chime the transformer is blowing.

I had tested the continuity of the line to the bell, as well as the line to the chime. Everything looks good.

I have tried to wire the bell straight to the transformer bypassing the chime ...blows the transformer. I have tried a differnet set of wires in the run....blows the transformer.


Any ideas?

 

[Nealtw]

If you mean it is tripping the breaker, I would guess you need a new transformer. I do know know enough but suspect a dead short when it is activated.

 

[Wiredindallas]

For your understanding, you need to have 1 wire from transformer to trans. screw on chime. 1 wire from trans. to button. 1 wire from button to front or back door screw on chime. Understand when I say wire I mean conductor as you probably have twisted pair wiring with multiple conductors.

 

[Seanbreweraz]

If you mean it is tripping the breaker, I would guess you need a new transformer. I do know know enough but suspect a dead short when it is activated.

Not tripping the breakers its burning out the transformer. I have 20 at the terminals of the transformer... until I attach the runs to the front bell. It look like ethernet cable, so I'm grabbing another set of wire in the feed, still blowing the transformer.

 

[Seanbreweraz]

For your understanding, you need to have 1 wire from transformer to trans. screw on chime. 1 wire from trans. to button. 1 wire from button to front or back door screw on chime. Understand when I say wire I mean conductor as you probably have twisted pair

That's how its wired. Can I just skip the chime and run straight to the bell... I understand I wont have a chime... will that blow the transformer.

 

[surferdude2]

Sounds like that bell is shorted or the wire leading to it or you're not choosing the actual wire leading to it or the chime is shorted or you are wiring it wrong. Lots of possibilities. If it looks like ethernet cable, as you say, then the individual wires are color coded for easy identifying which ones you need. Are you sure that someone ran ethernet cable for a bell or transformer connection? Not the normal wire to use but not out of the question.

Using a transformer to test for a possible short is not how you should be doing it. At least don't hook up the final wire... just brush it quickly by the last connection to see if it sparks. If it does, don't connect it unless you want to buy another transformer. An ohmmeter would be nice but a test light type of device is also useful and cheap. With a test light in series with the last wire you are hooking up, it will light brightly if you have a short.

This is a simple series loop circuit... do not connect anything in a parallel configuration. A single wire goes from each component to the next one in line. If you are wiring it that way, it won't blow the transformer unless the load (Bell) is shorted (or the 2-cond. wire feeding it) and you press the button to energize it.

Click to see test light available

 

[Wiredindallas]

Curious, you say you have both bell and chime on the same door button?
Usually a bell or buzzer is 10 volts and chime is 16 volts.