Part 1: How to Choose your Intercom and Doorbell?

Bells and other intercoms are essential to prevent the arrival of guests and other visitors. Audio or video, with or without wire, they can adapt to your needs and your tastes both in construction and renovation. From the simple doorbell to high-tech videophones, it's here!

Intercom or doorbell

The bell, the evolution of the bell placed at the entrance door, is the most basic of the signaling of presence. You press the button and ring! If it allows knowing that someone is waiting at the door, it does not allow to speak or recognize the person. Her job: she rings!

The intercoms, adding sound, allow discussing. They can allow the opening of a door remotely if it is equipped with an electric strike. This is very convenient if your garden is big or when the weather is bad and you do not want to go out. The most advanced models, with a camera, called videophones, also allow seeing his interlocutor. It's even safer!

Intercom and doorbell: wired or wireless

Wireless technologies are very convenient because they allow you to install your equipment, wifi doorbell or intercom, without pulling wires between the outside entrance and the interior of your home. Some systems even allow you to take the doorbell chime, the handset or the intercom monitor with you. Convenient when you do not want to equip all the dependencies of the house with a chime! The wireless links, however, are less reliable because of the risk of interference and have only a limited scope. The ranges mentioned by the manufacturers on their products are given in an external environment, without obstacles hindering the waves. Do not skimp on the range to take into account the presence of walls or other obstacles that can slow down the wave propagation. Be careful also to monitor the wear of the batteries!

How does a wired bell work?

A wired bell is a pusher to the place near the door connected to a chime placed inside your home. You have to choose a central place to hear it wherever you are in the house.

The choice of the switch relates to aesthetic criteria and its resistance to damage and bad weather. The chimes often feature several ringtones and the sound volume adjustment. They can be in 220 V if the bell is inside (building) or imperatively in 12 V outside, to avoid any electric accident.

The chime must allow adjustment of the sound volume and the buzzer. And since it is wired, the power supply is necessary with all that this may involve (connections, the passage of son in 2.5 mm², possible bleeding, etc.).