Help installing doorbell transformer

thazelnut · Nov 4, 2023

Hi everyone,

I need help installing a Lorex smart doorbell. I have tried to install a doorbell transformer several times to no avail.

The first transformer I installed, failed instantly, so I assumed it was faulty from the get go. The second one I installed, seemed to work fine, for about 7 months but it too failed. The last transformer I installed failed immediately just like my first one so I'm at a loss why the second one worked.

Here is what I have learned so far, and what I think may be useful to know to help me diagnose this issue:

When I measured the voltage of the last transformer using a multimeter, I found the voltage to be well above the capacity of the transformer. It was reading around 100v instead of 24v as I was expecting. After a few seconds, I noticed smoke from the transformer and voltage went down to 0.
The transformer is located inside of the circuit breaker. There is no dedicated circuit for it, but the original transformer was connected to the same circuit as our laundry machine. There was no piggyback wire, the doorbell wire (hot/black wire) was inserted into the breaker alongside the hot from the laundry machine. I'm not sure if this is why the voltage is so high.
We have an old Friedland 10 chimebox, but apparently this chime is not compatible with our Lorex doorbell. Even so, the doorbell still worked previously, I was just unable to use the chime kit that came with the doorbell.

I have attached pictures of the chimebox and the circuit breaker with the doorbell transformer. I am frankly embarassed about wasting so many transformers and felt like reaching out to learn from the experts and hopefully figure this out.

thazelnut · Dec 26, 2023

NEW UPDATE: 12/25/2023
Hey everyone, so I solved my doorbell issue. Turns out there were two reasons why my doorbell wasn't turning on.

1.) The transformer: For the Lorex doorbell that I use, I needed a specific type of transformer (16v 30VA transformer). I had to specially order this from Amazon, because I wasn't able to find this at any local hardware store. I previously used a 8-24v Heath Zenith tri-volt transformer. While this transformer did power on my doorbell at first, it was causing damage over time.

2.) The Doorbell: By the time I used the correct transformer to power the doorbell, it had already been damaged previously due to the incorrect transformer. I mistakenly thought the transformer couldn't be the issue, because the doorbell was powered on for 6-7 months with the old transformer. In reality, though the doorbell was powered on, it was being damaged until it eventually failed to turn on via hard wiring at all.

Interestingly, enough, despite the fact that the doorbell wouldn't turn on via hard wiring when it was damaged, it was still able to be charged via USB connection to my PC. Either way, after getting a replacement doorbell and using the correct transformer, everything is working great. Hope this helps future readers!