How to Wire a Nutone Doorbell

Written By
Patrick Nelson
Patrick Nelson
Published: Jun 6, 2010
Updated: Nov 20, 2021
2 minute read
Wired Nutone doorbells can provide door signals from two entrances.

A new non-wireless doorbell installation requires some wiring. Wired Nutone doorbells can provide door signals from two entrances. Push buttons wired to the doorbell’s front terminal play two notes and push buttons wired to the terminals marked “Rear” play a single note. There are two options for wiring Nutone doorbells–wiring options with alkaline batteries and with a household power transformer. Some areas require any household wiring to be completed by a licensed electrician. Check your codes. You may want to go with the battery-powered option.

Things You Will Need

  • 2 conductor 18-22 gauge wire
  • Screwdriver

Transformer

  1. Turn the power off at the circuit breaker or fuse panel and mount the transformer to the junction box. Connect the house power leads to the transformer. Black goes to black; white goes to white and ground goes to green.

  2. Run the 2 conductor 18-22 gauge wire from the transformer terminals and from the push buttons terminals to the doorbell unit. Run wire between the push buttons.

  3. Attach the wires. One wire from the transformer connects to Terminal 3, marked “Trans” on the doorbell. One wire on the transformer connects to one side of the rear door push button. That side of the rear push button connects to one side of the front door push button.

  4. Run wire from the other sides of the push buttons. The wire from the rear door push button goes to Terminal 1, marked “Rear” on the doorbell. The wire from the front door push button goes to terminal 2, marked “Front.” Ignore the terminal marked “Batt.”

  5. Test the doorbell.

Batteries

  1. Run the 2 conductor 18-22 gauge wire from the push buttons terminals to the doorbell unit. Run wire between the push buttons.

  2. Attach the wires. Connect the wire from the Terminal marked “Batt” to one side of the rear door push button. That side of the rear push button connects to one side of the front door push button.

  3. Run wire from the other sides of the push buttons. The wire from the rear door push button goes to Terminal 1, marked “Rear” on the doorbell. The wire from the front door push button goes to terminal 2, marked “Front.” Ignore the terminal marked “Trans.”

  4. Test the doorbell.

The Drip Cap

  • A new non-wireless doorbell installation requires some wiring.
  • Run wire between the push buttons.
  • That side of the rear push button connects to one side of the front door push button.
  • The wire from the rear door push button goes to Terminal 1, marked “Rear” on the doorbell.
  • Ignore the terminal marked “Batt.” Run the 2 conductor 18-22 gauge wire from the push buttons terminals to the doorbell unit.
Patrick Nelson

Patrick Nelson has been a professional writer since 1992. He was editor and publisher of the music industry trade publication "Producer Report" and has written for a number of technology blogs. Nelson studied design at Hornsey Art School.

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