Can A Buzzing Doorbell Cause A Fire

A modern doorbell is like a miniature transformer that steps down the 110-volt AC that comes through your house wiring from the utility company into a lower voltage that is safe for low-current switching circuits inside your home that control the doorbell’s ringing sound, the flashing light that goes with it, and (in some modern models) a speaker that allows you to talk back and forth with callers. The first type of doorbell was invented back in 1834. It worked by connecting a copper wire between the front door and the back door of the house — the latter being located near an icebox that supplied a small amount of power to a magneto in the back door to make the bell ring. The doorbell hasn’t changed much in the 182 years, although in recent decades, a couple of additional features have been added. One is a sensor that detects when your hand is near the door to capture an image and store it in a computer database; another is a motion sensor that snaps a picture when someone walks up to the door but doesn’t ring the bell.

Can A Buzzing Doorbell Cause A Fire?

Yes, a buzzing doorbell can cause a fire. A buzzing doorbell is a high-impedance circuit that draws a large amount of current from the house wiring and voltage drop. The wiring to your house is designed to handle a certain amount of current, and if it draws more than it’s designed, it will overheat and possibly even catch on fire! Ordinary electrical devices, ranging from your kitchen toaster to the hair dryer mentioned above, are designed to handle a certain amount of voltage drop. A buzzing doorbell draws so much voltage drop that it can overwhelm a standard circuit and cause a short circuit likely to start a fire.

What Are The Risks Of Having A Buzzing Doorbell?

1. You’re home alone, watching a movie and enjoying a bowl of ice cream. Then you hear the doorbell ring. You pause the movie and go to answer it, only to find that nobody is there. You shrug your shoulders, assuming it must have been a wrong number or perhaps the mailman with something for another house in your apartment complex. You return to your movie, but the doorbell begins ringing again — this time even more insistently. After several more unanswered rings, you put down your bowl of ice cream and venture cautiously toward the front door. Passing through an adjoining kitchen on the way, you see smoke starting to rise from an exhaust fan above your stove. You smell burning electrical wiring when you open the front door. The source of both troubles proves to be one of those newfangled smart doorbells that also serve as security cameras so that visitors can see who’s answering their call before they press their button again — which they did after seeing no one appear at first go-around because they were viewing the feed from their device while standing outside your front door! If a buzzing doorbell can cause a fire!
2. You’re home alone watching TV and eating ice cream when suddenly there is a loud bang, and something falls over on top of you! When you looked up, what had fallen over was a buzzing buzzer sitting on top of an old-fashioned wall phone on display in your living room. You get up and investigate, but by the time you reach the source of the noise, which is located in your kitchen, no one is there. After a few minutes of searching and calling out to no avail, you return to your TV program and ice cream. A short time later, you hear a loud bang on the front door. As soon as you open it, you see smoke coming from under your stove — with a pan of hot water still sitting on top of it! The source seems obvious now: That modern smart doorbell was causing all this trouble! If a buzzing doorbell can cause a fire!
3. You’re home alone when suddenly someone knocks on your door. You answer it cautiously, expecting another wrong number or perhaps the mailman with something for another house in your apartment complex — but what greets you is an angry neighbor who wants to know why she just discovered her brand new smart doorbell flashing. On her front porch! The problem has been going on for several days now without anyone answering their call or ringing their bell — until today when she heard someone buzz her doorbell. She had suspected some kind of electrical malfunction initially. Still, She assumed it was nothing serious because she had seen no evidence of an electrical problem anywhere else in her home… until now! If a buzzing doorbell can cause a fire!
4. You’re home alone when suddenly there is a loud bang and something falls over on top of you! When you looked up, what had fallen over was a buzzing buzzer sitting on top of an old-fashioned wall phone on display in your living room. You get up and investigate, but by the time you reach the source of the noise, which is located in your kitchen, no one is there. After a few minutes of searching and calling out to no avail, you return to your TV program and ice cream. A short time later, you hear a loud bang on the front door. As soon as you open it, you see smoke coming from under your stove — with a pan of hot water still sitting on top of it! The source seems obvious now: That modern smart doorbell was causing all this trouble! If a buzzing doorbell can cause a fire!
5. You’re home alone when suddenly there is a loud bang and something falls over on top of you! When you looked up, what had fallen over was a buzzing buzzer sitting on top of an old-fashioned wall phone on display in your living room. You get up and investigate, but by the time you reach the source of the noise, which is located in your kitchen, no one is there. After a few minutes of searching and calling out to no avail, you return to your TV program and ice cream. A short time later, you hear a loud bang on the front door. As soon as you open it, you see smoke coming from under your stove — with a pan of hot water still sitting on top of it! The source seems obvious now: That modern smart doorbell was causing all this trouble!
6. You’re home alone when suddenly there is a loud bang and something falls over on top of you! When you looked up, what had fallen over was a buzzing buzzer sitting on top of an old-fashioned wall phone on display in your living room. You get up and investigate, but by the time you reach the source of the noise, which is located in your kitchen, no one is there. After a few minutes of searching and calling out to no avail, you return to your TV program and ice cream. A short time later, you hear a loud bang on the front door. As soon as you open it, you see smoke coming from under your stove — with a pan of hot water still sitting on top of it! The source seems obvious now: That modern intelligent doorbell was causing all this trouble!

How To Stay Safe During A House Fire

1. Keep your family and pets safe.
2. If you have a smoke detector and know where it is, turn it on immediately.
3. If you don’t have a smoke detector, get one immediately!
4. Close all windows and doors to prevent more smoke from entering the house.
5. If you are alone, stay in your bedroom or bathroom and close the door until help arrives or until the fire is out!
6. Be aware of how much water is in your area — if there is too much water, find another way out of the house!

Conclusion

A buzzing doorbell is a fire waiting to happen, but fortunately, there are alternatives to the traditional high-impedance buzzing doorbell. Some modern models employ low-impedance circuitry that doesn’t create a voltage drop that can lead to overheating and fire. If a buzzing doorbell is a potential hazard in your home, it’s best to replace it with a low-impedance doorbell as soon as possible.