The previous owners of our house had a wired doorbell system. We've got rid of the surface cabling from the bell push to the bell unit but can't find the transformer anywhere. We're left with live (presumably low voltage) cabling poking out of the wall. Any advice on what to do with it? Thanks.
Live doorbell cable, no transformer
- Thread starter SJRSJR
- Start date
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First check the voltage with a multimeter - it could be mains voltage. Even if not you should trace back to source and disconnect. I wouldn't just leave a transformer running in an unknown location. Look in void spaces like the below recently lifted floorboards or in cupboards.
Have you looked to see if the transformer is either installed within the consumer unit or whether externally near consumer unit/fuse board.
Live cable should not be exposed, but terminated safely and enclosed, you must not bury this within the fabric of the building without disconnecting the live supply.
What concerns me, is that you have obviously disconnected parts of the circuit:
*Without identifying it
*Without safe isolation
*Without testing for dead
Even if extra low voltage and the transformer has packed up, you just do not know what you are going to come across!
Live cable should not be exposed, but terminated safely and enclosed, you must not bury this within the fabric of the building without disconnecting the live supply.
What concerns me, is that you have obviously disconnected parts of the circuit:
*Without identifying it
*Without safe isolation
*Without testing for dead
Even if extra low voltage and the transformer has packed up, you just do not know what you are going to come across!
We've looked everywhere we can, including under hall floorboards and in the meter cupboard. All we've established is that it's connected to the lighting circuit on one of those old pull out fuses.
Getting a multimeter which would be the next step. I understand about not burying it unless it's disconnected. What sort of termination unit would be okay bearing in mind it's coming out of the hall wall at picture rail level? Terminal block is a bit unsightly. Thanks.
Getting a multimeter which would be the next step. I understand about not burying it unless it's disconnected. What sort of termination unit would be okay bearing in mind it's coming out of the hall wall at picture rail level? Terminal block is a bit unsightly. Thanks.
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It might be the bell was powered by batteries inside the bell.
Did you prove it was dead? it is possible that there could have been another source of power.
How do you know it's powered by the light circuit?
This might sound stupid, but you haven't mention the "Chime" unit in any of this, did you remoeve this and if so was it full of Duracell Batteries?? 
That is not how you prove a circuit is safe to work on!
Your methods are dangerous!
Obviously you did, and the point you make is regarding what?No one looked at the dates of the posts?
*PostPosted: Sun Dec 01, 2013 3:40 pm
*PostPosted: Sun Dec 01, 2013 3:55 pm
*PostPosted: Sun Dec 01, 2013 3:58 pm
*PostPosted: Sun Dec 01, 2013 4:11 pm
*PostPosted: Sun Dec 01, 2013 4:29 pm
*PostPosted: Sun Dec 01, 2013 9:13 pm
*PostPosted: Sun Dec 01, 2013 9:20 pm
*PostPosted: Mon Dec 02, 2013 9:49 am
*PostPosted: Mon Dec 02, 2013 9:49 am
*PostPosted: Tue Dec 03, 2013 9:49 pm
*PostPosted: Tue Dec 03, 2013 10:11 pm
The opening post and 10 replies within 2 days, 6 hours and 31 minutes.
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