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Door Bells and Chimes
Door bells and chimes are a good way for
visitors to alert you that they are at your
door. They consist of two parts: a button
to be placed outside the door and the chime
mechanism, which is to be placed in a central
area of the inside of the home where it can
be heard.
Begin by decide whether you want a wired
or unwired system. Wired units can be difficult
to install if the wiring is not already in
place. Unwired units are easier to install,
but they usually run on batteries, which
eventually will need to be replaced. Unwired
units are also typically limited to a range
of 100 to 150 feet between the button and
the chime mechanism. If you will not be able
to hear the ring in remote areas of your
house, garage or business, chime extenders
can be added to these units. Next, choose
an appropriate mechanism and button unit.
Mechanism
The bell or chime mechanism is
in a small
box, usually made from wood or
plastic. The
least expensive units will have
a simple
ring, usually sounding twice
for the front
door and once for the rear entrance.
More
costly units will allow you to
choose more
complex sets of tones, some up
to 64 different
choices, including special holiday
tunes.
- The appearance of the box is only a factor
if it will be visible, so pick according
to where you are going to place it. Generally,
the less expensive bell mechanisms should
be heard but not seen.
- Choose from a real bell or chime or an electronic
sound generator. The electronic versions
offer the variety of tunes, but the real
chimes are considered more luxurious.
- Make sure the mechanism can accommodate (both
in wiring and in sound differentiation) as
many buttons as you need.
Button
The door button can be lighted
or not, depending
on how visible you want it to
be. The button
can also be mounted in a small
escutcheon
plate that dresses it up. These
plates are
usually made from solid brass
but can be
finished to look like pewter,
nickel, copper
or an antique finish. Porcelain
is another
popular choice.
- Get one button per door
- If the visitor will not be able to hear the
chime, look for a button that gives some
form of feedback (such as the light goes
out) when pushed. Otherwise, they may "over
ring" the button thinking it is not
working.
- Additional features to look for is an entrance
alert which will activate the bell system
if doors, windows or gates are left open,
and an built in intercom, so that you can
verify the identity of anyone ringing your
bell.
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