Although my external door bell rings my indoor unit only rings intermittently. I have missed so many calls as visitors and deliveries assume we are not in as we don’t hear the external one. Any suggestions
@Stevendon2 wrote:
Although my external door bell rings my indoor unit only rings intermittently. I have missed so many calls as visitors and deliveries assume we are not in as we don’t hear the external one. Any suggestions
Hello @Stevendon2 ,
If I understand you correctly, your Ring Video Doorbell always makes a sound that comes out of the Doorbell itself, but your interior wall-mounted house bell-chime only goes “Ding Dong” intermittently? If this is your case, there are two primary areas which you should probably look at:
1.) Ensure your transformer has at least the minimum required AC voltage for your doorbell model.
2.) Ensure your house bell-chime is Compatible with the Ring Doorbell model that you have.
1. ) Transformer required AC voltage:
With a pre-existing house bell-chime, there is a power Transformer hidden somewhere inside your home. Since the transformer tends to get warm, it is not mounted in an enclosed or tight location, such as inside a wall. It is generally ‘exposed’ to the air for cooling purposes. Typical mounting locations are high up on a closet wall (picture attached) or in a basement/crawl-space, or even ‘built-in’ the house-chime itself (although ‘built-in’ transformers are not common). Your house Transformer voltage or wattage may have been sufficient for powering just the house-chime, but now it has to do more. For most models of the Ring Video Doorbell, the transformer now also is used to “Trickle-Charge” the battery and power the solid-state relay doorbell circuit.
The following Ring Video Doorbell models require a minimum of **** 8 Volts AC to a maximum of 24 VAC, with maximum 40 Volt-Amp (watts), at 50/60Hz (Direct-Current, Halogen, and Garden-Lighting Transformers not compatible):
- Original Ring Video Doorbell (1st Gen).
- Ring Video Doorbell 2 (an older discontinued model, but not the same as 2nd Gen).
- Ring Video Doorbell (2nd Gen / 2020 Release).
- Ring Video Doorbell 3.
- Ring Video Doorbell 3 Plus.
Because the Ring Video Doorbell Pro model is totally powered only by the transformer, it needs even more than typical power and requires a minimum of 16 Volts AC to a maximum of 24 VAC and additionally a minimum of 30 Volt-Amp (watts) to a maximum of 40 VA, at 50/60Hz (DC, halogen, and garden-lighting transformers not compatible). It is semi-unusual to find a home with a transformer already installed that meets both the minimum voltage and wattage requirements for the Pro.
https://support.ring.com/hc/en-us/articles/115004668746-Ring-Video-Doorbells-Product-Comparison
https://ring.com/collections/accessories/products/hardwired-transformer
It is possible that your currently installed house doorbell transformer is below or at the bare/lowest minimum requirements (coupled with the additional power loss that occurs the wires if it is a long wire-run between the house-chime, transformer, and doorbell location). You should use an AC volt-meter to the wires at the Video Doorbell, to determine if indeed yours does have sufficient power. If it does not meet the minimum, you’ll have to locate and then replace/upgrade your transformer. Even if it does meet the absolute minimums, for Mechanical House-Chimes, maybe a dirty striking-rod may be binding slightly or not freely moving due to dust or gummy grease too.
2. ) House bell-chime Compatibility with the Ring Doorbell models:
You didn’t state which Ring Video Doorbell model you own. But if your current house bell-chime is not compatible with your model, this too could result in intermittent “Ding Dong” sounds. Here are links to check your Doorbell model with the house chime.
Ring Video Doorbell 1st Gen:
Ring Video Doorbell 2:
Ring Video Doorbell 2nd Gen / 2020 Release:
https://support.ring.com/hc/en-us/articles/
Ring Video Doorbell 3:
Ring Video Doorbell 3 Plus:
RIng Video Doorbell Pro:
RIng Video Doorbell Elite:
You might have to change your house bell-chime based on these listings.
I hope you find this information useful. 
1 Like
Dang, the attached photo of a “transformer in a closet” didn’t attach correctly in my previous post. Here’s that pic attached again. 
1 Like