generic installing wireless button
generic installing wireless button

If you're considering a wireless doorbell for your home or business location, you'll be happy to know that wireless doorbell installation is very simple. You may be asking, How to Install a Doorbell Camera."

Compared to installing a hard-wired system, installing a wireless doorbell is a breeze. With a wireless doorbell system, you won't need any electrical knowledge or wires (of course) nor will you need a transformer. However, there are a few tips and tricks that can help you speed through the installation job and make sure your wireless doorbell operates just the way you want it to.

Wireless Doorbell Instructions for Installation

Learning how to install a wireless doorbell is fairly easy, but it is important to first do some planning: choose the location for the receiver. The receiver is the indoor part of the wireless doorbell system, sort of like a speaker, that will chime to alert you that someone is pressing the doorbell at your front door, back door, or any door on your property. At the end the day, the most critical step is pairing a wireless doorbell.

You want to make sure of 3 things When Installing a Wireless Door Bell:

  1. That the receiver is within range of the transmitter(s), which is/are the doorbell button(s). You may have multiple doorbell transmitters, one at each of your home's various entrances, and you need to make sure a receiver (wherever you're planning to install it inside) is well within the stated range of your particular wireless doorbell model.
  2. That the receiver is within hearing distance: Make sure you can hear the doorbell from wherever you are in the home or even outside in the back yard (or in the stock room or storeroom is you're installing in your business.) Estimate if this fits the system you're thinking about. You may want to purchase extenders to ensure you can hear from anywhere in the house.
  3. Get extenders if necessary to increase doorbell signal range: If you have a big home (or office or factory), you may want to get a doorbell extender: to give your wireless doorbell a longer signal range. An extra transmitter will "forward" the signal from a spot near the door to a receiver further away. This way you can cover your whole premises and/or you can even purchase a wireless doorbell with the portable receiver to take with you when you work in the backyard garden or garage.

How to Install Wireless Doorbell Buttons

  • Insert battery: Wireless doorbell buttons from 1800Doorbell.com usually come with long-life batteries already installed. Doorbell buttons typically require small round lithium batteries.
  • Look for any location markings, in either numbers or words for the "Front" door and the "Rear" or "Back" entrance door on the buttons.
  • Choose a spot for installation where the doorbell button is visible and within easy reach, typically at about 4 feet above the floor. This is the maximum practical button height for wheelchair access, so you could opt to go a bit lower. Fitting a doorbell button is a critical step for visual purposes. It will still function correctly no matter how it looks, but you want it looking good.
  • Adapt installation for your surface: Wood, vinyl, aluminum doors, and door sills are all acceptable surfaces to attach a doorbell button. For metal doors or door frames, however, you may need to place a wooden shim behind the doorbell button to prevent signal interference from the metal. For masonry or brick installation, you may need a plastic shield before under the button, between it and the masonry, for a secure hold when screwing in.
  • Attach with adhesive strip or screws: Wireless doorbell buttons are often installed using the adhesive strip on the back of the button assembly. You can usually also install the wireless doorbell button with two screws.

Installing Wireless Doorbell Receivers

The receiver is the part of the wireless doorbell system that will receive the radio waves emitted by the transmitter (button) when a visitor presses it. Then it will play the appropriate doorbell chime or sound so that you're alerted. As you read through the installation instructions for your wireless doorbell, remember to follow the manufacturer's instructions if they differ. In general, most wireless doorbell receivers are installed in this manner:

  • First insert any batteries required by your wireless doorbell receiver. BATTERIES: Often 3 AA batteries are needed for the doorbell receiver unit and may only need to be replaced every year or two.
  • Sync with transmitter button. Press the chime control button and select the chime module. Go to push button/transmitter outdoors and press the button. This action synchronizes both the outdoor doorbell push button and the indoor chime unit. You can pair multiple push buttons to the same door chime receiver unit.
  • Select your sound choice for the front door and one for the back door, if applicable. This lets you know which door to answer. The receiver inside the home often also has a small visual icon that lights up to tell you which door is being activated.  This varies by product and manufacturer.  We have an entire article about this topic you can see here: "Changing to Tune on Your Wireless Door Chime"
  • Set volume.
  • Plug the receiver into an electrical wall outlet, if necessary, although some run on battery power. Plug-in doorbell receivers are extremely convenient to install.
    OR
    Insert batteries:     Battery-powered units have more options for installation placement and can be placed higher on the wall than your typical plug-in model, for example. Some come with a mounting bracket or holder that you screw into the wall. Then you can take your receiver unit out when you want to change the chime sounds/volume or to replace batteries (which should only be needed every year or two).
  • Test to be sure the signal reaches from the front (and back) doorbell buttons to the receiver. Take the receiver to the spot where you plan to plug it in or mount it to the wall inside your house for an accurate test. If the sound does not come through when the button is pressed, you need to move the receiver to an outlet closer to the door. Or you might instead try removing any large furniture or another item that may be interfering with the signal. You may want to use a second receiver to extend the doorbell sound and signal further into the home.
  • If the doorbell is mistakenly activated by a nearby remote control, change the doorbell to another channel or frequency. Most doorbells offer several channels for this purpose.

Wireless Doorbell Advanced Features

Now that you have an idea of how to install a wireless doorbell, you can browse the different types available and make a selection. To choose the best wireless doorbell for your home or business, think about what advanced features you might want, including:

  • Multiple tunes or melodies so you can change at will.
  • Decorative wireless doorbell receivers and stylish doorbell buttons so that your doorbell can complement your decor.
  • Long-range transmission of up to 1000 feet.
  • Visual alarm can alert you to the doorbell in a loud environment or provide a visual doorbell alert for hearing impaired persons.
  • Additional security and convenience features like:
    • Extra doorbell push buttons (also called switches or transmitters) - one for each entrance.
    • Extenders, extra doorbell receivers to forward the signal further into and throughout the home.
    • Portable receiver: that you take with you when you're going to the backyard or elsewhere.
    • Event log that tells you when the doorbell rang, and where, if you missed anything. It would also record the time and location if a motion detector went off if your system is so equipped.
    • Cameras
    • Intercom(s) for voice communication, such as a wireless portable intercom with video
    • Motion sensor to sense someone before they push (or so that they have no need to push) the doorbell button. BATTERIES: Motion sensors often use a rectangular 9-volt battery.
    • Window sensors to notify you of a window break-in.
  • And more options.

Ways to Use Versatile Wireless Doorbells

Wireless systems are flexible and portable, meaning you could use your wireless doorbell system in other places and for other purposes, including:

  • Portable system: Take the button, motion sensors, and receivers out of your home and use them in your business or even take them with you to a vacation rental.
  • Call system: You could even use your "doorbell" as a call system, giving the button unit to, for instance, a sick child or elderly relative to use when they need to call for assistance when you're in another part of the house.
  • Pets or Kids: Use a motion detector to sense when someone enters or leaves a room.
  • Garage: You could also use the motion detector to alert you if someone enters your garage, for instance, if you leave the door open after driving your car into the garage.
  • Driveway: You might also place a motion detector at the end of a long driveway, to let you know that someone is driving up to the house. There are also purpose-built driveway alarms that use a hose or a ground probe to trigger the alarm/chime when cars drive over it or pass by it.

If you'd like assistance in choosing the best doorbell for your needs, call on 1800Doorbell. If you need wireless doorbell installation support, contact us at 1800Doorbell.com. The doorbell experts on our customer service line are happy to help.