I wish there was an option when you order pizza to have the deliver guy go straight to the basement door. This way I would never have to leave the basement during my poker night.
But, they insist that creeping around the darkened backside of houses is a safety concern for their drivers. So you have to rely on the next best thing… the doorbell.
Adding a doorbell extension to my basement finishing project list didn’t even occur to me at first. Then one Friday night, I was watching the NCAA basketball tournament and playing darts in the basement with some friends. We had ordered pizza. I had to hang out upstairs because you couldn't hear the doorbell over all the noise.
Thus a project was born. Add a second doorbell in the basement. Best basement idea ever.
Installing a doorbell in your basement is not hard at all once you do these three things.
- Find your doorbell transformer
- Buy a new doorbell.
- Buy some doorbell wire.
Your Doorbell Transformer
This is a small little metal box "thingy" where the doorbell wire from your front door terminates. Power is wired into this bad boy and it "transforms" it into a much lower voltage that doorbell chimes can use.
All you have to do is splice in a new wire to that transformer. When someone rings your bell it will trigger the chime for your existing doorbell, plus your newly finished basement doorbell. (switch off the power to the transformer (at your electrical panel) before you start working with it!)
TIP: Be sure to get a 16 volt doorbell transformer like this, so you can power two bells. A 10 volt or lower transformer will likely be too weak. This one is only $12.
Buying a New Doorbell for your Finished Basement
Guys and girls, I implore you. Get crazy with your basement doorbell. Pick something cool. Pick something wild. Pick something like a mooing cow or a crowing rooster. Or buy a doorbell that let's you record any sound you want.
Doorbell Wire
Doorbells are low voltage. They need an electrical signal but they typically don't have to be plugged in or have a dedicated power source. It's similar, although I'm not sure if it's exactly the same, as garage door opener wire. I found some on Amazon with free shipping for $8.
Wireless Door Bells
What if your house doesn't have a doorbell transformer that's accessible to you? Or you just don't have a doorbell at all?
Well, I feel sad for you.
Everyone deserves a doorbell, it's just way more fun that ye' old knocking at the door.
Now that I think of it, knocking on the door sounds really aggressive. Like the big bad wolf or something about bust into your house and eat you alive. Like the cops coming to take you down for throwing that banana peal out your car window (it's organic, how can that be littering!!!) KNOCK, KNOCK, KNOCK!!
You're in luck. Thanks to wireless technology you can now install a brand new "wireless" doorbell in under 15 minutes. There's a ton to choose from but this wireless doorbell seemed to be the best combination of value and quality. (I haven't try this one out personally, just researched it when I was buying a new transformer).
My doorbell is… boring! I bought a boring one. Why? I don't know. I wasn't thinking. To distracted by my extensive basement finishing list I suppose.
Do you have a cool doorbell? Tell us about it in the comments below.
Cheers - Jason
More Doorbell and Basement Excitement!:
- Ready for some more basement ideas? Start here -->
- Here's a decent scientific explanation of how doorbells work.
- Good books on electricity, how to wire your basement.
I am trying to figure out how you wired the second door bell from the transformer. Here is my situation...My primary doorbell was ran by the builder using CAT5 cable and is on the first floor in the foyer. Of course i can access the front of the bell but running a wire from there to the basement is not possible. My transformer is in the garage with clear access to it. this has a CAT 5 running to it (i am assuming from the door bell.) when i hook the new wires up to the transformer, then to the new bell, it just hums and dings once. I cant really tell by your picture how you have it hooked up from the transformer. It looks like you have more wires to tie in to then i do. can you help?
Dude - You won't believe this but I've almost the same issue. My basement door bell gives me like one and half ding-dongs (yes, I'm laughing on the inside right now). I mean it works, I know there's someone at the front door - but it sounds really weird. It's not the clean fresh ding-dong that I get upstairs (still laughing). I'm not sure why this is and I've been too lazy to bother researching and fixing it. I'm sure it's something with the voltage - maybe I have the wrong wire type. I used a standard doorbell wire. It's almost like the electrical signal is cut off. As if it's supposed to go longer but is stopping short. It also makes a weird sort of "grinding" sound just before the ding of the ding-dong sound.
If I find the answer - I'll repost here. If anyone else has an idea - please post a comment. Wayne and I both anxious awaiting a ding-dong fix. In the mean time enjoy the looks your friends and neighbors give you when they hear it for the first time - it's a real conversation starter.
Jason
It's probably because you have a 10 va or 16 va transformer. Note that it's volt amps not volts, there's a difference. You need a 24va or 30 va transformer and both door bell chimes should be the same type.
On the diagram it says " Signal wire to my basement doorbell. Spliced with wire going upstairs" I see it is spliced with two wires. Can you bee more clear? I have two wires coming from the chime upstairs and want to connect it to a chime downstairs.
Thank you. Dave
My doorbell chime rings through a speaker. My door button is lighted, so you cannot parallel a second bell. It wants to ring all the time. Can I add just a speaker in the basement off the unit on the 1st floor?
Hey Joe - Yes! Just add a second speaker and you're good to go. - Jason
I tried putting one wire to transformer on new chime and one wire to front on new chime. I don't have a rear bell. It continuously hums. Any idea
Hmmmm.... sounds like it's getting power but not enough power at once to make the chime cycle start. Make sure you have the right door bell chime wiring and double check that the transformer is correct. Sorry I can't be more helpful, this isn't an area I typically troubleshoot - but hopefully that will give a place to start debugging. - Jason