I have one doorbell transformer that provides low-voltage electricity to a doorbell chime and doorbell button at my front door. I want to add a 2nd doorbell button and doorbell chime to my side door.

My question is...
Can I route a new doorbell wire for my side door to the doorbell transformer at the front door? Or would it be easier to just get another doorbell transformer for the side door along with another doorbell button and doorbell chime?

 

Most chimes have two connections one for the front door and one for the back door. If the back door isn't wired you could use the back door terminal for the side door.

If you want a second chime you will need a transformer of greater then 15 V/A. Your current one is probably 10 or 15 V/A.

 

That's a great diagram Ray. Thanks. Here's my problem. The significant other who is calling the shots, definitely wants to have a totally different chime for the side door. Your diagram only has one chime.

Is there a way to do this? I mean, I am looking at doing either...

• 2 doorbell buttons + 2 chimes + 1 transformer
  - or -
• 2 doorbell buttons + 2 chimes + 2 transformers

 

Ray's diagram shows a standard two door chime unit.
When you push the front door button it goes "ding dong"
When you push the side door button it only gives one note.... usually a "ding"

 

Either way is possible. You won't even need to upsize your transformer. The method you use would depend on which is easier to wire. One gotcha. Unless the two chimes are distinctive how will you know which door. With a single chime the back/side door would give a single dong and front multiple ding dong.

 

The existing transformer can be wired to both chimes if it has the proper voltage and amperes for either chime all by itself.

The only time the chimes would not sound and/or the transformer would be overloaded is if buttons were pushed to ring both chimes at the same time, which is very unlikely.

 

Thanks guys. I think I can do it ok if I use a junction box to split the electricity before each run gets to a separate transformer. Alternatively, I may try to do it the way that some of you are suggesting... That is, to use one single transformer and route that to two independent chimes. I definitely am going with two separate chimes instead of one chime that can ring two different tunes.

Soooo... Is thee a diagram out there that shows how to route one transformer to two independent chimes that go to two different doorbell buttons?

 

Here is one way with a single transformer.

 

Ray, so from your diagram my understanding is that...

• Doorbell button wires go to each separate chime
• Doorbell button wires also go to a common wire feeding the transformer
• The separate wires for the chime go to a common wire feeding the transformer

Is my understanding correct? BTW, thanks for taking the time to draw that out. I am concerned about making a pigtail (common wire) from the thermostat doorbell wires I am going to use. I have some limited experience with making pigtails with electrical wires, but am worried I might screw up something with the doorbell wires that is going to cause me a lot of troubleshooting headache.

 

You're going to have a transformer with two wires on one screw terminal and two wires on the screw terminal.

 

Just use a wire nut and it should be fine or put two wires under the screw as PJ suggested. I'd go with the pigtail but either way will work..

 

Do I need to do the pigtail connection with wire nuts in a junction box before the pigtail reaches the transformer. BTW, the transformer is not in a junction box.

If I was doing a pigtail connection for standard electrical wire, I would use a junction box to house that connection. However, thermostat wires are just low-voltage wires. What could be the harm? I mean, is it ok to make up the connection to a pigtail without using a junction box?

 

Low voltage wiring does not require a junction box.