How to Change Your Doorbell Button

Please tell me I’m not the only one with such a pitiful looking little doorbell button as this.  It was hanging on by one little screw.  It’s been like that since we bought the house SIX years ago!! (yes, I know…sad.)  On a whim we decided to replace it Saturday…..Yay…a very GOOD whim indeed! :0)

We took a little trip to Lowes and found a pretty Oil Rubbed Bronze doorbell button.  It was a little more than the rest, but after six years of living with the ugly one, $16.00 didn’t sound too bad.  It also lights up!

We also picked up a 1/8” masonry bit.  You have to buy a bit a little smaller around than your screws.

In the first picture, you can see my hubby is unscrewing that one little lone screw that’s held our doorbell button on for all this time. BEFORE you unscrew anything make SURE YOUR POWER IS TURNED OFF!  I had my hubby stand outside and continuously ring the bell until I found the right breaker than turned it off. I was lucky and got it on the first try!  When you take the screws out of your doorbell and take it off, you will have little wires attached to two screws on the back.

Unscrew each of the screws on the back, and remove the wires from around the screws.

You’ll be left with two wires sticking out of your wall.  We had two extra wires, I’m really not sure what they’re for, but they weren’t connected to our old button, so we didn’t worry with them. :0)

We didn’t realize until after we opened the doorbell we bought, that it had to be recessed in the wall, so my hubby chipped away the mortar with an old masonry bit and hammer until it was deep enough for the new doorbell to sit back into.

We then held the new doorbell button up and marked where the screws had to go, then drilled holes the depth of the screws that came with the button.

Loosen the screws on the back of your doorbell, and then wrap the bare part of each wire, around each of the screws and tighten them up. 

Here we are tightening the screws.  There weren’t any real clear instructions on which of the two wires went to which screw, but it said you’ll know if its right if the doorbell rings. If not, switch the wires around.  Wow…crazy instructions!

Here’s what ours looked like after we had the wires hooked up. (by the way, we got the wires right on the first try…no re-wiring!) :0)

Here is our doorbell being recessed back into the wall….

Then just screw the screws into the pre-drilled holes.

Isn’t is lovely?!  So much better!!

Here’s my honey trying out the new button!

And I bet you’ll never guess where this button is now…..yep, I trashed it! :0)

This was probably one of the easiest projects we’ve ever done….guess we should have done is SIX YEARS AGO!! ;0)

Blessings,
Missy

Disclaimer: I am in no way an electrician, this is just how we installed our doorbell, so I can’t be responsible for any differences in how yours might be hooked up. :0) Good Luck!

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