# Replaceing my doorbell

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/replaceing-my-doorbell/358200>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [May 25, 2006, 5:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/replaceing-my-doorbell/358200 "2006-05-25T17:41:29Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 4\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![panache45](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/panache45/32/64_2.png) [@panache45](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/panache45)\
**Post date:** [May 25, 2006, 5:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/replaceing-my-doorbell/358200/1 "2006-05-25T17:41:29Z")

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I’m replacing my wired doorbell with a wireless.

Is there enough current going through the wires to necessitate cutting off the power first? Can I simply snip the wires off, or should I wrap the ends with electrical tape?

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**Author:** ![Joey\_P](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/919ad9/32.png) [@Joey\_P](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Joey_P)\
**Post date:** [May 25, 2006, 5:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/replaceing-my-doorbell/358200/2 "2006-05-25T17:46:24Z")

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> [@panache45](#):
>
> I’m replacing my wired doorbell with a wireless.
> 
> Is there enough current going through the wires to necessitate cutting off the power first? Can I simply snip the wires off, or should I wrap the ends with electrical tape?

I would suggest not cutting the wires, but unscrewing them and taping them off. This way if you ever want the wired doorbell again, you still have enough wire to work with.

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**Author:** ![Q.E.D](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/51bf81/32.png) [@Q.E.D](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Q.E.D)\
**Post date:** [May 25, 2006, 5:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/replaceing-my-doorbell/358200/3 "2006-05-25T17:47:22Z")

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Doorbells are usually about 12-15 V or so; safe to work on without disconnecting the power. I would wrap the ends with a piece of tape, just be on the safe side, to prevent an unintended short which could present a risk of fire by overloading the transformer. If you know where the transformer is, you can always disconnect one wire on it as an added measure of safety, but it’s not really necessary.

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**Author:** ![aktep](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/f0a364/32.png) [@aktep](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aktep)\
**Post date:** [May 25, 2006, 8:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/replaceing-my-doorbell/358200/4 "2006-05-25T20:26:21Z")

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I replaced my doorbell and it did not require cutting the power. The worst part was the doorbell ringing constantly when the exposed ends of the wires would lay on eachother as I was resizing the hole in the brick for the new bell.