Remember the last time your doorbell rang only to find out that no one was there? We can tell that such an experience was frustrating, right?
Not even when you had to abandon an important task to go check on who is at the door. You are not alone in this predicament; many people have had their fair share of such an experience.
In this article, therefore, we will be considering why a doorbell will just start ringing by itself. We are set to unravel this mystery and solve whatever could be causing such an unpleasant situation.
So, let’s get right into it.
Why Does My Doorbell Ring By Itself?
Some people have settled on different reasons why a doorbell ring by itself. While some parties believe that someone is pranking them; others feel maybe it is just a technical issue that they can seem to figure out. Worse off, some tend towards mystical things thinking that a ghost might be haunting them.
A doorbell can ring by itself due to different reasons but a prank or a ghost activity. It is either your wired doorbell has a short circuit or there is a sticking button for it to start ringing by itself. For a wired doorbell, you will hear the sound by pressing its button.
Let’s do some bit of science to explain the process between pressing the button and hearing the sound. This will help your understanding of the problem in itself. Permit us to use some technical vocabulary. Don’t worry, you will be able to relate to what we are saying eventually.
What happens in between is that as you press the button, the electric current will flow to a coil of wire in the bell, more like an electromagnet. As a result, a magnetic field will be created. There is something called a plunger and another called resonator in the bell.
The magnetic field will spur the plungers to strike the resonators. Have you ever seen someone hit a gong before? As the person hits the gong, it produces a sound, right?
Exactly, that is the kind of scenario that happens here. When the plunger strikes, therefore, the bell sets off and rings. This is what we can call the behind the scene process. Not too complex, right?
Well, we are just trying to say that this process is what makes your doorbell ring whenever someone presses it. If that button now gets stuck, it will distort the entire process. As a result, your doorbell will just start ringing at random times by itself.
If there is also a short wire somewhere in this chain of reactions, it could cause your doorbell to suddenly start ringing at odd times. These are the most probable reasons why there could be a technical fault with your doorbell causing it to ring by itself.
Let’s get into solving this problem.
How To Fix A Doorbell That Rings By Itself?
Just as we have said earlier, if the doorbell button is stuck or some wires have cut inside the bell, your doorbell will ring by itself. We will be showing you how you can solve the problem created by each scenario.
All set? Let’s dive in.
Fix 1: Solving a stuck button
A stuck button is not one of the many problems you want to have. It can lead to many other annoying issues such as the bell ringing by itself, for instance.
Some particles of dirt may find their way into your bell and store up over a while. Some insects, birds, or organisms could even make a home for themselves in the bell causing dirt to store up inside. Some rusty metallic parts could also make the button get stuck. This will just push the button to keep hitting the sensor without anyone pressing it.
The first thing you will need to do is to tap the button consistently. Try to see if you can get a free movement at any point? Were you able to? Yes, then you are good to go. If you were not able to get free movement, try to clean the bell. You can also use a lubricant as it can help solve the sticking issues.
If any of what we have said does not solve the problem, then, you will have to buy a new button. You will have to remove the screws holding the button unit to the rest of the bell though. Before doing this ensure that you have turned off your electrical supply unit.
Replacing the button unit should solve this problem. You can take the faulty button unit to the hardware store where you want to buy a new one. This way, you will be able to know which button will be compatible with your bell.
We didn’t lose you at any point, right? Great, let’s keep going.
Fix 2: Solving Wire Cuts in the Circuit
If you’ve ascertained that the button is not responsible for the constant ringing, then, we have some issues with the wires in the bell. We will be doing some electrical work here so you should turn off your central electrical supply unit. This will help prevent shocks.
Remember how we removed the button unit earlier? Exactly. You will have to do that here too. Once you have done that, you should see a box that closes up the inside unit, you will have to remove this box too.
Now, observe the wires closely. You should have noticed some broken or loose parts of the wires by now. Did you see any? Great. You will have to join them back to get it working again. It’s not something complex and since you have turned off your mains supply unit, there is nothing to worry about. You can make use of tapes to ensure that the wires are not shooting out so, it doesn’t cause a breach.
Sometimes, the wires might have grown too short for them to join back. You will have to get a new one entirely and run the connection again. At this point, if you can’t figure out how to do this, you could call a friend or a professional that will help you do it well.
There is something called a diode in the bell. You could try looking it up online so you know what it looks like. It could cause a short ringing of your bell if it gets faulty. You might also want to check if it is faulty or not.
That was not too much to handle, right? We thought so too. Let’s keep digging.
What Can Set Off a Wireless Doorbell?
Many people are getting to use wireless doorbells now as they grow in popularity. They work with batteries and are easy to install since there is no need for wires. You don’t need serious technical know-how to set up a wireless doorbell.
These doorbells can be classified into two parts. We have the button unit and the receiving end. So, as you hit the button, signals would be sent to the receiving part of the bell and it will cause the bell to ring. These signals have a designated pattern that they have to run through and let’s call this the frequency.
If this regular pattern is tampered with, the bell will start ringing by itself. You know how we said these bells use batteries right? Exactly. If the batteries are almost out of power and you don’t replace them, it could cause the bell to start ringing by itself. In addition, if water manages to find its way into the bell, it can cause some distortions that could set off the bell.
These are some of the scenarios that could easily set off a wireless doorbell. You found that quite relatable, right? Let’s continue moving.
Can Wireless Doorbells Be Hacked?
Doorbells being hacked are no longer news anymore. In the case of a wireless doorbell, even though it is not a serious hack, it can get interfered with by another wireless device.
Do you know how we said that wireless doorbells send signals with a regular pattern that we called the frequency? Exactly. That could be an undoing for the bell.
Some other wireless device that functions with this same pattern or frequency can interfere with your bell. Devices such as door openers can find their way to your bell’s pattern and cause it to just start ringing all of a sudden.
This can’t be described as a serious hack, right? We thought so too. However, someone could use it to pull a prank on you.
There could be some serious hacking issues if your doorbell is connected to your Wi-Fi. If you have a smart doorbell, there is a password that came with the device. If you don’t change it, you will make the doorbell prone to hacking.
Solution To Wireless Doorbell Ringing On Its Own
Wireless doorbells experience this problem of ringing on their own more than their wired counterparts. The good news however is that since they don’t have wires, solving the issues with them is easier.
If you are all set, let’s do some repairing with your doorbells. Not anything serious though.
Fix 1: Changing its Signal Pattern
Remember how we said that some other wireless device can impede the pattern of your wireless doorbell? Exactly. This is one of the major reasons why your wireless doorbell could be ringing on its own.
You will have to change that signal pattern so that you can put an end to the issue. Most wireless doorbells come with a channel unit. With this unit, you can change the signal pattern of your wireless doorbell so it does not get tampered with again. Before doing this, you can consult the instructions in the manual so you don’t touch something that could cause damage.
If this does not work out and you are certain that nothing else is the issue, then, you will have to get a new bell.
Fix 2: Get New Batteries
If you’ve not changed the batteries of your wireless doorbell since you bought them, the bell ringing on its own is not far-fetched. If the batteries are low, it can make your doorbell ring at random times unnecessarily.
You can try testing the batteries to be sure that they are the problem. You could check with a friend who has some bit of experience here to help you out. So, getting new batteries should do the trick for your wireless doorbell.
Fix 3: Clear Out the Water
Even though most doorbell units come with a waterproof build, they are still prone to harsh weather conditions. That is quite understandable since they are outside most of the time, right? Same thing we thought.
This means that water could have gotten into the bell at some point. It could even have affected some metallic parts of the bell. So, observe the inner units of the bell and be certain there is no issue with water in there. You could clear out the water and dry out the bell if you find water there.
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Conclusion
Your doorbell ringing on its own may not always be a prank by your naughty neighbor or a ghost haunting you. It could just be down to some technical issues. We have highlighted what some of those issues could be and how you can go about solving them.
So, read through and go get your doorbell in shape.
Additional Source
https://www.thedrive.com/cars-101/36542/what-is-a-resonator