Contents:
A garbage disposal that doesn't have anything stuck in the cutting chamber but seems to be hard to turn or will work with effort until left alone for a day or two probably has a bad bearing caused by a leak at the shaft seal. Of course, water gushing out of the lower part of the disposal (or *any* amount of water dripping from inside the motor housing) is one indication that there is a leak! This also represents a safety hazard so the disposal should be left unplugged and not be used even if it still runs. By the time the leak is detected, it is probably too late to save the disposal as corrosion of the steel shaft, excessive wear of the bronze bushing, as well as possible electrical damage has already occurred. Realistically, there is nothing that could have likely been done in any case. It is virtually impossible to repack such a bearing in such a way to assure that a leak will not develop in the near future.
My general recommendation is to get the approximately $100 1/2-3/4 Hp Sears (ISE In-Sinkerator(tm) manufactured) unit when it is on sale (which is about every week). These now have at least a 4 year warranty. If your previous garbage disposal was an ISE In-Sinkerator or Sears, then replacement is usually a 10 minute job if the under-sink plumbing is in reasonably good condition (doesn't crumble to dust when you touch it). If the part that mounts to the sink is not corroded and not leaking, I just leave it alone. The only tools required are a screwdriver and wire strippers (possibly) to move the power cord or cable to the new unit and a screwdriver or socket driver and a large adjustable wrench or pliers to unscrew the drain pipe and dishwasher connection (if used). Complete instructions should be provided with the replacement unit.
Sump pumps come in two major varieties: 1. Pedestal - a motor on top of a 3 foot or so pole drives an impeller at the bottom of its long shaft. Only the base may be submerged. These motors are quite reliable but the bearing can rot/rust/sieze at the base where it may be under water or at least in a humid environment. 2. Submersible - a motor, usually totally enclosed in a sealed pump housing within an oil bath drives an impeller. The entire unit is designed to be fully or partially submerged in the sump hole. The casing may leak at the bearing (if not magnetically coupled) or at the wire connections. Repair of these motors is probably not worth the effort. Utility pumps are often of the submersible variety. Three types of automatic switches are commonly used: 1. Float/weight on a wire, rod, or string pulls on a spring action toggle type switch. The length of the linkage is adjusted for the appropriate low and high water settings. These will be used mostly with pedestal pumps. If properly sized, this type of switch can be quite reliable - I have a sump pump using this type of switch which is easily 30 years old at this point without ever having any problems with the switch. 2. Mercury tilt switch sealed inside a rubber float. By fastening its connecting wire to a suitable location, the level of the water will cause the float to pivot from horizontal the more vertical. An enclosed mercury switch then controls power to the pump motor. These are not serviceable but replacements are readily available. 3. Diaphragm pressure switch designed to sense the depth of the water from the trapped pressure. As above, these are not really serviceable but can be easily replaced by the same or a mercury type (2). Most common problems are with switches that are no longer reliable or totally broken. Universal replacements are generally available since the switch is not usually an integral part of the motor/pump unit.
Since there are a semiinfinite number of variations on electrically powered toys, the only comment I have is that these are almost always combinations of small PM motors, switches, batteries, light bulbs - and totally impossible to identify electronic components. With small kids, physical destruction is probably a much more common occurrence than a part failure!
Typical garage door operators use a 1/3 to 3/4 horsepower induction motor with a belt drive chain or screw mechanism to move the 'trolley' that actually grabs the door. A switch or pair of switches activated at each end of travel stops the motor and toggles the state (up or down) of the controller. Door blockage sensors detect obstructions and stop or reverse travel. A light turns on with motor start and stays on for 3-5 minutes thereafter, controlled by a simple timer. Parts of a typical garage door operator (chain drive). Details may differ on operators with worm screw or other drive schemes. 1. Motor - single phase induction motor of about 1/2 horsepower at 862 or 1725 (or so) RPM. It is electrically reversible with a large ratio V-belt drive (probably about 25:1 for a 1725 RPM motor between motor shaft and chain sprocket). 2. Chain or screw drive - often needs lubrication. Make sure grease will not harden at low temperatures if relevant (e.g., Lubriplate). 3. Limit switches - set top and bottom positions of door. 4. Safety stop - a means of sensing when excessive force is required to move the door. Some types use a compliant motor mount such that excessive torque will result in a twist which closes a set of contacts to reverse or stop the door. 5. Logic controller - a some relays or a microcontroller. 6. Remote receiver - a radio receiver tuned to the frequency of the hand unit. Logic here or in the controller checks the transmission to determine if the codes match. More sophisticated units employ a pseudo-random code changing scheme to reduce the chance of code theft. This is usually in a box on the wall connected to the motor unit by a pair of wires. 7. Light bulbs and timer - in many Sears as others, the timer is a bimetal strip heated to operate a set of contacts. The on-time is determined by how long it takes for the bimetal strip to cool. These fail after about 10 years but replacements are readily available.
1. No response from remote or local buttons. Test power to both the motor
unit and control box (they may be separate) outlets. The operator or
some other device might have blown a fuse or tripped a circuit breaker.
Verify that the connection between the wall box and the motor unit is in
tact - check the screw terminals on the motor unit - a wire may have fallen
off. Check the circuit breaker (red button) on the motor unit - an overload
or an undetected cycling condition (an obstruction causing the door to keep
going up and down continuously) may have tripped it. Warning: pressing
this button may result in the door starting to move immediately.
2. Local (inside) buttons work but remote unit is dead. Check and/or replace
batteries in the remote unit, confirm that the the code settings have not
accidentally changed (unit dropped, for example), go through the set up
procedure outlined in your users manual. Find a cooperative neighbor with
the same model and try their remote unit (after writing down their settings
and reprogramming it for your door). If this works, your remote unit is
bad. If this does not work, you have a receiver problem.
3. Motor operates (you can hear it) but door does not move. This can be caused
by a broken or loose belt, snapped door counterbalance spring, locked door,
disconnected or broken trolley, logic problems causing the motor be turning
in the wrong direction, and other mechanical problems. If the motor
runs for about the normal time, then the trolley is probably moving but
not attached to the door. If it runs until forever or the overload pops,
then a broken belt is likely.
4. Door opens or closes part way and reverses, stops, or twitches back and
forth:
* The tracks may need lubrication, there may be an obstruction like a broom
that fell over into the vertical rails.
* The gear timing may be messed up. The upper and lower limits may be
determined by switches operated from a cam separate from the trolley that
moves the door. If you just reassembled the mechanism, this is a likely
possibility.
* The safety stop sensors may be set to be too sensitive.
* In extremely cold weather, the grease may simply be too viscous or just
gummed up.
5. Door opens and closes at random. There can be several possible causes:
* A neighbor has a similar model and has selected the same code (probably
the factory default - did you actually ever pick your own code?).
* Interference from nearby high power amateur, CB, or military or commercial
radio transmitters may be confusing the receiver. Suggest to them that
they relocate :-).
Are there such things as IR remote controls for garage door openers
instead of the usual radio frequency variety?
* The push button switch on your one of your remotes or receiver module
is defective - a weak or broken spring - and it is activating the door
due to vibration or just because it feels like it. Test the switches.
On the hand units, you can just remove the batteries for a day and see
if the door stops misbehaving.
Assuming the unit otherwise operates normally and you have tried replacing the light bulb(s): For many types (Sears, Genie, etc.), there is a thermally operated time delay consisting of a coil of resistance wire, a bimetal strip, and a set of contacts. When the operator is activated, power is applied to the heater which causes the bimetal strip to bend and close the contacts turning on the light. Due to the mass of the bimetal strip, it takes a couple of minutes to cool down and this keeps the light on. The most common failure is for the fine wire in the heater to break at some point. If you can locate the break, it may be repairable at least as a temporary solution. You cannot solder it, however, so a tiny nut and bolt or crimp will be needed. However, sticking contacts resulting in a light that does not always go off are also possible. Cleaning the contacts may help. This part is very easily accessed once the sheetmetal cover is removed. It is probably somewhere in the middle of the unit fastened with three screws. Just remember to unplug the operator first! Depending on the manufacturer, the original part may be available. I know that it is for Sears models. You could also use a time delay relay or a solid state circuit (RC delay controlling a triac, for example) but an exact replacement should be just a whole lot less hassle.
You press the button to close the door and it works fine. However, next time you press the button to make the door go up and it tries to go down into the ground. When it gets to the end of the track - be it at the top or bottom, there must be something that it trips to shut down the motor. At the same time, this is supposed to set things up so that the next activation will reverse the door. Does the door stop and shut off when it reaches the end or does it eventually just give up and trip on the safety? When it trips the switch to stop at the end of its travel, some mechanism is toggled to change the 'state' of the door logic so that it knows to go up the next time it is activated. It is probably this device - be it a latching relay, mechanical two position switch, or a logic flip flop - that is not being properly toggled. I would recommend attempting to determine what device that switch is actually supposed to toggle - it probably is in the operator unit itself (not the control box).
"I've got 2 Genie garage door remotes. One of them works from about 100 yards away; the other I almost have to be right next to receiver. I suspect that the antenna is the problem; either too short, or blocked by something." First compare the antennas on the two remotes. If they are the same and there are no broken connections, your problem lies elsewhere. The chance of the wire itself being bad is pretty slim. It could also be that the receiver and transmitter frequencies are not quite identical. If the remote units have been abused, this is more likely. I don't know about Genie but my (old) Sears has trimmers and I was able to adjust it *very* slightly to match that of the receiver and boost sensitivity. CAUTION: If you try this (1) mark the exact position where it was originally and (2) do it only on the transmitter that has the problem. This will minimize the possibility of shifting the frequency to where it might interfere with other devices. See the section: "Adjusting garage door operator remote unit" for more information.
This situation may arise if one hand unit operates normally but the other has a very short range. If you have only one hand unit, it might also be the problem though not likely to have just happened on its own - either it was improperly set up at the factory (if new) or hand unit was dropped once too often. It should not work at all if the switches are set improperly. In such a case, first test and/or replace the battery. If this does not help, check the switch settings. The tuning is done via a variable capacitor trimmer (probably). There will probably be a trimmer inside the hand unit (don't touch the one in the receiver). Position yourself at a reasonable distance and use a plastic tool to adjust it until the door operates while holding the button down. The door will respond at increasing distances as you approach the optimal setting. Note: mark the original position first in case this has no effect! This assumes there is an adjustment - if there is none, you may have an actual electronic failure, bad connections, etc.
Where a garage is constructed with aluminum siding, the remote signal may be significantly attenuated and of insufficient strength to activate the receiver module (inside the garage) of the opener at any useful distance or at all. Assuming the system operates normally otherwise (i.e., activation is normal with the door open), two approaches (either or both together) can be taken to solve this problem: 1. Locate the receiver module (well, actually, its antenna) in an area of unsided wood, glass window, or other non-metallic area of the building. Note that construction insulation may use aluminum foil as part of its vapor barrier so there could be problems even in an area with no siding. 2. Extend the antenna on the receiver module. This may not always work but is worth a try. A 1 or 2 foot length of copper wire may help dramatically. 3. There are external antenna kits available for some door openers. The antenna goes outside, and connects to the receiver through a hole in the wall using coaxial cable. You will probably have to go directly to the manufacturer of your garage door opener or a garage door opener service company.
So you lost your garage door remote or it got run over by your 4x4 :-). Or, it just expired due to age. There are alternatives other than an entire new operator if the remote is no longer available: (From: Kirk Kerekes (redgate@tulsa.oklahoma.net)). Go to a home center, and wander over to the garage door openers. Nearby, you will find GDO accessories, and among the accessories will be a universal replacement remote kit that includes a receiver, a transmitter and possibly a power supply. For about $40, you can by and install the receiver in place of the existing receiver. If your home center carries Genie openers, you can even get an Intellicode add-on unit that uses Genie's scanner-proof code-hopping technology.
First, check the lubrication. The most common problem is likely to be gummed up grease in the chain drive (if used) or the bearings of the rollers. Note: the track itself generally doesn't require lubrication. Increasing the safety override force settings may help but are not a wise solution as the door will then be more of a hazard to any legitimate obstructions like people and pets. Another possibility is that the motor start/run capacitor has weakened and is not permitting the motor to provide the proper torque. You can test the capacitor if you have a DMM with a capacitance scale or LCR meter. Better yet, just replace it.
"My remote broke for my very old (defunct) chamberlain automatic garage door opener. Chamberlain tech support told me they suggest I buy a whole new unit. Is there any other way to make my door usable with a different remote, or some other arrangement?" (From: Panayiotis Panayi (panikos@mishka.win-uk.net)). Which Chamberlain operator is it, i.e. which model number. You can buy the handsets for Chamberlain operators up to 5 years old. If it is older you will have to buy a new Rx & Tx for it. Most operators have three screw terminals on the back for the attachment of Rxs. The old Chamberlain operators conformed to this. The new ones have the Rx built onto the main PCB inside the operator and have 4 screws externally for pushbuttons and infra red safety beams. If yours has 4 screws you will have to provide a separate PSU for the new Rx or solder two pieces of wire after the step down transformer on the PCB. You must do it before the rectifiers. Otherwise the current drain from the Rx will be too big for them. Besides almost all modern separate Rxs take 24 VAC.
While manufacturers of garage door operators make excellent claims of security, this is of no value if you don't take advantage of whatever features are included in your unit. If there is access to your house from the garage, this security is even more critical. Once inside the garage, a burglar can work in privacy at their leisure - and a nice set of tools is probably there for their convenience in getting through your inside door! Filling up a good sized car or truck with loot - again in complete privacy - drive out and close the door behind. No one will be the wiser until you get back. 1. DIP switches. Many garage door operators use a set of 8, 12, 16, or more little switches to set the codes of the remote and base unit. If you have never set these, then your are probably still using the manufacturer's default - and all instances of the same model probably have the same code! Change it to something random - pick a number out of a random page in a telephone directory or something like that. Do not select something cute - others, perhaps with not totally honest intentions - will think the same way. You don't have to remember it so an arbitrary totally random setting is fine. However, even the types with 24 switches - that is over 16 million possible codes - can be sniffed: a relatively simple device can monitor your transmission as you open the door and program a special remote unit to duplicate it. 2. More sophisticated units incorporate a scheme whereby the codes change each time the operator is used in a pseudo-random manner which is almost impossible to duplicate. Even sniffing such a code is of no use as the next instance is not predictable. 3. Don't leave your remote unit prominently displayed in your car - it is an inviting target. Theft is not necessary - just a moment to copy down the switch settings may be enough. Lock your car! Also, leave a bogus remote unit in plain view (from your previous operator). 4. Just because the codes are secure doesn't mean that you are safe. The keylocks that are present on many operators to open the door from the outside are pretty pathetic. They can be picked in about the same time it takes to use a key - with ordinary tools - or often with any key that will fit the keyhole. My advice: replace with a high quality pick resistant keyswitch. A well designed electronic lock may be best. When going away for an extended period, use the physical lock on the garage door itself as added protection and unplug the garage door operator.
In a garage door operator, the transformer likely powers the controller and receiver. If you can look at where its outputs go, you may be able to infer something about the voltage even if the transformer is a charred mass. * If there are AC relays in the box, they almost certainly run off the transformer and their coil voltage will be the same if it is the only one). * Check the capacitors in the power supplies of the controller and/or receiver. They will give an indication of the approximate secondary voltage of the transformer. Their voltage rating will typically be 1.5 to 2 times the RMS of the transformer. * Many of these transformers include a thermal fuse under the outer wrappings of insulating material. These may fail from old age or due to a fault. If the transformer works fine without overheating when replaced (or bypassed temporarily on a fused circuit), then it may be fine. However, shorted windings can cause a thermal fuse to blow and there is then no electrical test that will reveal the proper output voltage. * Disassemble the transformer and count the number of turns of the primary and secondary windings. The ratio multiplied by 115 is the output voltage. * Get a 24 V transformer (it is probably not more than this) and connect its primary to a Variac and its secondary to the opener. Slowly increase the variac until everything works. (check every volt or so from 5 to 24). Measure the output voltage of the transformer, add 10-20%, you've probably got the secondary rating. If it is near a standard value like 12 or 24, this is most likely correct. * Buy a new opener.
Most of these consist of a low voltage transformer powered directly from
the house wiring providing 10 to 20 VAC at its output, one or more switches
for the front door(s), one or more switches for the back door(s), and an
electromagnetic chimes unit.
All of the switches for a given location (i.e., inside and outside the storm
door) are wired in parallel. There will be three terminals on the chimes
unit - Common (C), Front (F), and Back or Rear (B or R). This notation may
differ slightly for your unit. Typical wiring is shown below. An optional
second chimes unit is shown (e.g., in the basement or master bedroom - more
can be added in parallel as long as the bell transformer had an adequate VA
rating.)
Bell Transformer Chimes
H o----+ Unit
)|| X _|_ Front door F
)|| +-----+------- --------------------o
)||( |
115 VAC )||( | _|_ Back door B
(Junction box) )||( +------- --------------------o
)||(
)||( Y C
)|| +----------------------------------o
)||
N o----+
* The primary side of the transformer is generally wired permanently inside
a junction box. This could be almost anywhere but the most common location
is near the main electrical service panel.
* The common goes to terminal 1 of the transformer (the designation 1 and 2
is arbitrary - it may not be marked).
* All the front door buttons are wired in parallel and this combination
connects between terminal 2 of the transformer and the F terminal of the
chimes unit.
* All the back door buttons are wired in parallel and this combination
connects between terminal 2 of the transformer and the B or R terminal of
the chimes unit.
Where the pushbuttons are lighted, a small incandescent bulb is wired across
the switch contacts and mounted inside the button unit. It is unlikely that
this bulb will ever burn out since it is run at greatly reduced voltage.
However, if the button does not light but the bell works, this has happened.
Replace the pushbutton/light combination - locating a replacement bulb may
not worth the effort though Radio Shack is supposed to have something that
will work.
Most 'not-chiming' problems are due to the one or more of the following:
* Defective switches - these do go bad due to weather and use. Test with
a multimeter on the AC voltage range. You should see the transformer voltage
across the switch when it is not pressed and near 0 voltage across it
when it is pressed. If only one location does not work, a defective switch
is likely. Sometimes the wires just come loose or corrode at the terminals.
These can be cleaned - with fine sandpaper if necessary - and reconnected.
Note: where multiple switches operate the chimes from similar locations,
multiple wires may be connected to each switch terminal. Don' mix these up
or lose them inside the wall!
* Bad connections. These could be anywhere but unless you just did some
renovation which may have damaged the wiring, the most likely locations
are at the switches, transformer terminals, or chimes. However, this
sort of installation might have been done by just twisting wires together
when extra length was needed and these can go bad. They could be anywhere.
Good luck finding the corroded twists! Then, use Wire Nuts(tm) or solder
them together to assure reliability in the future.
If just a single location doesn't work, that should narrows down the problem.
If only one switch does not work, first test the switch. If disconnecting
the wires from the switch does not result in full transformer voltage across
the wires, then there is a bad connection between you and the transformer,
the transformer has no power, is defective, or there is a short circuit
somewhere.
* Incorrect wiring at chimes unit. This commonly happens when someone replaces
the chimes unit and forgets to label the wires :-(. It is often difficult
to follow the wires since they pass through door jams, finished basement
ceilings, and may not be color coded. But checking it is easy to with a
multimeter or the chimes themselves. An assistant would be helpful - else
you can just short across the front or back buttons as required below.
1. Disconnect the wires from the chimes unit terminal block.
2. Have your assistant press the front door button.
3. Determine which pair of wires has full voltage - use the multimeter or
touch them between C and F on the chimes unit. Make a note of which ones
they are. One of these wires is will be C and the other is F.
Note: due to coupling between the wires, there may be some voltage across
all combinations. The most will be across the relevant one (and this will
be the only combination that will sound the chimes if you are using them
as a voltage indicator).
4. Have you assistant press the back door button.
5. Determine which pair of wires now has voltage.
6. Connect the wire that is the same as one of those in (3) to the C
terminal, the other wire of the pair to B, and the remaining wire to F.
* Bad transformer or loss of power to transformer. The transformer will
often be located near the main service panel but not always. Sometimes it
is a challenge to locate! To test, proceed as follows (this can be done
with power on - the low voltage is safe but test first to make sure you
have the correct transformer!):
1. Disconnect one of the wires from its output terminals and then test across
it with a multimeter on the AC voltage range. There should be the full
rated transformer voltage across these terminals (actually, it will
probably be 10 to 20 percent greater). The rated voltage of the
transformer should be marked on it somewhere.
- If there is voltage and it is approximately equal to the transformer's
rated voltage, the transformer is probably good.
- If there is none, check for a blown fuse, tripped breaker, or tripped
GFCI; some other equipment may have overloaded the circuit. Actual
failure of the transformer blowing a fuse or tripping a breaker is
rare.
A quick test to determine if the transformer is being powered is to
feel it! The transformer should be warm but not hot to the touch. If
it is stone cold, either there is no power or a bad connection in the
input line) circuit.
- If there is voltage and it is approximately equal to the transformer's
- If the voltage is much lower than the rated voltage, the transformer
may be bad. In this case, it will likely be quite hot due to a short
circuit inside.
2. Assuming the voltage checks out, reconnect the wire your previously
removed.
3. If it is now low or 0, there is a short circuit somewhere. Note: a short
on the secondary of this type of transformer will cause it to run quite
hot but may not result in a blown fuse or tripped breaker or even any
permanent damage to the transformer.
4. If the chimes sound as you reconnect the wire, there is a short in or
at one of the pushbutton switches or associated wiring.
5. If the voltage remains the same, then the transformer is probably good
and the problem lies elsewhere - bad switch, bad connection, defective
chimes.
* Dirty or defective chimes. Most common problems are not electrical but
mechanical - the plungers that strike the actual chime or gong do not move
freely due to dirt and grime (especially in a kitchen location) or corrosion.
Usually, wiping them clean or some light sanding will restore perfect
operation. Do not lubricate as the oil will just collect crud and you will
be doing this again in the near future. If they move freely, then you have
an electrical problem. Also note that these chimes are designed to be
mounted with the plungers moving vertically. There is likely a 'this side
up' indication on the unit - if you are experiencing problems with a new
installation in particular, verify your mounting!
Test for voltage between the Common and Front or Back terminals when the
appropriate button is pressed.
- If correct voltage is present, disconnect the non-common wire and check the
resistance between the Common and the terminal for the chime that is not
working - it should be reasonably low, under 100 ohms. If the resistance
is infinite, the coil is open. Unless you can locate the broken wire, the
chimes unit will need to be replaced.
- If the voltage is missing, the problem is probably elsewhere.
- If the voltage is low, there may be a partial short in the coil, the
transformer may be underrated for your chimes (not all chimes take the
same amount of power), or there may be a high resistance somewhere else
in the wiring.
There are at least two ways of doing this (though the first one is more
straightforward and intuitive and therefore generally preferred).
1. Locate the wires going to the first chimes unit. There will be either 2
or 3 (both front and back door). Connect the new chimes unit to these
same wires in parallel:
Bell Transformer Chimes Chimes
H o----+ Unit 1 Unit 2
)|| X _|_ Front door F F
)|| +-----+------- --------------------o---------o
)||( |
115 VAC )||( | _|_ Back door B B
(Junction box) )||( +------- --------------------o---------o
)||(
)||( Y C C
)|| +----------------------------------o---------o
)||
N o----+
The only concern is whether the existing transformer that operates the
chimes has enough capacity - you may need to replace it with one with a
higher 'VA' rating (the voltage rating should be the same). These are
readily available at hardware and electrical supply stores and home
centers.
Some people might suggest just paralleling an additional transformer across
the original one (which may be possible if the output phases match). I
would really recommend simply replacing it. (This is probably easier
mechanically in any case.) Unless the transformers output voltages as
designed are identical, there will be some current flowing around the
secondaries at all the times. At the very least, this will waste power
($$) though overheating is a possibility as well.
2. Each additional chimes unit or group of chimes units can use its own
transformer but share the doorbell pushbuttons. Just wire point 'X' of the
transformers together and each point 'Y' separately to the C (common)
terminal on its respective chimes unit(s):
Bell Transformer Chimes Chimes
H o----+ Unit 1 Unit 2
)|| X _|_ Front door F F
)|| +-----+------- --------------------o---------o
)||( |
115 VAC )||( | _|_ Back door B B
(Junction box) )||( +------- --------------------o---------o
)||(
)||( Y C C
)|| +----------------------------------o +----o
)|| |
N o----+ From output Y of identical o--------+
second bell transformer
(H, N, X, wired in parallel)
However, since the 'Y' outputs of the transformers are connected at all
times to the 'C' terminals of the of the chimes units AND the 'X' outputs
are tied together, any voltage difference between the 'Y' outputs will
result in current flow through the chimes coils even if no button is
pressed. Thus, the transformers must be phased such that there is no (or
very little) voltage between 'Y' outputs. Test between 'Y' outputs with a
multimeter set on AC Volts after you have the transformers powered: if you
measure about double the transformer voltage rating (e.g., 32 VAC), swap
ONE set of transformer leads (input or output but not both) and test again.
If it is still more than a couple volts, your transformers are not matched
well enough and you should purchase identical transformers or use the
approach in (1), above.
Note: For either of these schemes, beyond some number of chimes units, the
current rating of the pushbutton switches will be exceeded resulting in early
failure. However, this should not happen unless your house is similar in size
to Bill Gates' mansion.
* Another alternative: If you have an unused baby monitor type intercom (your
kid is now in college), stick the transmitter next to the main chimes and put
the receiver in your workshop or wherever you want it :-).
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