Wired Doorbell Advantages
More decorative options: Many wireless doorbells offer purely functional plain white or beige components and also offer some designs which are more ornate to match your décor. If you choose a hard-wired doorbell, you will find more designer choices. Looks range from retro brushed steel to ornate, antique metallic scroll designs to sleek wood doorbell covers and more.
Pricing about the same: As wireless models.
Fairly easy to install: Since your home may have most of the wiring already.
Can accommodate lighted push button: If your doorbell is completely hard-wired with no batteries to run down, a lighted button will usually work. With a wireless doorbell or any battery operated doorbell, a lighted button would burn through the batteries too quickly to be practical.
No concerns about interference or range: The hardwired system can have a range as long as you have wires to support it. There are no signals transmitted over the air, so no interference. (Although wireless systems have options to eliminate these issues.)
More traditional chimes: For those who prefer the classic doorbell chime tones with rich symphonic sound over whimsical sound options – and those who would never want to change the sounds anyway, hard-wired doorbells work great. You do generally get a unique front door and back door chime sound with a wired doorbell, that’s enough for many homeowners.
How is a Hard-Wired Doorbell Installed?
If you decide you’d like a wired doorbell, electrical wiring must be fed through or run along your walls. Holes must be drilled. Doorbell buttons must be mounted outdoors. Indoors, a speaker or speakers must be mounted and wired run between them and the button outdoors. (Much of this doorbell wiring may already exist in your home.)
The doorbell wiring must then be wired into a transformer near your circuit breaker box to make sure the right amount of voltage goes to the doorbell. A transformer may sound like a big deal, but they’re often in the $20 range and available right here at 1800Doorbell. On our website you can purchase your favorite doorbell and any add-ons or upgrades for security or motion sensing. Once your hard-wired doorbell is installed, it can’t be moved or extended without running more wire and drilling more holes.
Now for the Difficult Choices: Doorbell Styles, Security Features and Options
Once you decide which you prefer in the wireless vs. wired doorbell dilemma, now you have some more difficult decisions to make and options to choose. When choosing a wireless doorbell, you can select models with a variety of safety and convenience features. You can purchase wireless doorbells that offer many different sound options. You can use a different sound for each door and change the doorbell tunes (or sound effects) to celebrate holidays or just for fun.
If you’re going with a hard-wired doorbell, you have a large selection of styles to choose from to fit any décor: from traditional to contemporary to vintage and more. You might choose a hard-wired brushed-nickel contemporary doorbell, a doorbell with handcrafted wood design or another style.