Can I cut through these wires?

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Or will I burn the house down? :oops:

Our house is about 20 years old (Bovis estate) and I assume our doorbell is the same age. The actual doorbell push on the front door is missing, so we want to remove the door chime from the hallway.

The door chime contains batteries and has some wires going into the wall.

Are the wires likely to just connect to the doorbell push (or rather, where the doorbell push was)? In which case we could snip the wires and patch up the hole? Or is there any chance these wires could connect to mains, in which case we can't!

I've taken a photo. The wall behind is looking a very bright white! The two white wires go into the wall.

Thank you for any advice!

View media item 77198
 
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The chances are that the wires go straight to the push, BUT they could go to a transformer. In either case there should be no mains voltage present. Do you have access to a multimeter? short the two wires together at the push and connect the meter to the two wires at the bell with the meter set to continuity and if you get a zero reading or a tone from the meter you are safe to remove.
 
Test if concerned with a suitable meter. These will not be connected to the mains but always best to make sure. Then test for continuity between the wires in the picture and door bell push position.

Otherwise, cut wires, one at a time (to avoid possible short of battery - if these still hold a charge). Job done.


Regards
 
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The chances are that the wires go straight to the push, BUT they could go to a transformer..

This is a battery bell (that is what those black and gold cylinder things are ;) ). There can not be any transformer or mains wiring. It is as dangerous as a hand held torch.

You can chop the wires. The only place they go to is the bell push by the entry door. Keep the wires if you are fitting a replacement wired doorbell.
 
Thank you everyone for your replies.

We may have some sort of meter somewhere (garage not yet organised from last year's house move!!). Do I really have to go fight the spiders for it? :(

The push has completely gone - I assume it used to be in the door frame, which was recently replaced with some uPVC-tastic number.

The chime is ugly and I want it gone. Today's job is putting up a coat hook and mirror in the hallway, and its ruining the look :D
 
Oh, and I thought that the batteries could be some sort of back up supply, like how our mains smoke detectors work in a power cut? So if we have visitors during a storm we'll still hear the bell? ;)
 
This is a battery bell (that is what those black and gold cylinder things are ;) ). There can not be any transformer or mains wiring. It is as dangerous as a hand held torch.
I made the same mistake, I forgot that even though it is a battery device there is a coil in it and it hurt!
 
Aah, takes me back to the joys of working on an MDF in a Telephone Exchange. You don't feel 50VDC, until someone rings the number - ringing voltage is around 90v Ac superimposed onto the 50v base voltage. It can make your eyes water.

As can contact with one of the old telex circuits. It operated as ± 80V, that too could make you jump.

So a 6v bell, no problemo!
 
Aah, takes me back to the joys of working on an MDF in a Telephone Exchange. You don't feel 50VDC, until someone rings the number - ringing voltage is around 90v Ac superimposed onto the 50v base voltage. It can make your eyes water. ... As can contact with one of the old telex circuits. It operated as ± 80V, that too could make you jump.
Yes, but you're talking about deliberately present ringing/signalling voltages, which are part of the functioning of the system in question, whereas ...
So a 6v bell, no problemo!
... I suppose that depends on what you consider to be a problemo. Assuming we're talking about an electromechancal one, the issue with a 6V DC bell is obviously the back EMF which results from the repeated sudden interruptions in current through the coil. That voltage can be pretty high, and definitely has the potential to make one's eyes water (but,a s I said, obviously only whilst it is ringing)!

Kind Regards, John
 
Apologies. I had fogotten my safe isolation procedures!

Note to VegemiteSandwich:
Before doing any work on this device, remove the batteries!



My reason for the further response was in reply to wincoax's post
The chances are that the wires go straight to the push, BUT they could go to a transformer.
Where the picture clearly shows that this is a battery bell.

What a lot of posts for such a simple question. It must be a wet weekend.
 
Apologies. I had fogotten my safe isolation procedures! ... Note to VegemiteSandwich: ... Before doing any work on this device, remove the batteries! ... What a lot of posts for such a simple question. It must be a wet weekend.
It's certainly been mighty wet around here! As you say, the question could have been answered with a single word, which is essentially what happened initially.

However, it must be wet where you are, too, since you did get drawn into making comments about telephone ringing voltages and telex signal voltages :)

Kind Regards, John
 

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