Installing new doorbell chime, can't figure out wiring.

[Glenstr]

I picked up a Honeywell series 9 doorbell to replace my old one, wife wanted something nicer looking & numerous chimes etc. after new paint and the old one was looking pretty yellowed etc.

It say's it works for wired and wireless, I want to use it with power too it without batteries. I can get power to it but can't get it working pushing the doorbell buttons.

There's two wired doorbell buttons each has a black & red wire connected on one side, and a green & yellow on the other side.

I have no idea where the transformer is, can't find it anywhere

On the chime end there is 3 wire sets coming out of the wall, each having a red, black, green & yellow wire. On the old chime all the greens & yellow wires were joined together and connected to a terminal marked "0" on the chime, with jointed black & red from each set going to terminals marked 1,2 & 3. The 1-3 terminals all seem joined to a coil of copper wire underneath where the chime is.

Only one set seems powered, I when I connect one black & red to the AC1 & AC2 terminals on the new one and a green & yellow to the A1 & A2 I get power to the chime, but the buttons don't work. I tried reversing them, to no avail.

I attached two images, one of the old connection, and the only page in the manual explaining how to connect the wires, which is less than helpful to me. I also linked the images to dropbox, in case these aren't big enough.

The terminals on the new one, left to right are A1, A2, B1, B2, AC1, AC2.

 

[Snoonyb]

Does the voltage fall within the operating range of the device?

There is a reset process and a "phone an advisor" note; Honeywell DC915 Series Installation And Operation Manual (Page 3 of 10) | ManualsLib

 

[Glenstr]

Thanks for reply.

I think voltage should be okay, when I connect one of the three red & black sets to AC1 & AC2 terminals (red in one, black in the other) and a yellow & green into A1 and A2 (green in one, yellow in the other) I chime lights up and rings when I push it on to the backing plate - but neither of the buttons work.

Only one set of the red & blacks work, the others don't.

I've also tried with batteries in the unit, still nothing. I get a chime when connecting the unit to the backing plate, but buttons don't work.

What confuses me about the diagram is whether or not they mean 2 wires together when they show one wire, given the way mine was wired to begin with, and they are connected to the doorbell button that way.

I've even tried with the the "live" red & black connected to AC1 & AC2, and the green-yellow pair in A1 and red-black pair in A2.

I was on chat with Honeywell for awhile today, but the connection dropped. It appears like I'll have to wait now until next week for help from them, being Christmas eve tomorrow.

Which was why I was hoping someone here could see what I'm doing wrong.

 

[Snoonyb]

It's a process of elimination and the likely reason that there are 2 conductors both too and from, are that often these low voltage conductors, one or both, become damaged, cut or removed, and the 2nd still exists

At the door buttons separate the red and black and test for the present of voltage and if one or both read voltage, it's from the transformer. Next remove the green and yellow from the door button and the chime, separate the conductors at the door button and test for continuity, they read "0" resistance.

 

[DFBonnett]

Had the same issue. New unit wouldn't work with old transformer. Voltage too low. Using new higher voltage transformer that came with the unit was the fix.

 

[Glenstr]

It's a process of elimination and the likely reason that there are 2 conductors both too and from, are that often these low voltage conductors, one or both, become damaged, cut or removed, and the 2nd still exists

At the door buttons separate the red and black and test for the present of voltage and if one or both read voltage, it's from the transformer. Next remove the green and yellow from the door button and the chime, separate the conductors at the door button and test for continuity, they read "0" resistance.

Thanks for reply, I will tackle that tomorrow once I read up on using my multimeter. When I separate the red & black at the button, how do I check for voltage with no ground, just touch the yellow/green wires with the negative prod? and if it is (or not) from the transformer, what does that mean I need to do next?

Had the same issue. New unit wouldn't work with old transformer. Voltage too low. Using new higher voltage transformer that came with the unit was the fix.

Hopefully that's not the case here, if so I'll be returning the unit and replacing with a completely wireless set, as the transformer must be hidden behind some drywall or above one of the drop ceilings in my basement.

The chimes ring when I connect the one set of reb/black wires to the AC1 & AC2 terminals, but I don't know if that 100% means the voltage is adequate or not. The unit came standalone, no transformer or button, and it does say 8-16 VAC on the installation diagram.

 

[Snoonyb]

Back in the days of knob & tube, I'd connect a conductor to a metal faucet, now-a-days, just plug into the grnd terminal of a standard 3prong recep.

 

[Glenstr]

update - on the 3 sets of wires on the chime end, red to yellow and black to green both measure 12 volts, the other two sets read nothing.

On the only two doorbell buttons I have, there is zero voltage on either when I touch the multimeter to both sides - so I don't even know how the old one worked, I may hook it back up again to make sure it still does, but I know for a fact it was working before I took it off to paint the room because the painter we hired used it.

 

[Snoonyb]

That 12V reading is likely from the transformer.

The door buttons are simply momentary switches, so, if the old chime works, you likely have voltage there.

Measuring across the contacts, of the door button, will not tell you the value of the voltage, only metering to a known grnd. will do that.

 

[Glenstr]

Success!

I ended up putting the "live" red/black & the yellow/green pairs into AC1 and AC2, then the same for the other sets into A1, A2, B1 & B2.

I would've never guessed this was the correct combination looking at the original wiring. I even hooked up the old one and it wasn't working and I thought I was hooped and maybe I cooked the transformer with one of my connections, but the live black/red must have been on the wrong terminal.

Both doorbell buttons are working, and no batteries required!

I have attached an image should anyone else run into this situation.

 

[Snoonyb]

Thanks, because solution clarify.