Interactive diagram
Doorbell Wiring With Front and Rear Buttons
Two buttons share one transformer wire spliced at the chime. The front button returns to FRONT for a two-note chime and the rear button returns to REAR.
Installing a Ring or Nest video doorbell? Check your transformer first.
Tool
Interactive doorbell wiring diagramThree steps: pick your setup, flip the switches, wire it
Step 1 of 3
Which setup do you have?
Look in the box with the breaker off: what matters is where the power cable comes in. Pick the one that matches, or keep the one already selected.
- One chime, front buttonTransformer → chime → front button
- Front and rear buttonsTransformer → chime → 2 buttons
Step 2 of 3
Press the buttons
Tap a switch, button or GFCI on the diagram. Glowing wires are carrying power right now. On a small screen, scroll the diagram sideways.
- Black: hot
- White: neutral
- Red: hot / traveler
- White + black tape: hot
- Bare copper: ground
- Wire nut
- Glow: carrying power now
Tap either button on the diagram: FRONT gives a two-tone ding-dong and REAR usually a single ding.
Step 3 of 3
Wire it box by box
Safety first. Turn off the breaker and confirm the power is off with a non-contact voltage tester before touching any wire. Follow your local electrical code; some areas require a licensed electrician or a permit. If you find aluminum wiring, cloth-covered wiring, scorched insulation or more than one circuit in a box, stop and call an electrician.
Front door
Chime
Transformer
Rear door
Other doorbell setups
What you need
- 16 V 30 VA doorbell transformerEnough power for most video doorbells.Check price
- Wired doorbell chimeMechanical two-note chime with FRONT/REAR/TRANS terminals.Check price
- 18/2 bell wireFor replacing broken runs to the button or chime.Check price
- MultimeterMeasures the transformer’s actual AC voltage.Check price
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