# Doorbell wire in brick wall is too short



## benmiller22 (Apr 3, 2012)

Recently we moved into a home and the doorbell is missing. There is a small hole in the brick wall with two wires inside. I've tried to pull the wires out of the hole in order to extend them enough to connect to a new doorbell unsuccessfully. Is there some easy way that I could strip the ends of these two wires and connect a similar gauge wire to them? I do not want to install a wireless doorbell. 

Thanks for your help. I'm going to try and post a picture as well. The brick hole diameter is about 3/4".


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## DexterII (Jul 14, 2010)

It's usually not this simple, but, just for kicks, I would check the basement and/or attic, to see if you can find this wire; if so, maybe you can pick up some slack, then pull it through. Or, if it's taut at that point, maybe you could make your splice up or down there, and pull it through then. Again, seldom quite that simple, but you get lucky every once in a while.


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## AllanJ (Nov 24, 2007)

You might be able to stick the tip of a soldering gun in to melt off some of the insulation, then stick in rolled up sandpaper to clean off the ends, then stick the soldering tip in again and attach pigtails (short extensions) to those wire ends. Slip heat shrink tubing over for insulation; you might be able to heat up the tubing with the soldering tip but do not use a match or flame to actually make it shrink.

Make a spiral in the end of the pigtail to slip over the wire end in the wall, instead of trying to twist the pigtail end and the wire end together first.


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## danpik (Sep 11, 2011)

A lot of times the doorbell wire runs to the button location behind the trim on the inside. You might check if thats the case. If so, you could splice it together in there and extend the wire out to the button location


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## k_buz (Mar 22, 2012)

Worst case scenario put the new button over the existing hole (top of the button lined up with the top of the existing hole) trace the new button on the wall, then gently chip out a bigger hole...working your way down. You might be able to get enough wire out to either connect to the button, or splice on a little wire. I know you will loose surface to mount the new button, but a little caulk should hold it there just fine.


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## BigJim (Sep 2, 2008)

Or if all else fails buy a battery powered remote doorbell.


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## Msradell (Sep 1, 2011)

jiju1943 said:


> Or if all else fails buy a battery powered remote doorbell.


From the OP "I do not want to install a wireless doorbell."


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## Jay 78 (Mar 2, 2011)

I went wireless. I was extremely skeptical, but it has turned out to be totally reliable.


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## rrolleston (Oct 17, 2011)

try and strip the wire with a couple pairs of needle nose pliers and crimp splices on with needle nose pliers.

If you have a soldering iron this can be fixed easily. Strip insulation from a larger size wire slide some on both new wires solder the wires together 3/4" is plenty of room slide the insulation over the wires and tape it up.


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