Introduction to Wires
Wire has one Conductor, and is different from cable. Cable actually refers to multiple wires or conductors bundled together in a jacket, or insulation. Wire is described by its "gauge" that ranges from 0000 to No. 40 and ends with the letters AWG for American Wire Gauge. Lower gauge numbers mean a thicker wire.
Wire insulation also known as shielding has printed text that specifies type and size every 12 inches. Insulation protects the wire and also allows easy identification using printed text and color coding. Thicker wire carries more current safely. Forcing too much current through a wire causes heat build up and fire hazard. Circuit breakers disconnect the current automatically, and fuses have a thin wire that heats and breaks reliably under a certain current load. Wire standards use letters that correspond to the insulation type and electrical capacity.
Wire Output
Wire gauge is a measurement of wire diameter. The diameter and length of a wire are used to find out how much current can safely pass through and how much resistance there is.
Example
A transformer with the output of 16VAC – 30VA will have approximately 1.87 Amps at 16-VAC available output for the doorbell under a load.
- “Under a load” means the connected or "closed" circuit when two wires touch, or when the doorbell button is pressed.
Transformer voltage output and the house chime voltage need to match.
What is resistance? What does it have to do with Blink Products?
If a hard-wiring setup is not working right, and you have confirmed that the wiring is connected securely, then the problem might be too much resistance. When an electrical circuit experiences resistance, the amount of power available is lower because the current cannot flow as freely. In general, a shorter, thicker wire can transmit a greater amount of current.
A thinner and longer wire has more Resistance and can carry less current. Corrosion also slows current flow. A typical doorbell system uses thin, long, wires that are often exposed to the weather. It is common for corrosion to build up over time, and for the wires to become weakened.
When you are installing the Blink Video Doorbell, check that the wires are flexible and do not show signs of corrosion. A corroded wire will crack easily.
How does resistance affect a Blink Video Doorbell?
The following symptoms can mean the doorbell wiring has too much resistance:
- Home Chime (mechanical or digital) does not activate with Blink Video Doorbell
- Mechanical doorbell does not go “ding” but does go “dong”
- Digital Chime does not play the complete melody
- Digital Chime sound is choppy
- Home Chime (mechanical or digital) 'sometimes' works
- Your doorbell enters Event Response and then goes back to normal
- Your Blink Video Doorbell shuts off and turns on randomly