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moconnell · Nov 3, 2010, 02:35 PM

I have an aging nutone doorbell that suddenly stopped working. I don't know whether the switch on the door is broken or the doorbell is. I disconnected the wires from the switch and touched them together but nothing happened. How can I be sure the door bell is broken?

ballengerb1 · Nov 3, 2010, 05:55 PM

Sure it could be broken but lets see if its getting power first. Do you know where the little transformer is located and what circuit its attached?

ma0641 · Nov 3, 2010, 08:21 PM

You already determined it was not the switch. Reconnect the switch and have someone push it while standing at the chime. Hear a buzz or see the plunger(s) move? If so, try to clean the little round strike rods by pulling them out of the return springs and cleaning with mineral spirits. Get a qtip and clean the rod bore. Then, wipe a very thin coat of 3N1 oil on the rods and reassemble. If no buzz or movement, you need to find the transformer and test the output voltage with a VOM. If you get 12-24 volts, either the bell winding is shorted or you have a broken wire in the circuit. If all else fails, get a wireless unit at HD or Lowe's. $30, you are in business and no wires needed.

Stratmando · Nov 4, 2010, 05:24 AM

Sometime the transformer is in the wall behind the chime.

ma0641 · Nov 4, 2010, 10:11 AM

Hard to know where they are sometimes. Brian

Stratmando · Nov 4, 2010, 01:21 PM

Sometimes the coil of either the front door or backdoor may fail, if you only have 1 door, or don't mind the same chime for both doors, you may be able to use the working chime, common and front, or common and rear.