Both use 16V, but each can only supply up to its VA-rating worth of power, just like a power supply unit can supply up to its rated watts. You can find, for example, a doorbell transformer that outputs 16V 10VA and another that outputs 16V 30VA. Just like you can have a 120V laptop power brick rated for a 65W output and a 120V PC power supply unit rated for 800W, different low-voltage devices can have the same voltage but different volt-amperes. If you'd like to dive deep into the differences, you can start by reading up on power factors, but you hardly need an amateur electrical engineering degree to follow along here. It's a bit of a simplification, but volt-amperes function in much the same way as watts do in AC nomenclature. That means the transformer steps down the AC power of the home's electrical system into a 16-volt AC output with a "power" of 10 volt-amperes. A single transformer can power more than one doorbell and chime (though not many homes have front and rear doorbells).ĭoorbell transformer output varies by the home's age and where in the world you are, but typically they output anywhere from 8-24V to 10-40VA, with the most common transformer type in the U.S. The doorbell transformer supplies power to both the doorbell and its companion mechanical or electric chime located somewhere in your home, typically in the foyer area near the front door. It's cheaper to implement as it doesn't require a rectifier to clean up the AC power for DC conversion-if you'd like a concrete example of why that matters, cheap LED Christmas lights flicker because they don't have a rectifier. ![]() While some DC doorbell systems are available, they are exceedingly rare as low-voltage AC is simply better suited for the application. It reduces the incoming alternating current (AC) from high voltage (the 120V AC found throughout North American homes) to a lower voltage (because you don't need 120V AC to drive a simple doorbell system). Everybody starts their DIY journey somewhere, and if you're just now contemplating that your doorbell has something called a transformer (and that maybe you need to change it out), you're likely in good company-so don't sweat it.Ī doorbell transformer is a type of electrical transformer called a step-down transformer.
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