Deaf doorbell

breock · Posted: Sat Jun 30, 2007 12:33 pm Post Subject: Deaf doorbell

I have just removed a \\\'deaf doorbell\\\' which dims the lights when pressed. I am now left with 2 core and 3 core wires with earths and am not sure how to connect these up to restore the lights both up and downstairs. Please can anyone help???

breezer · Posted: Sat Jun 30, 2007 1:01 pm Post Subject:

you cant wire mains to a door bell (ok shouln't) so these wires must have connected to something. what?

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davy_owen_88 · Posted: Sat Jun 30, 2007 1:05 pm Post Subject:

I'm just hoping that you drew a diagram of the connections before you disconnected it...

bernardgreen · Posted: Sat Jun 30, 2007 1:19 pm Post Subject:

Can you post a photo of the units you removed ? Or post any details of maker type etc etc.

Are the up-stairs and down-stairs light on the same fuse / MCB

Is there a junction box close to the consumer unit with the three core cable from the unit going to it. A twin and earth into the consumer unti and one of more twin and earths going into the house.?

If it is the type I have seen then a removal of the three core and a change of one wire in that junction box is all that is needed.

pcboffinuk · Posted: Sat Jun 30, 2007 1:20 pm Post Subject:

I ran across one of these recently, that had been installed by the RNID.

It was basically an electronic switch that was wired between the lighting circuits and the mcbs.

What you will probably need to do is identify which circuit/circuits are feeding the lighting circuit and then connect those directly to the mcb. That will likely be the 2 core cables - the 3 core is likely to be related to the switch and can probably be ignored.

The key is to identify the cables that feed the lights..

Gavin

EDIT: Bah, too slow

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breezer · Posted: Sat Jun 30, 2007 1:24 pm Post Subject:

years ago, some one made a light to flash when the phone rang for deaf people, it never went very far. (think about it)

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JohnD · Posted: Sat Jun 30, 2007 2:05 pm Post Subject:

I'd be interested to see a photo of the Consumer Unit and whatever's round it. I'm expecting some kind of Contactor that could be removed and bridged.

I have a deaf relation and would be interested in the thing you've got.

bernardgreen · Posted: Sat Jun 30, 2007 2:11 pm Post Subject:

breezer wrote:

years ago, some one made a light to flash when the phone rang for deaf people, it never went very far. (think about it)

Also used for those who use the text phone systems. But yes I hear what you are saying about ordinary phones....

securespark · Posted: Sat Jun 30, 2007 10:19 pm Post Subject:

bernardgreen wrote:

But yes I hear what you are saying about ordinary phones....

I don't. Oh, hang on, I've got my HA's out again....

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Pens · Posted: Sat Jun 30, 2007 11:24 pm Post Subject:

breezer wrote:

years ago, some one made a light to flash when the phone rang for deaf people, it never went very far. (think about it)

Reminds me of the "Not The Nine O'clock News" sketch

breezer · Posted: Sat Jun 30, 2007 11:31 pm Post Subject:

with rowan atkinson, thats also waht i was thinking of

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FatGit · Posted: Sun Jul 01, 2007 9:55 am Post Subject:

But how do they know if there's someone at the door in the day time, or do they have the lights on all the time - must be an expensive option.
Surely a wireless system connected to a vibrating allert would be better?

breezer · Posted: Sun Jul 01, 2007 9:59 am Post Subject:

aparently ( i dont know 100%) but in the day the lights come on

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bernardgreen · Posted: Sun Jul 01, 2007 10:44 am Post Subject:

I recall the one system I saw put a 5 amp diode in series with the lighting when the door bell was pressed. This dimmed all the lights.

There was a "half live" ( half wave via another diode) that was energised when the bell was pressed. This "half live" went to light switches in some rooms. These switch were two way. ON put the common (switched live to the lamp) to the normal live and OFF put the common to the bell operated "half live".

Very "Heath Robinson" as I recall but it worked. Only problem was the 5 amp diode needed replacing by a 10 amp.

pcboffinuk · Posted: Sun Jul 01, 2007 9:54 pm Post Subject:

FatGit wrote:

But how do they know if there's someone at the door in the day time, or do they have the lights on all the time - must be an expensive option.

The one I saw worked purely as a switch in the lighting circuits. So the lights had to be turned on during the day, and the unit set to DAY mode. Then the lights were normally off, but flashed when the doorbell was pressed. There was also a NIGHT mode on the unit, which I didn't investigate, but I suspect it worked the other way round.

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