Wireless Doorbell

Wireless doorbells are a great invention for anyone who needs a new doorbell but isn’t too happy about poking around in their house’s wiring system, which is most people.  While once upon a time they were very expensive, wireless doorbells today are so cheap that it’s hard to understand why anybody would choose a wired doorbell instead.

Wireless doorbells work through radio frequencies, just like remote controls, so they’re very easy to install.  In most cases you just attach the ringer or ringers outside near your door, put the chime inside wherever it’s most likely to be heard at all times, add batteries and the system works – although please make sure to always read the instructions that come with the specific model you buy as some models do things a little differently.

When buying a wireless doorbell, there are definitely several things you need to consider.  The first is how many ringers you want and also how many chime units you want.  Most wireless doorbells come with two ringers or doorbell units, so you can put one on the front door and one at the back door.  Some however only come with one ringer, so if this is important for you make sure you check.  Conversely, the standard is for only one chime unit, but some do come with two, so you can put one upstairs and one downstairs, for example.  Some usually more expensive models also come with a portable chime unit, so you can move it around the house with you if necessary, instead of it being fixed in one place.  If this is necessary for you, then you should get it, but if not it’s more likely to be a nuisance than to be very much help.

Another thing to consider is the range of the doorbell you’re buying, and how big you need the range to be.  The range is the maximum distance at which the doorbell and the chime unit can communicate, so if you have them further apart the unit simply won’t work.  Make sure that you measure how far apart you want the two units to be before you start shopping and make sure whatever you buy has a range of well over what you need it to be.  The range varies hugely, with some models offering less than 50 feet and some over 500.  It’s often directly related to price, so consider this as well when planning what to buy.

One thing that many people forget to do when buying online is to try and listen to the sounds of the doorbell, or at least to check how many options it has.  Many online stores will allow you to listen to the chimes before buying, so make sure you like at least one or two of them.  If you can’t listen to them, at least make sure that there are a few options so that if you don’t like the default one, you have some options.

Finally, remember the aesthetics.  Make sure the doorbell you buy is something that suits the outside of your home – even though it’s a small and seemingly insignificant thing, if you get a doorbell that really doesn’t suit your house, it will stick out and look ugly.  At a minimum decide on a color or two that you think will be suitable before you start shopping.