Will Ring Doorbell Work with an Old Chime?

Ring doorbell, old doorbell and chimeRing doorbell, old doorbell and chime

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The Ring Doorbell meets every home’s needs. If you hardwire your Ring Doorbell, you can even use your old chime box with it.

Can a Ring Doorbell Work with an Old Chime?

Only a wired Ring Doorbell, such as the Ring Video Doorbell Pro, will connect to your home’s wiring grid and, therefore, your existing chime. Wired Ring Doorbells will only work with AC-powered chimes, not DC-powered ones.

In home chime box

Most doorbells are AC-powered. However, if you’re unsure where your chime falls, here are a few ways you can tell the difference:

Type of DoorbellDescriptionFeatures
AC-PoweredAC, or alternating current, means that power moves back and forth, changing its flow to match the energy a device needs. There’s no zinc coating over the individual wires, and they don’t connect to a single battery. They have a single cover and deliver between 230-240 volts.
DC-PoweredPower comes from a battery and directly supplies energy to a device. A steady flow of energy moves from the power source to your device.DC wires have a zinc coating, double cover, and generate anywhere from 20 – 1100 volts.

Does It Matter How Old Your House is?

As long as your old chime has AC wires, it doesn’t matter how old your home is. If your doorbell is held in place with more than screws, you might have to remove multiple brackets to get to your home’s wires. 

Besides that, you should have no problems connecting your Ring Doorbell to work with your existing chime as long as it’s compatible. 

How to Connect Ring Doorbell to Your Old Chime

If your old doorbell operated on AC, you can connect your Ring Doorbell to an existing chime.

While you can use Command strips and other adhesives to mount select Ring Doorbell models, you usually want a more secure connection. I recommend using the screws that come with your Doorbell kit.

  1. Turn off the power source to your doorbell wires. This is important, as even a small electric shock can lead to serious injury.
  2. Remove your old doorbell to locate the wires.
  3. Place the mounting bracket over the wires and screw it into the wall using the included hardware.
  4. Wrap your doorbell’s wires around the raised terminal screws.
  5. Tighten the screws.
  6. Secure the wires to the mounting bracket.
  7. Secure your Ring Doorbell to the mounting bracket.

I have the Ring Doorbell Pro, which requires the Pro Power Kit to use to the existing chime.

What if I Can’t Connect My Doorbell to My Old Chime?

If your old chime operated on a DC system, you won’t be able to connect it to your Ring Doorbell.

However, you can still make sure you hear when someone rings the doorbell by getting a Ring Chime or Ring Chime Pro, connecting your doorbell to Alexa, or through the Ring app.

With options like these, you can avoid the trouble of connecting existing wires to your doorbell.

Use a Ring Chime or Ring Chime Pro

Both the Ring Chime and Ring Chime Pro are great for homes with incompatible in-home chimes or battery-powered doorbells. They even work with the Ring Alarm.

Before you choose between a Ring Chime or Ring Chime Pro, it’s a good idea to compare the models. 

FeaturesRing ChimeRing Chime Pro
Built-in WiFi Extender✘✓
WiFi Bands2.4 GHz2.4 GHz & 5 GHz
Increased Volume Ring Tones✘✓
Ring Tone Variety✓✓
LED Alert for Hearing Impaired✓✓
Volume Control with Do Not Disturb Option✓✓

Though similar in capabilities, the Ring Chime Pro is slightly more advanced.

Use Amazon Device as a Chime

If you cannot connect to your in-home Chime or don’t have an existing doorbell chime, your Ring Doorbell can work with Amazon Alexa.

You can connect your Ring Doorbell to Alexa by pairing your Ring account to your Amazon account and enabling “Doorbell Press Announcements” in the Alexa app.

Ring App for Alerts

Ring alerts on app

Without a chime or Alexa device, the only way to receive motion detection alerts and doorbell press announcements is from your smartphone. 

  1. Open the Ring app.
  2. Tap the three horizontal lines to open the menu.
  3. Select “Devices.”
  4. Under “Device Settings,” turn “Ring Alerts” on.
    Toggle Ring alerts on
  5. Enable push notifications for the Ring app in your smartphone’s settings.

This way, you can receive notifications that someone is at your home even while you are away. 

FAQ: Will a Ring Doorbell Work with an Old Chime?

Will Multiple Ring Doorbells Work on One Chime?

As long as the chime you’re trying to connect to can support it, you can connect multiple Ring Doorbells to a single chime. This applies to digital and mechanical chimes, as well as the Ring Chime. 

Which Ring Doorbells Work with Old Chimes?

All Ring Doorbells can be hardwired, so all Ring Doorbells will work with an existing AC-powered chime. 

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