Years Later, I Finally Looked

by:
June 17, 2025

Source: Reddit

It was by surprise one night, lying still in bed with the lights off in my house when I first heard it. This faint, low buzz. Every ten seconds. Not really loud enough to be scary but just irritating enough to keep me awake.

I was thinking, it’s a charger or the HVAC. Nope. After wandering around like a sleepy half-ghost, I traced the sound back to a beige box on the hallway wall. That thing I hadn’t thought of for years? An old doorbell chime. And it was buzzing.

The Box on the Wall That Refused to Ever Shut Up

I picked up a step stool and removed the cover. Dirt, perhaps a spider, and two metal rods with plungers. Like, say, a xylophone meets solenoid. Still connected and still trying to do its thing — unsuccessfully.

That buzz every ten seconds? A twitching plunger. A reedy, haggard little ding-dong that never was.

Why an Old Doorbell Chime Buzzes

It took a little digging (and a call to my brother-in-law) to discover what it is:

  • Stuck doorbell button. Mine felt gummy when pressed. Swapped it out for $6.
  • Faulty transformer. Old ones transmit low-voltage signal all the time.
  • Gunked-up plunger. When it can’t move, it hums in its stead.

Some chimes mount over a hole in the drywall. If that wall cavity is connected to a return duct, you’ll have a draft of cold air that causes the chime to vibrate a little bit.” That draft was real. I could feel it.

Source: Reddit

How I Fixed It

  1. Cleaned inside with a brush. Dust everywhere.
  2. Put it back together however put in new button just in case. Problem or not, it was old.
  3. As in, stuffed foam inside the wall that is behind the chime to insulate the draft.
  4. Put felt pads between the box and the wall. Cut the vibration.
  5. Disconnected the wires. When we flipped off the breaker. No shocks, thanks.

After that—nothing. Silence. I finally slept.

Cut the Old Box Some Slack

That chime persisted for decades. Likely heard every takeout and trick-or-treater since disco. It wanted to work. But when a buzzy old doorbell chime turns into your nightly nemesis, it might be time for a change.

One Last Thing

If you’re wondering what’s that weird box on your wall making noise, check it out. Pop the cover. Poke around. It might be a small fix. Or perhaps you have a piece of your home’s history that you’ve forgotten — the piece that buzzes too loudly.

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