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It's easy to understand the appeal of the video doorbell: you can see when the package will arrive and receive a reminder when someone is waiting at your door. In a recent nationally representative survey conducted by Consumer Reports, 15% of respondents said that their home has a video doorbell, and 52% said they would consider buying one.
"Battery-powered video doorbells are relatively easy to install-just charge the batteries and install them next to your door," said Bernie Deitrick, CR's home security camera test engineer. "The hard-wired model requires more work and needs to be adapted to work with electricity."
Between us, Deitrick and I have installed more than 20 video doorbells. We are here to tell you that although you can do this by yourself, we have encountered many headaches following the manufacturer's instructions. Therefore, we have compiled a step-by-step guide for installing battery-powered and hard-wired video doorbells.
Before buying a video doorbell, please check if there is currently a hard-wired doorbell in your home. You can buy the same type of video doorbell, so you can get continuous power (instead of having to charge the battery). "If you are not sure, an easy way to tell is to unscrew the doorbell and see if it is connected to the two wires protruding from the wall," Deitrick said.
Some hard-wired models provide more advanced motion alert options than battery-powered models, such as specific surveillance areas, so you can automatically block areas (such as busy streets) and even record 24/7. If you prefer a hard-wired model but no wiring, you can hire an electrician to install the doorbell circuit and bell, or buy a plug-in power adapter for your doorbell. Some brands, such as Google Nest and Ring, sell power adapters for their doorbells. The after-sales power adapter is suitable for almost any model. But remember, doorbell manufacturers do not recommend them.
That said, battery-powered video doorbells are generally cheaper than hard-wired models, and even if you have existing wiring, they are still an option. Some battery-powered video doorbells have power terminals, so they can be connected to your doorbell wiring.
Of course, even with this guide, you should still read the installation instructions that came with the doorbell, as this particular model may require additional steps. If you are not satisfied with any part of the installation process, especially any electrical work, please hire a professional.
For help choosing a video doorbell for your home, check out our ratings of 19 models of video doorbells and our home security camera buying guide.
Step 1: Charge the doorbell battery Before installing the doorbell, please fully charge the doorbell battery. Most models, including some from Ring and Eufy, come with a micro USB cable to charge the battery; you must remove the doorbell from the wall every time you need to charge it. Some doorbells (such as the Ring Video Doorbell 2) have removable battery packs that can be replaced or removed without disassembling the doorbell. Depending on the model and the number of doorbell records, the battery life can last from one to six months.
Step 2: Install the doorbell. Most video doorbells come with a mounting bracket that you can fix on the outside of your home. If you want to install the doorbell on brick, stone or concrete, you may need to use your own (or provided) special anchors and drill bits. After the mounting bracket is firmly in place, install the doorbell on it. The last important step: install the security screw that goes into the bottom of the doorbell. These use the special screwdriver that comes with the doorbell to prevent someone from stealing the doorbell.
If you live in an apartment building or rental property, it is best to ask for permission from the landlord before installing the doorbell, because he or she may not want you to get into the outside of the building.
Step 3: Set up the doorbell application To receive the video from the doorbell on your phone, tablet or computer, you need to download the doorbell application on the device and set up your account. Through this application, connect your doorbell to your home WiFi network. If you have trouble connecting the doorbell or watching videos, you may need a WiFi extender, which can enhance the WiFi signal near the doorbell. This is a common problem that I have encountered because the external walls of my home can block the WiFi signal. Some brands, such as Ring, offer extenders that can double as doorbell ringtones.
After connecting the doorbell, you will be able to customize settings to your liking, such as motion sensitivity (use this setting so that rustling trees or passing cars do not trigger recording), people detection, and video recording length. In my experience, the default motion sensitivity is usually set so high that every passing car will be picked up, which can be annoying if you live on a busy street.
Consumer Reports recommends activating privacy settings, such as two-factor authentication (secondary, one-time passwords sent to your phone via SMS), if they can be used to prevent someone from hacking into your account.
Step 4: Insert and set the doorbell ringtone. Some video doorbells come with a plug-in ringtone; if you don't have one, you will have to buy one. When someone is at your door, the app on your phone will sound an alarm, but when you have visitors, other people in your house will know through a separate ringtone.
After inserting the ringtone, follow the setup instructions in the doorbell app. Normally, you just need to connect it to your WiFi and pair it with your doorbell. Fun fact: some of these bells provide a variety of sounds, from standard "ding dong" to holiday songs, even howling wolves for Halloween or gorging turkeys for Thanksgiving, you can easily change these in the app sound.
Step 1: Find and turn off the circuit breaker of the existing doorbell. Turning off the circuit breaker that powers the doorbell will allow you to safely handle the wires. If you are not sure which circuit breaker the doorbell turned on, try turning it off one at a time and see if the doorbell still rings when you press the doorbell. When the doorbell does not ring, you have the correct circuit breaker.
Step 2: Find and check your doorbell transformer. You want to make sure that your transformer provides the right voltage for your new video doorbell, usually 16 to 24 volts. If it is too low (below 16 volts), there is not enough power to make the doorbell work. If it is too high (more than 24 volts), it may overload and damage the doorbell.
To find the transformer, open the doorbell bell box and try to trace the location of the wire connected to the "trans" terminal. (If you are not sure where the doorbell is ringing, please turn on the circuit breaker again, press the doorbell, and then follow the bell. Remember to turn off the circuit breaker when you are done.) If it doesn’t work, Deitrick recommends checking near the circuit breaker because of the transformer Usually installed there. You can also look around the unfinished parts of your home, such as crawl spaces and basements where transformers are sometimes hidden.
Your transformer should have a mark like "16-24V AC" to indicate the voltage. If you don't see any marks, check the voltage with a multimeter (20 to 40 USD). If the voltage of the transformer exceeds the range of 16 to 24, it must be replaced. You can buy a new transformer (approximately US$20) at the hardware store, and then reconnect the wires of the old transformer to the corresponding terminals on the new transformer, or you can hire an electrician.
Step 3: Check and reconnect your doorbell. Remove the cover of the bell (you may need to remove the screws) and look inside to see if it is a mechanical bell or a digital bell. The mechanical clock has a small hammer, and whenever you press the doorbell, it will strike the physical bell. Digital clocks are essentially small speakers that play tunes. This step is important because it will determine what you need to do to make the new doorbell ring the existing bell.
If you have a digital ringtone, you may need to install a special diode at the end of the wire connected to the doorbell, just like the Ring Video Doorbell 2. (The wire that connects the ringtone to the doorbell is usually labeled "front.") Some video doorbells, such as Google Nest Hello and Ring Video Doorbell Pro, come with a special adapter that you need to install in the ringtone itself, regardless of whether the ringtone is Mechanical or digital. You must check the instructions to understand what your video doorbell needs.
Step 4: Remove the existing doorbell. Unscrew the existing doorbell from the outside of the house, and then disconnect the wires on the two terminals on the back of the doorbell. When doing this, make sure that the wires do not fall back into the wall, otherwise it will be difficult to remove them. I almost lost those wires a few times; I finally learned to stick the wires to the wall while working. If the wire is too short to use, you may need to add an extension cord using twist, crimp, or push-in connectors. You can find these extensions online or at your local hardware store.
Step 5: Installing a new video doorbell is the same as a battery-powered video doorbell. First, you need to install the mounting bracket where you want to install the doorbell. Before installing the bracket on the wall, make sure to pass the two doorbell wires through the hole in the center of the bracket. The tape comes in handy again. Drill pilot holes and screw the bracket into the wall. After the mounting bracket is in place, connect the wires to the two terminals on the back of the video doorbell. (It doesn't matter which wire is connected to which terminal.) Then plug the excess wires into the wall and connect the doorbell to the bracket. Last but not least, screw in any security screws.
Step 6: Turn on the power and set the doorbell via the smartphone app. You are ready to turn the power back on at the circuit breaker and set a new video doorbell. Download the smart phone app for the doorbell, create an account, and follow the instructions to set up the doorbell. (You can download the app on multiple devices.) It connects the doorbell to your WiFi. (If your signal is weak, you may need an expander.)
As with battery-powered models, you may need to adjust the motion sensitivity in the settings (usually lower it to prevent rustling trees from triggering the alarm) and enable smart alarms, such as person detection or package detection. Last but not least, Consumer Reports strongly recommends setting up two-factor authentication (if available) to help protect your account from hackers.
Look at these two high-score models. For more information about the video doorbells we tested, see our video doorbell ratings.
Looking for peace of mind and safety when not at home? In the "Consumer 101" TV show, Consumer Reports expert Eric Hagerman explained to host Jack Rico why smart doorbells might be the answer.
I am obsessed with smart home technology and turned my obsession into a new story in Consumer Reports. When I am not writing about products, I spend time outdoors hiking and skiing or flying in the air in a small plane. For my recent obsessions, please follow me on Facebook and Twitter (@danwroc).
Post time: Nov-02-2021