Art, You really don't have to care if it is D.C. or A.C. but since the transformer is mounted directly to an electrical box, I'd bet for A.C. and as Dale says 18 to 24 volts.
But if all you need to do is clean up the wiring, and you know which of the 3 terminals on the bell box is the common, tha's all you really need to know. Which wire from each button goes to common or to it's own terminal doesn't matter a fig, buttons aren't polarized, in other words they work either way as well. I'd just go get some wire nuts for the appropriate size of wire, probably #20 wire, and twist things together. Most of these bell transformers are designed to take a momentary short circuit without burning out, but don't short it out if you can help it. Hook up one button and try it, then the other. Take care and have fun tom Fowle On Mon, May 03, 2010 at 09:37:50PM -0400, Art Rizzino wrote: > Hi Dale, > > The transformer (I think) is a separate device from the doorbell box. It > only has two terminals on it and is mounted directly to an electrical > junction box cover. > The three terminals that I asked about are in the doorbell box it self. > How might I determine if DC or alternating current device. > Thanks. > Art > > ----- Original Message ----- > From: Dale Leavens > To: blindhandyman@yahoogroups.com > Sent: Monday, May 03, 2010 9:10 PM > Subject: Re: [BlindHandyMan] Diagnosing a doorbell > > > > The transformer may be a 16 or 24 volt reducing transformer. It supplies > power to the bell. There are three terminals, one is a common, one wire from > each bell button goes to that terminal. The second wire from the front door > goes to one of the other terminals and the second wire from the back door > goes to the other terminal. Pressing one button drives power to one bell > circuit, the other to the other circuit. It is most probably an alternating > current device. > > Hope this helps. > ----- Original Message ----- > From: Art Rizzino > To: blindhandyman@yahoogroups.com > Sent: Monday, May 03, 2010 7:32 PM > Subject: [BlindHandyMan] Diagnosing a doorbell > > I would like guidance diagnosing my house two door doorbell setup. The > wiring always looked shaky to me. Today I was coming down out of the attic > and my shirt got caught on the door bell wires and pulled them apart. Well I > guess this is the time to figure out the system and make better connections > than twisting wires together and let exposed bear wires dangle. This is how > it was when we bought the house. > > The front door you hear two tones and the side door there is one tone. > > I assume each door's button should have two wires coming from it. > > The doorbell box has four wires in two pairs of two wires. There are three > terminals in the doorbell box, the center terminal has two wires one from > each set. What is the center terminal, negative or positive? > > What might be the voltage required to activate one of the doorbells? > > There is what I assume is an AC to DC transformer included in the system. > This little box only has two terminals on it, is this a typically a steady DC > voltage supply? > > What might be the correct way to connect the wires for such a system? > > Ideas, guidance and suggestions welcome. > > Thanks. > > Art > > [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] > > [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] > > > > > > [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] >
