Doorbells are so convenient.
No knocking. No shouting.
All you’ll hear is a sweet chime from your Nicor doorbell when someone’s at your door.
However, when the ringing doesn’t stop…
Even the sweetest chime sound can become so annoying.
So today, it’s time to put an end to this problem.
Continue reading to discover:
- The reasons why your doorbell keeps ringing.
- 3 simple solutions you can try to stop this issue.
- How you can check if your doorbell’s wires are causing this problem.
- And this is just the beginning…
Why does my Nicor doorbell keep ringing?
Your Nicor doorbell keeps ringing because its button is stuck. This also happens when your house’s voltage is higher or lower than the safety standards. And in other cases, your Nicor doorbell keeps ringing because there’s a problem with its wiring.
Nicor doorbell keeps ringing: 5 fixes
#1: Press the doorbell button
Let’s start with the easiest way to silence your Nicor doorbell.
And that’s to press and hold its button.
See, your doorbell’s button may currently be stuck.
And that’s why it’s constantly ringing.
With that, you should press and hold this button for 5 seconds.
Then, let go and observe if the ringing continues.
You might also want to know: 7 Best Doorbell Cameras Without WiFi (Updated)
#2: Reset your Nicor doorbell
Your Nicor doorbell has a simple design.
So really, there’s no Reset button on its unit or anything.
However, there’s still an easy way to restart the system of your device.
And that’s to turn OFF your circuit breaker and turn it ON again.
See, insufficient power is 1 of the reasons why Nicor doorbells constantly chime.
And this can happen if your breaker isn’t ON all the way through.
That said, follow these…
Steps to reset your doorbell’s power:
- Turn OFF your house’s circuit breaker.
- Wait for 5 minutes.
- Turn it ON again.
Now, observe if you’re still hearing the chime.
If you are, then you should go ahead and…
#3 Measure your house’s voltage
You’ll see this statement on the first page of your Nicor doorbell’s manual:
“This fixture is used at 120V AC power supply only.”
So, if your house’s voltage is way lower or higher than 120V…
Your Nicor device can encounter various problems. And that includes your doorbell ringing constantly.
So now, what you should do is measure your house’s voltage.
Because this way, you can check if an insufficient or high voltage is causing this problem.
But, first, wear some safety gloves and footwear. So that you won’t risk shocking yourself while doing this process.
After that, prepare a multimeter/multitester and proceed with these…
Steps to test your house’s voltage:
Step 1: Turn ON your multimeter
In some multimeter models…
Pressing any button on the device will automatically turn it ON.
Step 2: Set your multimeter to measure voltage
For most models, you’d need to turn the device’s dial into the “V” option.
Step 3: Insert its black probe into the left slot of your outlet
“Can I do it the other way?”
Yes, you can.
However…
Reminder: Inserting the black probe into the left side first is the safest way to do this. That’s because the left side of your outlet is the “neutral” slot. Which means it won’t relay the electricity to the other probe of your multitester.
On the other hand, if you insert your red probe to the right side first…
The black probe will become “live,” which means it’ll have the same voltage your outlet does.
And that can be a safety issue. Especially if you’re not familiar with handling electricity.
Step 4: Insert the red probe into the right outlet slot
Ensure that you’re pushing it all the way through so that you can get an accurate reading.
After doing so…
Step 5: Read the voltage on your multimeter
Note: You should be getting a number higher than 100V. If you’re getting 2-digit numbers or lower, you might’ve set your multimeter to the wrong setting.
Want a visual guide to measure your house’s voltage? Watch this video:
Now, the US safety standards consider any voltage ranging from 114 to 126 acceptable.
That said, it’s alright if you didn’t get exactly 120V on your multimeter. As long as it’s within the said range.
However, if you got a value higher than 126V or lower than 114V…
You should contact a professional electrician. Or a representative of your electricity provider so they can fix your voltage.
That’s because your house’s electricity has an issue. And this is most likely the reason your Nicor doorbell keeps ringing.
Important: Plugging your appliances to a voltage that’s too high or too low can damage them. So you should address this issue as fast as possible.
You might also be interested: How Much Do Doorbell Cameras Cost? The Ultimate Guide
#4: Check if the button’s wiring is the problem
If your house’s voltage is within the safety standards…
Then this ringing problem may be caused by your Nicor device button’s wiring.
See, when you press your doorbell…
The 2 electric wires inside it get in contact with each other.
And as a result, the circuit that triggers your chime gets completed.
So, once your finger leaves the button…
The 2 wires lose contact with each other again, so the ringing stops.
However, there are instances when doorbells fail to separate their 2 wires. Even when you’re not pressing their button anymore.
That’s because, like other devices, doorbells can also fail with time.
That said, what you should do now is…
Check if your doorbell button is malfunctioning:
Important: Wear safety gloves and any footwear while doing this process.
Step 1: Turn OFF your house’s breaker
Nicor doorbells are wired, meaning they’re connected to your house’s circuit.
That said, turning off your house’s breaker is the only way to cut its power.
Step 2: Remove your doorbell switch from the wall
Unscrew and slowly lift your doorbell away from the wall.
After doing so, you’ll see the 2 wires connected to your doorbell.
So you can now proceed to…
Step 3: Disconnect 1 of the wires from the doorbell switch
It doesn’t matter which of the 2 you disconnect.
So just remove 1 of them from your doorbell’s button and proceed to…
Step 4: Turn ON your breaker
If someone else is available…
You should ask them to turn ON the breaker or to hold the doorbell in your stead.
But if you’re working on this fix alone…
First, ensure that your doorbell button isn’t hanging on its wire. And you can do that by:
- Placing it on a high table, chair, or any surface.
- Lightly screwing your doorbell to the wall again (just so it doesn’t fall).
Then, proceed to turn ON your breaker.
Step 5: Observe if your doorbell is still ringing.
If it’s no longer ringing, then your current button is malfunctioning.
So you should buy a new pushbutton replacement.
Pro tip: The brand of the switch doesn’t matter. That’s because all doorbell pushbuttons are designed the same way.
But if it’s still chiming, you should go ahead and…
#5: Contact professionals
If you’ve tried the previous fix yet your doorbell is still ringing…
Then it’s safe to assume that the problem lies in the wires connecting your doorbell to its power.
As mentioned earlier, your doorbell rings when its 2 wires are connected.
That said, if removing 1 of them from the switch didn’t stop the chiming…
That means the 2 wires are already connected even before they hit the switch.
And in this scenario, you need professional electricians to find where this “short” is.
So as your last resort, you should contact experts to help you.