Is the old wiring the cloth insulated type? I had the same experience using the old chime conductors in a house that was built 1938. Replacing the wire was necessary.

Check the the tightness of the button mounting screws. Too tight will cause the button to activate with temperature fluctuations.

No, actually it's plastic covered wire. Interesting idea about the button screws - it's a real cheap plastic button and the wires are really short. I'll try that next if what we did today didn't fix it.

WW

weedwoman,

what a coincidence. I have had that problem for over a year now. We bought a unit from Lowes also, and it seems to go off approximately the same time every so often. No, the other day I went to my fron t doorbell, and disconncetd one of the wires. Long behold, later on that day, the chimes went off. All I have is a fron doorbell no back.

I stilll havent been able to track down the problem, I am curious what luck you had?

This is a purely electrical doorbell with a solenoid and real tuned metal bars or cylinders? It's not an electronic type with a speaker?

Unless there's a short in there, I have two theories. Ok maybe three.

One, Aliens
two. Radio interference, but I'm not sure how that would bypass a switch.
three. sunspots - see two.
four. some sort of electrical surge. Is there anything else switching on at the time of these occurances?
five. Poltergeists.

thks pjb,

I replaced my existing doorbell, with the lowes brand, and since have had the problem.

The surge is possible, i am wonderering, because at times I have noticed the chimes going off, and the boiler would kick on. but only happens occasionally, because during other times of the day when the boiler kicks in, it doesnt go off. It seems to come and go.

I even had an electrician install it, because I couldnt get it to work.

Now, on the doorbell itself, does it matter which connector is used for each respective wire?

Thanks

jim

Jim,

Are you saying it's an electromechanical one, like the old type? If you take the cover off, you see the two metal chimes and a spring/plunger thing that hits them?

I'm assuming all doorbell transformers here just deliver AC current, so there shouldn't be any diffence - however, it probably wouldn't hurt to swap the wires.

Ordinarily, with the boiler thing, I'd say aha! but since I assume the bell buttons are the simple mechanical type, I don't see how a surge or spike can make it ring.....

I've never wired one of these so I'm not sure how the second button works, but I'd assume at least for the primary connection, the switch is in series, so it breaks the circuit when released - so you push the button, the solenoid strikes and keeps the plunger against the first chime, "ding" then you release, and the spring takes it back, striking the second chime, "dong."

How did you wire the new bell, compared to the old one? Did you wire them the same? More importantly, why was the old bell being replaced?

You could look at replacing the bell button/s - now here's a thing - are the buttons illuminated? Again, I haven't looked at one, but if I remember, the light goes out when you press it, so the current's there, til you push the button which pushes the current to the bell - so perhaps there's some leakage there. If the buttons are just two wire and no light, I'm baffled.

Thanks PJB for all your help.

My electrician wired it, i tried to get it to work but couldnt . The reason I replaced the old was just to modernize a bit. i tried replacing the doorbells already, no luck,,

well, I will resolve it some how!

I realize I’m years behind this discussion but 3 nights ago, my doorbell rang at 8:04 and hasn’t stopped since. It rings every night at the exact same time. At first, I thought it was kids playing the ding dong ditch game but there were no kids in sight. Tonight, we decided to wait for the ring and like clockwork, the doorbell rang and we ran to the door to catch the culprit- again, no one. This is an old doorbell, probably as old as when the house was built- back in 1994. I’ve checked the doorbell and it’s not sticking, it’s under a porch, and it doesn’t face the sun. I’m stumped.

Wireless or wired?

I’m too embarrassed to write this but it wasn’t my doorbell at all! It was my phone ding donging!!! I downloaded the Wayfair app and didn’t put two-and-two together until a week into hearing the doorbell sound! Wayfair was sending me notifications with a doorbell sound! Finally, after actually holding my phone and feeling the buzz and the doorbell going off at the same time did it dawn on me what it was.

So, there you go. I feel like the ding dong now!

That's hilarious! Out of curiosity, did the app use a sound that was exactly the same as your doorbell? Or now that you know the source is there a definite difference between the two?

Oh no, they are exactly the same sound! It has fooled 4 people into thinking it was the doorbell! I have since turned off the notification sound!

My doorbell has gone of twice in a week but not a wired one. The one inside is plugged into the wall socket and outside one has a battery. The unusual thing is when it goes off it is not the same melody that I have chosen. both times it has been a different melody but same. I went out both times no one there pressed it and melody I have chosen has played. How can it change and play on it’s own??

It probably has a feature where multiple buttons can be used and each one makes a different melody so you know if the person pushed the button at the front door or the side door.

Your neighbour may have a similar doorbell and whenever someone comes to their door, you get notified as well.