How about receiving a notification on your phone whenever a doorbell rings? Ain’t that an exciting feature? But is that possible?
Yes, of course. You heard it right. Now doorbells have turned smart too. Get a notification dropped on your smartphone every time somebody rings your doorbell by connecting a hardwired Ring Doorbell to your present mechanical doorbell chime.
In this article, we present the best tips for fixing your Ring Doorbell machine chime so that you can solve any issue in the future.
Why is my Ring Mechanical Chime not ringing?
Is your Ring Doorbell mechanical chime not working properly? Well, this might be the reason why it is not working well:
- Either the doorbell is not wired
- The Mechanical Chime is corroded
- Settings are not properly enabled
- The wires are damaged
Furthermore, if you have your doorbell wired and connected properly and set up in the Ring app, you can go ahead to restart your Ring Doorbell and get the issue fixed efficiently.
First, the whole process of troubleshooting is not going to be arduous, nor will it eat up too much of your time. If you are interested in fixing your doorbell ring issues yourself, do not forget to glimpse through the coming sections, where you can find detailed tips to fix the mechanical chime all hassle-free. Besides, there is something extra too. The alternative option of fixing your chime to make it compatible with your Ring Doorbell.
Reasons why my Ring Doorbell is not Working and compatible with my Mechanical Doorbell
These can be the potential reasons why your ringing mechanical doorbell chime is not working whenever your Ring Doorbell is rung:
- Your Doorbell needs to be recharged
- It is incorrectly wired
- The doorbell chime is not compatible with your doorbell
- The settings are incorrectly set
But there is no reason to worry when there are fixes for all troubles. Check out below easy and simple fixes for each of the above-listed issues.
Make your Ring Doorbell compatible with Ring Mechanical Chime
Most often, hardwired Ring Doorbells are incompatible with mechanical chime; thus, foremost, do not forget to check the compatibility list provided in your chime kit.
Still, confused if your doorbell mechanical or digital? Well, it is quite easy to check. If you find a physical bell, then it is mechanical, whereas if it has a speaker attached, it is probably digital.
Essentials of A Ring Mechanical Chime Power
Check out if your mechanical doorbell transformer consists of the below-listed specifications:
- An AC power of 8 to 24 volts
- 50/ 60 Hertz and a maximum of 40 VA
A Ring Doorbell Pro will work wonders with an AC transformer with a power of a minimum of 16 volts (you can check using a voltage reader, too, if you are unsure). Besides, it can be installed using a Pro Power Kit into the mechanical chime box that comes in handy at the time of purchase.
Installing a Ring Doorbell Transformer
A Ring Doorbell Transformer is best compatible with all hardwired Ring Doorbell variants that lack sufficient voltage.
Wrong Ring Doorbell Wiring
- Your Ring Doorbell must be properly hardwired via an AC doorbell transformer, failing which it won’t work whenever the door is rung. However, before checking the wiring, ensure to switch off the circuit breaker to prevent shocks and confirm if the installation is accurately done.
How to fix it?
Once you are done checking the above, follow the steps below:
- Check the wiring on the back by safely removing the doorbell from the mounting bracket
- Ensure the wires are tightly wrapped using two screws, and neither are left loose
- Second, check if the wires are connected with the doorbell transformer and the chime box
Clean the wires
Can you spot any residue or corrosion on your doorbell chime? Well, that can be the possible culprit for interrupting the connection. Herein, it is imperative to clean the wires but follow the safety guidelines to prevent injury.
However, if the damage is too good to be cleaned or the wires are extremely corroded, just go ahead and replace it. (Tip: You can take the help of electricians too)
Correcting improper Chime settings
It is almost impossible to fix your Ring Doorbell mechanical chime if the proper settings are not enabled. So here we go:
- Install the Ring app on your smartphone (Basic and most important step)
- In the app, select your hardwired doorbell
- Here choose “Device settings – General settings – Your Doorbell Chime Type – select Mechanical.
- Turn on your Ring my in-home doorbell option
- Your doorbell now is all set to work well
Reset the Power settings
If all the above techniques are tried and tested and yet failed, then the ultimate rescue is resetting the power. It is quite easy to do and is no rocket science.
Option 1:
Just flip open the breaker or remove the battery. It will automatically restart your device and may throw a ray of hope in resolving your mechanical chime issues.
Option 2:
Go to your Ring app and delete the hardwired doorbell option. Now add it again to restart the settings.
(Note: The second option may erase all the settings or connections to other devices like Alexa, thus keep it as a last resort)
Check out the way of removing the doorbell and reading it on the Ring App:
- Open the Ring app and select devices from the top-left corner
- Select hardwired doorbell
- Now tap on Device Settings – General Settings – Remove this device
- Close the app and open it again
- Go to Devices and tap on + sign
- Repeat the instructions displayed for setup, and your doorbell will work again.
Reach out to customer care
Have all your efforts failed to connect your mechanical doorbell chime with the ring doorbell? Well, do not lose hope; there is still a way out. It connects with the experts using customer care support via chat, phone, or forums. Customer service will not only understand what the issue is but may also send you a new device if your old device falls under warranty and has snapped off.
Commonly Reported Issues:
Error: Something went wrong, Unable to connect
We have come across many users experiencing the inability to connect their Ring Doorbell with mechanical chime box, especially during the initial setup process. Besides, as they set up the chime connection, the screen flashed a “Something Went Wrong” error message.
While the solution is a little tricky, it surely shows results:
- Firstly uninstall the Ring App
- Restart your smartphone and clear the cache
- Now reinstall the Ring App and Sign in once again
- Start from scratch and complete the setup process once again
Error 2: Why is my Ring Doorbell Chime making weird sounds
Is your mechanical doorbell chime giving out weird sounds like humming or buzzing? Well, the culprit might be the bolts that may have gotten lost. But no worries, here are steps to fix it
Switch off your circuit breaker that feeds power to your device
- Now remove the cover and check out for the mounting screw
- Apply full strength and tighten the screws
- Cover the chime box and now try listening to the noise, Is it fixed?
How to Upgrade to a Digital Ring Chime?
If you have tried all the techniques and yet failed to get your ring doorbell working correctly with the mechanical ring doorbell, the last resort is purchasing a new Ring Chime or Ring Chime Pro. It can be installed easily and a good alternative for your mechanical doorbell chime and compatible too.
Moreover, a Digital Ring Chime is also compatible with a battery-operated ring doorbell that offers additional perks. You can connect your doorbell using Wi-Fi and choose your favorite chime sound too!
Wrapping it up
It is quite exciting to have your Smart Ring Doorbell get connected to a vintage mechanical doorbell chime. However, it can be quite a task to connect both devices. It is imperative to check if the wiring of the chime, transformer, and doorbell are appropriately connected and in good condition too.
Besides, do not forget to check your transformer’s AC power, which must be at least 8-16 volts, and choose a chime box that is compatible with the Ring. Lastly, if you do not find any of these perfect combinations, upgrade to a digital ring chime and resolve all your doorbell ring troubles.
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