How to Install a Diode on a Push-Button Doorbell

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Things You'll Need

  • Screwdriver

  • Voltage tester

The diode for a doorbell is contained inside the cover plate.
Image Credit: Thinkstock Images/Comstock/Getty Images

A doorbell provides a means for a person to announce his presence at your front door. Often a doorbell is more audible throughout a home than a knock is. If the doorbell stops functioning correctly, one problem may be that the diode is damaged. The diode is a component that allows the doorbell to continue ringing after the button has been released.

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Step 1

Turn off the power to the circuit at the main electrical box.

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Step 2

Unscrew the mounting screws that keep the doorbell mounted to the house.

Step 3

Pull the doorbell away from the house, and test the wires with a voltage tester. If you get a reading, switch off a different circuit and test the line again. Proceed to Step 4 only after you have shut off the circuit that controls the doorbell.

Step 4

Loosen the terminal screws on the diode, and remove the wires. The diode is the flat plate behind the doorbell. Remove the diode and replace it with a new one.

Step 5

Wrap the wire leading from the transformer around one of the terminal screws on the diode, and tighten the screw.

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Step 6

Wrap the wire leading to the doorbell button to the other terminal screw, and tighten the screw. The diode is now installed in the circuit.

Step 7

Screw the doorbell back into place.

Step 8

Restore power to the circuit, and test the doorbell.

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