Are you deciding on whether you should upgrade your doorbell to a wireless one? Wireless doorbells come with several benefits as they keep your house more secure by sending alerts to your smartphone when you’re not home. Moreover, they’re straightforward to install, and some come with extra features like a video feature for more security.
But, there’s one problem that some users report. The doorbell actually starts ringing, but when they open the door, no one is there. In most cases, the receiver might be responding to the signal from the neighbor’s wireless doorbell. Yes, all wireless doorbells work on the same frequency range.
But why, and is there a way to change it? Keep on reading to find the answer.
Do All Wireless Doorbells Work on Same Frequency
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Yes, all wireless doorbells work on the same frequency range, which is the only one available for public use by the FCC. The doorbell is a wireless transmitter that transmits a wireless frequency from the door to a receiver to ring a bell.
When a guest presses the button, a wavelength is transmitted from the button to the door chime receiver. However, if there’s another device using the same radio frequency, the receiver will be confused and won’t detect the correct wavelength.
The same wavelength is the one used by your neighbor’s doorbell or any other wireless device. Most manufacturers use the 300MHz to 433 MHz bands to operate their devices, where some increase the frequency up to 500 MHz. The actual communication happens on channels within the frequency, so interference is expected if two devices are located close to each other.
Your wireless doorbell receiver might start ringing if someone is pressing the button at your neighbor’s house or if you or the neighbor are using a wireless garage opener. This can be extremely inconvenient that it might put you off using the wireless doorbell altogether.
The same problem can happen if you have a large house with multiple receivers installed. In this case, pressing the button at one device will activate another or all other receivers.
How Can You Stop Your Wireless Doorbell From Ringing By Mistake
There’s no way you can change the radio frequency range on the doorbell, but there are a few things that you can do to prevent your wireless doorbell from working by mistake.
- If you have multiple bells, you can set the receivers away from each other. This will prevent the alarm or bell from ringing when the wrong button is pressed.
- You can ask your neighbors about the frequency of their wireless doorbells to avoid buying a device with the same frequency.
- You can pick a high-quality wireless doorbell with a sensitive receiver that won’t interact with interfering signals.
- You can change the privacy codes to prevent interference from other doorbells.
Changing Privacy Codes
Changing the privacy codes is a practical solution if you can’t stop your neighbor from using the same wireless frequency for their doorbell. This allows you to change the setting on your wireless doorbell so it doesn’t interfere with other devices.
In reality, wireless doorbells work within a specific frequency range, and changing the privacy codes allows you to change the channel or the actual operating frequency, but not the overall range.
Privacy codes can be changed by manually manipulating the settings on the back of the receiver. By changing the privacy code, for example, from 333 MHz to 333.5 MHz, you can solve your problem and prevent interference from other devices.
There’s a little possibility that another device is operating at the frequency of 333.5 MHz. This solution works whether you’re using multiple wireless doorbells in the house or if you find your device confused by the doorbell of your neighbor.
After changing the setting on the receiver, you need to readjust the button on your wireless doorbell. Both devices should correspond to each other. Otherwise, a ringer or chime receiver won’t operate when someone presses the button.
Changing privacy codes can also boost the benefits of your wireless doorbell. You can activate several push buttons with specific functions that cater to your needs.
For example, if you’re using a wireless doorbell for your office, you can select a code to connect to a receiver at your secretary’s office or at the warehouse. Moreover, changing the privacy codes allows you to save on the battery or energy of the wireless doorbell because it won’t work by mistake.
Precautions of Changing the Privacy Codes of Your Wireless Doorbell
A wireless doorbell is a sensitive device, and if you’re not careful, you might damage it. Moreover, changing the operating frequency can cause your doorbell to malfunction if you’re not cautious. Here are a few things that you should pay attention to if you’re planning to change the privacy codes on your device.
- Check out the battery on the remote and receiver. The battery should be operating properly, or your receiver might not respond, even though the frequency range hasn’t changed.
- In some cases, you will have to use pliers to change the position of the switch. Unless you’re careful, you might damage the controller. If you’re not confident about using this tool, you can hire a professional handyman to help you.
- Before switching the frequency, try to check with your neighbors, as picking a unique one will eliminate the problem.
- Make sure that the frequency on the button and the receiver are the same. Otherwise, the doorbell won’t ring, even when someone is pressing the button.
- Place the cover at the back of the receiver after you’re done changing the operating frequency.
- Give the wireless doorbell a try and check if it’s beeping properly.
Conclusion
A wireless doorbell is an excellent addition because it’s an upgrade from an old-fashioned wired model. But facing a problem with frequency confusion is quite common because most wireless doorbells work within the same frequency range. As a result, your doorbell might start ringing when someone presses the button on your neighbor’s doorbell.
You can change the operating frequency channel by altering the privacy codes to avoid this confusion. Pick a unique channel and give your wireless doorbell a try.
