Gents doorbell.
 

I have a Gents door bell (picture below) that is connected to the front door bell push, and the rear door bell push. When the front door bell-push is pressed it makes a ring, but the back door bell-push makes more of a buzzing. How does this happen? is it possible to change the noise it makes?
many thanks for any insight
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Re: Gents doorbell.
 

Hello and welcome to the forums.

Has this suddenly started happening or has it always happened?

Some doorbells emit different sounds so you know whether to answer the front or back door.

Re: Gents doorbell.
 

It looks to be powered from one of those small Bakelite bell transformers which have several voltage settings, with the mains via an electric clock socket. If the bell works fine from the front door, the only thing that can stop it working from the back door is the voltage drop. Hence, it's my guess that the back door will be further away from the bell than the front door, and that the voltage drop from the transformer secondary caused by a long run of twin wire bell flex will lower the voltage to a point at which the bell solenoid is insufficiently energised. Worth checking if the bell is connected to correct tapping on the transformer - which I assume it will be, then cleaning all the connections to the bell push and the bell to reduce the resistance of the connections.

Hope that helps.

Re: Gents doorbell.
 

That's an interesting bell. Where's the hammer on it? Or is it really two things in one? An underdome bell below for one door, and a Bakelite-encased buzzer above for another door, the whole arrangement being mounted to look like a 'traditional' electric bell?

Re: Gents doorbell.
 

I was thinking on those lines too. The easy way for the OP to check it would be to swop over the wires leading to the front and back bell pushes.

Re: Gents doorbell.
 

Assuming that all contacts are clean as suggested above, the centre fixing of the dome is usually offset. Turning the dome alters the distance between the clapper and its inner surface. By trial and error it should be possible to establish a relationship between the two which produces a pleasing ringing sound when activated with either bell push.

Alan

Re: Gents doorbell.
 

I'm leaning towards these being a separate bell and buzzer. The apparent absence of a clapper is the clue. The OP could visually observe what happens when each push is operated. They could also be activated simultaneously

Re: Gents doorbell.
 

On reflection I think the separate bell and buzzer theory may well be the arrangement. It'll be interesting to see whether or not the OP can confirm.

Alan

Re: Gents doorbell.
 

The works that we can see looks like a buzzer. And the bell is an underdome bell, almost certainly.

Easiest way would be have someone operate the bell pushes in turn and observe what happens... no need to disconnect anything!

* Typed this then noticed Graham had said virtually the same thing! *

Re: Gents doorbell.
 

I would think that it's very useful to have the two different sounds, to distinguish which door the caller is at.

I'd leave it as it is, if I were you!

Re: Gents doorbell.
 

When I was at Technical College the lecturer advised us that the next week's subject would be a Gent's six inch trembler. Much mirth ensued.

Re: Gents doorbell.
 

It's almost as if whoever installed this is having a joke with us.

Richard, if you could remove the "gong" and take another picture I think we will see the bell and buzzer are completely separate, but mounted to look like a traditional old electric bell. To add to the illusion, the wires to the bell appear to be hidden behind the buzzer.

Re: Gents doorbell.
 

looks obvious to me. Buzzer on top for the back door and underdome bell for the front door.

Re: Gents doorbell.
 

Did he write the script for I'm sorry I haven't l clue? ;D

Re: Gents doorbell.
 

The old Ding Dong ones "ding donged" for one door (front) and just "dinged" for the other (back) door.

Re: Gents doorbell.
 

I have to agree. This is a buzzer, a bell and the associated transformer all mounted on a single, easy to fit panel.
I don't think any trickery was involved. It just happens to look like a single trembler bell at first glance.

Re: Gents doorbell.
 

I don't mind admitting that I was fooled until I realised there was no external striker.

I think now that the buzzer was a later addition, and was mounted in the only space left on the board.