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
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
