Byron Wireless Doorbell Kit with Period Style Brass Bell Push on a 110mm x 110mm Square Jacobean Dark Oak Plinth

Product Information

When choosing your doorbell, there are many things to consider, various sounds, different sizes and styles. What follows is a discussion of the important decisions you need to make. If you choose a square door bell pull, you’ll just need to complete the installation with your chosen Butlers Bell.

This has a range of 128m and can be worn on a wrist strap or lanyard, and when you press the button it lights a green “I’m on my way” message to let your caller know you’re, well, on your way. The chime has a selection of melodies and the only thing to think about is the remote, which needs charging approximately every four days using the provided cable. If you’re not as fast on your feet as you used to be, this could be the doorbell for you. Wire free doorbell chimes come with a supplied plastic push button. An example of a wire free door chime kit is here. Key specs – Power: Mains/2 x AA battery; Quoted range: 150m; Chimes: 16; Flash alert: Yes; Mute function: Yes; Warranty: 12 months Both wired and wire free doorbells are available in a variety of sounds. It’s important to choose a pleasant sound you like, something attention grabbing, yet peacefully enjoyable. If you like simple sounds, go for a buzzing sound, ringing bell or a “ding-dong” classic chime. More sophisticated doorbells come with complex melodies and sound effects. It’s got an impressive range of up to 400m, 52 different chimes to choose from and five different volume levels, with the loudest measuring in at 115dB. The doorbell is IP55-rated, making it both dust and waterproof and Avantek says it will continue to operate in temperatures as low as -20°C. The Avantek Wireless Doorbell doesn’t do anything fancy or complicated but for the money, you will be getting a doorbell that’s perfectly serviceable and straightforward to install.

Never miss another visitor with the best battery and plug-in wireless doorbells

Flashing lights are a popular addition, allowing you to mute your doorbell to avoid waking the kids or alert those with weaker hearing that someone is outside. Some models even offer a dedicated mute function or options to silence the doorbell for a set period of time. The advantage of a hard wired doorbell system is that you can choose from a vast range of characterful bell pushes that come in all shapes and sizes and a multitude of finishes. The bell or chime may be powered either from the mains electricity supply or by using batteries. Battery life is important for battery-powered models because – trust us – you will keep putting off replacing the batteries for longer than you should. Wired Doorbells can be powered by batteries or transformers connected to a mains supply. The transformer drops the voltage to between 8 - 12v a/c - a safe voltage for external bell pushes. Transformers are normally external to the doorbell and are often positioned in the consumer unit, but can be positioned anywhere (they are ugly boxes are not normally visible). Some units have internal transformers which only require a mains connection. Battery wired doorbells are perfectly acceptable and for typical use batteries should last about 3 years - but they have the benefit of a simple DIY installation. Some units can either be powered by batteries or external transformers and the sound is produced by 2 different methods - mechanical or electronic. Mechanical action doorbells have a hammer hitting metal to produce a ding-dong, ringing bell or buzzer sound, whilst electronic chimes have pre-recorded melodies ( up to a choice of 17 for some models ). Unless they are sold as kits, a doorbell will need a bell push button and bell wire as well - the bell wire must be good quality to prevent "voltage drop" at these low voltages (a symptom is that the doorbell will sound feeble). Choosing a doorbell for a period property can be a challenge. Most period homeowners want to retain many of the original features or recreate the authentic look of their cottage or Victorian home. One of the first decisions to make involves the type of installation you want - do you want a solution involving an electric bell or a purely mechanical solution?

Transformers are available in 1 Amp and 2 Amp, if your doorbell is connected to only one door, a 1 Amp transformer will be sufficient, but for two-door installations, you would require a 2 Amp transformer. Key specs – Power: Mains + batteries; Quoted range: 128m; Chimes: 8; Flash alert: Yes; Mute function: No; Warranty: 24 months

A mains operated wired doorbell installation will require a push button, a transformer and a chime. Unless there is already an electrical installation in your property, a mains wired doorbell should always be installed by a qualified electrician. Wired doorbell kits Here is a selection of Wired doorbell kits. These Wired Doorbell kits can be powered by batteries only, transformer only or either battery or transformer depending on the model. Transformers connect to the mains and drop the voltage from 240v to 8v – 12Volt a/c for safe operation. On the subject of range, some wireless doorbells now promise to reach 100m to 400m. The larger your property, the greater range you will require, but 400m is ample to cater for a sizeable place so you’re unlikely to need anything more than that. Wire free doorbells are the easiest to install and are normally battery-operated. Instead of wires, radio waves are used to connect transmitter to the chime. In wire free doorbells, the transmitter is built into the switch button mechanism. Most wire free doorbells can be fixed to the wall using double-sided tape, or will screw simply into a wall and use batteries that are commonly available.

If you decide on an electric bell system, there are still a number of decisions you need to make. There are two types of electric doorbells – wired where there is a physical bell wire from the button to the bell/chime and wire free where the signal is transmitted wirelessly to the bell or chime so the bell or chime can be placed anywhere (within a defined range). With wired or wire free systems there may be a choice of mains power or battery for the bell itself. Ease of installation is a big factor here. Illuminated bell push buttons can be used with any make or type of wired doorbell that is powered by a transformer operating at 8,12, 16 or 24-volts A/C. They should not be use with battery operated chimes or Wired to Wirefree Extenders, since in both cases the light will drain batteries. The term, Surface Mount, means that the movement of the bell push button is in front the front plate, so there is only the need for a small hole behind the plate to accommodate the bell wire. Some doorbells offer a choice of wireless “channels” or frequencies. Some kind of link feature can also be useful, as certain wireless doorbells are susceptible to interference from electronics or car key fobs. It’s also worth looking for a push button that’s IP44-rated, as this means it should be protected against the hostile weather many UK front doors endure on a daily basis.