Doorbells have seen a lot of advancement in these passing years. Back in the day, people had to knock at doors. Then we saw a ringing bell implementation which is still being used widely. However, it is being replaced by smart bell systems which give you added security and monitoring features.
The thing is that these doorbells require very low voltages to run with electricity. Most houses are 120Volts. Therefore, transformers are needed to convert line voltages into a low voltage that can be then used by the doorbells.
Can I Use A 24V Transformer On A 16V Doorbell
Most doorbells have a specific voltage requirement. A common voltage required by doorbells is 16V. Hence you may need a 16V transformer in order to give the doorbell exactly what it wants. However, there are plenty of people that have been asking whether a 24V transformer can be used on a 16V doorbell.
If you are also looking for the answer to the question “Can I use a 24V transformer on a 16V doorbell”, then you have come to the right place. Today, we will be taking look and explaining to you whether it is really safe to use a 24V transformer on a 16V doorbell. So, let’s get started!
If you want the short version of the answer, then yes, you can, but it may NOT be that safe. Usually, doorbells are designed to support 20% more or less of the required voltage. But still, this does not make up for the 16V using a 24V transformer.
While you can still use the 24V transformer, it isn’t really safe to do so. You will always be at a risk. This is why you may need to make us of a resistor. We will have to accumulate the extra 8 voltages that are on the transformer.
What you will have to do is to connect a resistor in series with your transformer. Furthermore, you can use the voltage calculations made by Ohms Law to estimate how many amperes of the resistor should you need.
In your case, a 16 ampere 4-watt resistor connected in series with your transformer should do the job for you. Once you have set it up, it should be safe to use the 24V transformer on a 16V doorbell.
The Bottom Line
In this article, we have explained how you can use a 24V transformer on a 16V doorbell. Although we have seen some cases where users have successfully used a higher transformer on a 16V doorbell, it is still not recommended as it is not safe at all.
If there is anything you didn’t understand in the article, be sure to leave a comment down below. We will make sure to answer your questions as soon as we can.
Agreed, the Eufy unit I just bought states that 16-30 vac is within it’s range for proper operation, so technically who is right the manufacturer or you.
Interesting that Amazon owns Ring and they sell 24V transformers and recommend them for Ring.
“Compatible With: This transformer compatible for Honeywell, Nest, Ecobee, and Sensi smart thermostats; Also compatible with Video Doorbell, Video Doorbell 2, Video Doorbell Pro, Nest Skybell Doorbell”