A doorbell or doorbell cam should only ring when someone is around pushing its button. If it keeps on ringing without anyone there due to phantom doorbell button pushing and whatnot then you should get to the bottom of the dilemma.
The Nicor Doorbell’s sweet chime informs you when there’s a visitor to your home, whether it’s relatives coming in for the holidays or an Amazon package. However, if its ringing doesn’t stop then that’s obviously an issue.
5 Tips to Fix a Nicor Doorbell That Keeps Ringing
Here are the 5 tips you can follow to troubleshoot a ceaselessly ringing Nicor Doorbell.
1. Press the Doorbell Button
Press the doorbell button to test if the constant ringing is from it being stuck. Pressing it can get it unstuck, in other words. From there, you can clean it up and get it unstuck. It should ring one more time but as a reward, it might stop ringing unprompted soon afterwards!
Holding the button for 5 seconds and releasing it should help unclog what’s kept it stuck. Or you can clean it out yourself with a light spray of alcohol and wet wipes or paper towels.
Gunk or moisture mixed with oil and dirt could have entered the outer parts of the button, leading it to get stuck like an errant key on your keyboard.
The doorbell could be constantly ringing because the stuck button won’t release itself after one press.
2. Reset Your Nicor Doorbell
Speaking of pressing the button, you can use that button to reset your Nicor doorbell. That might fix the incessant ringing. The doorbell’s simple design means there’s no exclusive reset button on the unit.
In order to reset your device, do the following, you need to turn of your circuit breaker on and off. You can’t turn off the doorbell with an off switch or reset switch.
One of the reasons why your Nicor doorbell constantly rings is that you have insufficient power and your breaker power isn’t turned on all the way through.
In order to reset your doorbell, reset your power instead:
- Turn off your home’s circuit breaker.
- Wait about 5 minutes then turn it on again.
- Observe if the doorbell keeps ringing or not.
3. Measure Your Home’s Voltage
The Nicor doorbell user manual specifically specifies that the device uses 120-volt AC power supply only. If your home’s voltage is way higher or lower than that then that could negatively affect the operation of the doorbell.
Ringing constantly is one of many symptoms of voltage issues. Measure your house voltage to see if that’s the case. If you have high or insufficient voltage, you can remedy it. You’ll need to wear safety footwear and gloves or hire an electrician to do it for you.
Get a multi-tester or multi-meter and do the following:
- Turn on the Multi-Meter: Press any of the buttons and have it turn on automatically. Go to the “V” option of your device’s dial in order to put it on voltage measurement mode.
- Insert the Black Probe First: Put on the left slot of your outlet the black probe. It’s the safest way of doing this step. The neutral slot of your outlet is the left slot, meaning it won’t relay power to the other multi-tester probe.
- Warning about Inserting the Red Probe First: If you insert the red probe to the right side first, the black probe could become like a “live wire”, meaning it should showcase the same voltage as the outlet. This could compromise your safety.
- Insert the Red Probe Second: Insert the red probe into the right slot of your outlet. Make sure it’s pushed all the way to ensure reading accuracy. You should get a 100-volt or higher reading. If you’re getting 2-digit readings, the multi-meter might be on the wrong setting.
- S. Safety Standards for House Voltage: The voltage range of 114 to 126 volts is acceptable. Anything way below or way above that can result in things like incessant doorbell ringing. If you don’t get exactly 120 volts on the meter, that’s fine. It should just be at that range.
If the value is way higher than 126 volts or much lower than 114 volts, have the electrician fix your wiring. You can hire a third-party electrician to fix things or have someone from your electric utility investigate.
Your inconsistent home electricity is a big issue. Aside from making your doorbell ring continuously, it could ruin the compressor of your A/C, heater, or refrigerator. Plugging appliances to high-voltage or low-voltage power can make them short circuit, blow a fuse, or ruin a motor.
4. Check If the Button’s Wiring is Compromised
The button’s wiring could be the issue if your house voltage runs within the safety range. The wiring of the button could be causing your doorbell to ring continuously. Press your doorbell and scope out the 2 electric wires inside it get in contact with one another.
This circuit triggers the doorbell ring every time you push the button. After you stop pressing the button, the 2 wires should lose their connection with one another. If this isn’t the case with your Nicor doorbell, then the button’s wiring must’ve shorted or somehow left stuck.
- The Ringing Should Stop When the Wires Lose Contact: If your doorbell continues to ring that means the button or the wires remain stuck even when you’re not pressing the button. It could be because of dirt or grime or the physical placement of the wiring.
- The Doorbell Itself Might Be Busted: There’s the possibility that your Nicor doorbell itself has malfunctioned. If that’s the case, you should get a new one. If your current one is still under warranty, you can have it replaced free of charge.
- Check If Your Doorbell Button is Malfunctioning: While wearing safety gloves and safety footwear, turn off your breaker. Nicor doorbells can only be turned off via breaker because they’re hardwired to your power or home’s circuitry.
- Remove the Switch and Check the Wiring: Remove the doorbell switch from the wall by unscrewing it and then lifting it away from the device. Now check the 2 wires connected to the device. Disconnect the wires in case they’re stuck.
- Turn on Breaker to Test the Doorbell: After removing a wire from your doorbell’s button, turn on the breaker. You can get an assistant to turn on the breaker for you or hold the doorbell. If you’re fixing the device in your lonesome, make sure the button isn’t hanging onto its wire.
- Make Sure the Nicor Doorbell Isn’t Hanging on a Wire: Get a high table, chair, or any surface and then lightly screw the doorbell to the wall. Now you can safely turn on your breaker to check if taking off one of the wires has fixed its phantom ringing.
- Is the Doorbell Ringing on Its Own? If the Nicor doorbell stopped ringing then it’s the wiring problem that caused its endless chimes in the first place. You should have your button or pushbutton replaced. Or you can buy a new doorbell if that’s the more practical route.
You can also get an electrician or Nicor technician to do this for you in case you’re uncomfortable with the DIY approach.
5. Contact the Pros or an Electrician
Contract a professional, like Nicor agents and technicians, if you’re having issues finding the root cause of your device malfunction. If you’re having issues tripping the breaker, using the multi-meter, or working with electricity, you can always hire someone to do all of these for you.
If you have exhausted the reasons for the ringing or if it is the 2 wires and button that led to the malfunction, it’s time to replace some Nicor doorbell parts or replace the unit itself and start anew. Unlike doorbell cams by Ring, no software issue typically causes the Nicor doorbell to malfunction.
Your last resort is to contact experts to help you like technicians or electricians or to buy a new Nicor doorbell. You can also get a more advanced Ring, Blink, Arlo, Nest, Wyze, and Logitech doorbell camera.
Related Questions
Review these related questions regarding Nicor doorbell troubleshooting.
Why Does the Nicor Doorbell Keep Ringing?
The Nicor doorbell might be stuck. The house’s voltage might be lower or higher than what’s considered as safe according to electricity standards. There are also cases wherein the device keeps ringing because its wiring has been somehow compromised.
Can a Nicor Doorbell Ring by Itself?
Yes. A doorbell can turn on and ring on its own. These phantom rings, as mentioned, can be caused by a stuck button, faulty wiring, or inconsistent or unsafe voltage from the home that requires acknowledgment and fixes by a qualified electrician since it can also damage your other appliances.
Can a Faulty Nicor Doorbell Cause a Fire?
A faulty Nicor doorbell or any brand of doorbell as well as electric fans, computers, and refrigerators can cause a fire in case a short circuit occurs in any of their connections, leading to flying sparks, busted fuses, and overheating motors.
Doorbells tend to use relatively low power. Therefore, its risk of causing a fire is lower compared to energy hogs like the A/C or the fridge. If its wires are exposed, then all bets are off regardless of voltage usage.
How Does One Know If the Nicor Doorbell Transformer is Bad?
You’ll need to use your multi-meter to test the voltage going through the transformer to check if It’s going bad or has gone bad. You can also get an electrician to do this for you. However, this is a pretty simple DIY test any homeowner can learn.
If the voltage is at 16 this means your transformer is running properly. If the voltage is under 16 you should replace your transformer ASAP.
Additional Tips
Having a doorbell makes answering the door convenient. You won’t have people shouting, knocking, or waiting for too long, especially if it’s a package you want to get in person, before any questionable neighbor or stranger steals your mail-order products.
The doorbell stops being a doorbell and starts becoming an alarm (or a false alarm). Put an end to the problem by investigating whether it’s a wiring or battery issue, software issue, or gunk stuck to the button, which in turn keeps it stuck.
References:
- Heather Robbins, “How To Fix A Doorbell That Keeps Ringing (Do This!)“, UpgradedHome.com, Retrieved December 16, 2022
- “NICOR Lighting PRCP2 PrimeChime Plus 2 Door Bell Kit, White“, Amazon.com, Retrieved December 16, 2022
