In today's world of foreclosures, repossessions and short sales, I'm no longer surprised at what people take from a house...but really, a doorbell button? So the new owners called this Las Vegas handyman and asked if we could install a new doorbell button.
If you are missing your doorbell button, the first thing to do is to touch the wires together. If you get the "ding-dong" sound, then the only thing you need is a button. If you don't get the "ding-dong" sound, then you will have to troubleshoot the problem. Read how to troubleshoot your doorbell repair.
All that is left to do is to buy a replacement button. You can install whatever style and size that you like. They are universal and install in about 1 minute.
On the back of the doorbell button is a means of connecting the 2 wires coming from your wall. These are low voltage wires, and although they are low voltage, it is always safer to turn off the power to the unit when servicing it. Anyway, connect one wire to each terminal on the back of the button. The terminals are usually screws, but some doorbell buttons have little clips that hold the wires. It doesn't matter which wire goes to which terminal as the button simple acts as a switch to break or connect the flow of power.
Once the wires are hooked up, test the button for sound and secure it to the wall. Some buttons have screws for mounting, and others have a small friction clip that holds it inside the small hole in your wall. If you use this, I would also use some caulking around the perimeter of the button to secure it.
Have you ever been standing at someone's door ringing the doorbell and nobody answers? That is the complaint this homeowner received from her neighbor, and that's why we were called. The homeowner needed a doorbell repair.
As soon as I walked up to the front door, I made a bet with myself that it was the doorbell button itself. The reason I say this is because it was really loose against the wall. If it is loose, then there's a pretty good chance there is movement which will lead to damage to either the button or the wires behind it.
Most doorbell buttons are fastened to the wall with either a push fitting, adhesive, or caulking. These don't seem like a permanent mounting solution, but that's the way it goes. If you pull the doorbell button away from the wall, turn in over and check the back. You should have 2 low-voltage wires that connect to 2 terminals. In many cases, one of the wires will be disconnected or broken away from the button. If that is the case just reattach the wire, or strip some insulation off of it and re-secure it. That may fix it.
If you still get no chime ("ding-dong"), remove the wires and touch them together. This will bypass the button and should produce a chime. If you get a chime, the button is bad, so spend $2.00 and replace it. If the doorbell still doesn't work, read this article about doorbell repair.