How to change a door ringer

This week we explain how to replace an electric door bell in five easy steps.

Push the wires through the appropriate holes on the new ringer and screw them into place.

I have never liked the sound of my door bell, which makes a very loud and startling buzzing noise, so I'm secretly glad that it has just broken. It's an electric one. How do I replace it?

The first thing to determine is whether it's the connection from the bell-push that is damaged or the ringer itself - or both. In this case it's the ringer only, which is very straightforward to replace.

Because you are dealing with electricity, safety is paramount so, before you start, turn off the circuit breaker for the bell. It should be possible to find out which breaker it is by having someone ring the bell while you flip the breakers most likely to correspond and noting when it stops ringing. If you have a broken bell that does not ring at all, it's best to turn off the main breaker to avoid all risk.

What you need:

Scissors or snips

Screwdriver

Step 1 Most doorbell ringers are housed in plastic casing and are attached to the wall by being hung from one or two screws that slot into holes in the back of the casing. To remove the old ringer, just push it up slightly to clear the screw and pull it off the wall.

Step 2 Because the connection inside the new ringer is a different shape and size from the old one, I shorten the wires for it with some scissors. You can also use the scissors to strip away about half a centimetre of the plastic to expose the ends of the wires.

Step 3 Push the wires through the appropriate holes on the new ringer and screw them into place.

Step 4 You can most likely use the existing screw in the wall to hang the ringer from. If not, you will need to insert a new screw into the wall, following the instructions for drilling and inserting a wall anchor and screw, outlined in several previous columns.

Place the hole in the back panel of the housing over the screw, then pull it slightly down to lock it into position. Now push the front part of the housing onto the new bell until it clicks into place. Turn the circuit breaker back on and enjoy the new, improved sound.