Doorbell Telephone : The Quantum Pontiff

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Dave Bacon is a theoretical ski bum who is also a pseudo professor. His research is on quantum computing, his scientific passions extend to everything in physics, mathematics, computer science and beyond, and his personal pleasures include making wine, playing poker, skiing, camping, and daydreaming (although not all of those at the same time.) Nothing he says on this blog should be construed as having anything to do with his employer or his dog.

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Doorbell Telephone

Category: Self: Meet Center. Center: Meet Self.
Posted on: July 28, 2008 11:56 AM, by Dave Bacon

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Yesterday I started to trace the wiring for our doorbells and figure out why they aren't working (they haven't worked since we moved in.) So I'm happily tracing away (a bit difficult since part of the basement has been finished and hence obstructs me figuring out where the wires are going) and then, whah, why the heck does the doorbell wiring appear to be connected to the telephone system? Anyone seen something like this before or am I just going crazy? (Okay we know the answer to the last one.)

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Comments

at a rough guess, as a safety feature. As I understand it, the phone system usually uses a separate power source, in order that the phone works when everything else is blacked out.

I don't think doorbells are mandated to be wired as such for emergency services, but it's a neat idea... sort of like why all exterior doors are supposed to open inwards, so as to make it easier for them to be knocked down in an 'emergency.'

another thought depends on whether or not you have a remote unlock on your door the way apartments sometimes do, but that seemed less likely.

Posted by: peter | July 28, 2008 12:49 PM

Yeah, that thought crossed my mind. Interesting because we don't have a land line, so the safety feature isn't really a safety feature, but a bug!

Posted by: Dave Bacon | July 28, 2008 1:04 PM

Wireless doorbells systems can be had for less than $20---The time and trouble of trying to trace down old door bell wiring may be more effort than it is worth

just food for thought

Posted by: Kevin | July 28, 2008 1:20 PM

Kevin: Yeah I've considered that. But I need to search for some which don't have big ugly doorbells. They all seem to be these block white buttons that are designed to stick out from the wall and not be embedded.

Posted by: Dave Bacon | July 28, 2008 1:32 PM

It isn't set up for an intercom is it?

Posted by: mick | July 28, 2008 1:46 PM

What's the Ringer Equivalence Number on a doorbell, anyway? According to Wikipedia's article on RENs, most telephone systems can't handle a load of greater than 5 REN, so a doorbell could cause significant problems if you have a big house.

Posted by: Chris Granade | July 28, 2008 2:25 PM

Now you can stop yelling at those phantom kids you thought were ringing your doorbell and running off. (Which oddly always occurred when someone called.)

Posted by: JohnQPublic | July 28, 2008 4:15 PM

It may appear to be wired into the phone system just to take advantage of the unused pairs. Typical phone cables have at least four wires, but only two are used per line (for a single line, usually the middle two, red and green).

Posted by: Travis | July 28, 2008 9:17 PM

The doorbell at my beach shack hasn't worked well for years, and I replaced it with 6 pound brass bell, hanging from a post. One can here it ring all over the neighborhood(much to the chagrin of all my McMansion Snob Neighbors).

Jeff

Posted by: Jeff Watson | July 28, 2008 10:21 PM

sort of like why all exterior doors are supposed to open inwards

They are? Here in the northeast where it gets might cold, everyone (well, almost everyone) has a storm/screen door in addition to the primary door and the latter always opens outward.

Wireless doorbells systems can be had for less than $20

Yeah, but they usually suck. I've gone through a bunch and they all suck.

6 pound brass bell, hanging from a post

Awesome idea.

Posted by: Ian Durham | July 29, 2008 9:25 AM

Here in the northeast where it gets might cold, everyone (well, almost everyone) has a storm/screen door in addition to the primary door and the latter always opens outward.

But the screen/storm door generally isn't locked, and if it is the lock is flimsy and easily forced. The primary door frequently is locked, usually with a sturdier lock. I know that that isn't always true in northern New England, where Ian and I live, but I grew up in Miami, so my default is to lock my doors.

Posted by: Eric Lund | July 29, 2008 10:20 AM

I always assumed exterior doors opened inward so the hinge was on the inside. If they opened outward, the hinge would be outside and could be easily destroyed, letting people in. I'm dubious they design doors to be easy to kick in. (Largely academic, since windows are much more easily broken.)

Posted by: Charon | July 29, 2008 11:48 PM

My parent's solved the problem of not being able to connect the door bell wiring in an old house by hanging a giant school /church bell from the rafters in the roof and attaching a rope that dropped down to the front door. As the person who lived in the attic room, let me say that it was a better idea on paper than in execution.

Posted by: Lisa | July 30, 2008 1:27 PM