# doorbell rings when power comes back on.



## teeebeee (Feb 23, 2010)

Hope this isn't a stupid question but, I lose my electricity alot here in the winter and everytime it comes back on, the doorbell rings and alot of times it is in the middle of the night. Anyway, I have 3 doors, 2 of them a simple ding dong and the other has the westminister chime. I have talked to a few of my friends and their doorbell doesn't do this. I don't understand why. Please tell me this is an easy fix. Thanks in advance for your help.


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## darren (Nov 25, 2005)

All houses are built like that, there must be something wrong with your friends house, its to let you know your power is back on.


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## Scuba_Dave (Jan 16, 2009)

I used to lose power all the time at my last house
Usually for no more then 5-15 minutes
Doorbell never rang


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## secutanudu (Mar 15, 2009)

I have never heard of the doorbell ringing when the power come on. I have lost power in my house, when it comes back it never rings.


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## darren (Nov 25, 2005)

Guess there is something wrong with all three of your houses.:thumbsup:


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## kerry42 (Nov 3, 2009)

Well there must be something wrong with mine also , cause mine DON'T RING neither did the hundred or maybe thousand homes I have done over the past 33 YEARS . Thats right 33 years ( UNION TRAINED ) IBEW NEVER HEARD OF THAT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Thats a first I had done service call for over 10 years Kerry


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## vsheetz (Sep 28, 2008)

I hear doorbells - and I don't have a doorbell - is this a problem? 

Seriously, there must be something wrong with your doorbell - else it's programmable to do this (but I have never seen this as a "feature").


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## David911 (Jan 30, 2010)

A few questions first... Is it one doorbell with two different sounds (front door and rear door) or do you have two doorbells? Is/are the doorbell(s) electronic or mechanical? When you lose power, which sound(s) do you hear (Westminster and/or ding-dong)?


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## kerry42 (Nov 3, 2009)

Maybe its Ding A ling


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## AllanJ (Nov 24, 2007)

Does the doorbell work OK the rest of the time?

One doorbell button might be stuck so technically the bell is being rung all the time but since it chimes only once (one sequence if more than one note) per button press, you don't hear anything more.

When the power goes off, the bell hammer is released. The two tone front chime will ring once or the single strike back chime does nothing, (or an electronic chime does nothing more). When power is restored, the stuck button activates the bell again.

A doorbell with a power failure feature must be specially wired (with both hot and neutral going to it) or utilize special buttons that are supposed to be "stuck on" (the term is "normally closed") and which break (open) the connection when pushed.

"Impedance protected" -- When referring to a mechanical doorbell, means the solenoid has enough internal resistance so when continuously energized with alternating current by a stuck button it does not burn out.


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## Snav (Aug 20, 2009)

Your doorbell has a few components.

#1 is the button you push.
#2 is the ringer - the box that plays the chime or rings.
#3 on some models (not all) is a buzz-box (ok, so that's not the official name for it).

The buzz box is what distributes the electricty to your doorbell. . . it acts as a fuse box, almost - and is sometimes located on the wall or ceiling inside a closet or hallway - usually out of the way.
If you have a buzz-box and it's not working properly (they get fried often, I've had to replace 2) - then you can take it out and put in a new one.

The buzz-boxes I've had to deal with all look like old fashioned service-counter bells (look like a bubble with a button in the middle).

If it's not a buzz box (or if you don't have one) then perhaps you need to remove your doorbell and check the components to see if they are properly insullated - shorted out - or damaged in any other way.

Having wires that touch, rub together - or have been chewed on or nicked in some way can cause electricity to jump - by passing the traditional 'on/off' function of, say, a light switch. . . and triggering it to work.

Components can get worn out, damaged - all that.

If you can't figure it out and fix it then I'd suggest to ocnsider getting a new one - they aren't really all that expensive unless you get a fancy one.


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## unsungzero (May 15, 2013)

i have a similar problem. had a power outage and when the power was restored the doorbell would continuously ring, escalating in volume. i just unplugged it! any suggestions?


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## sirsparksalot (Oct 16, 2010)

kerry42 said:


> Thats right 33 years *( UNION TRAINED ) IBEW* NEVER HEARD OF THAT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


There's the problem, right there :laughing:

All 4 of mine ring. I have to know when it's back on.


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## operagost (Jan 8, 2010)

darren said:


> All houses are built like that, there must be something wrong with your friends house, its to let you know your power is back on.


I know; sounds like a feature to me. Lets you know to switch off the generator


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## MTN REMODEL LLC (Sep 11, 2010)

TeeBee..... Sure someone's not ringing your bell:yes:




It's all friendly.... and basically we have NFI


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## AllanJ (Nov 24, 2007)

unsungzero said:


> i have a similar problem. had a power outage and when the power was restored the doorbell would continuously ring, escalating in volume. i just unplugged it! any suggestions?


If you push the buttons (try both front and back doors) does the doorbell reset itself and then work normally.

A doorbell power failure indicator that causes it to ring continuously is not a good idea because no one might be home and the sound would give away the fact the house is unoccupied.


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