Multiple Chimes issue

[sunfixer]

I live in a multi level townhome.  I have a chime on each floor (4) so someone can hear the front doorbell, a Google Nest Hello.  I have the doorbell hardwired.  I have ONE (1) chime wire adapter.  That doorbell rings when someone pushes the doorbell.  The others do NOT operate.  The chimes are mechanical, not electronic.  There is adequate voltage to operate all chimes, (it was a pushbutton system for 4 years).

Do I need a chime wire adapter for each door chime attached??

[MplsCustomer]

@sunfixer 

I'm GUESSING that you only need one Chime Connector, but it needs to be wired to the FIRST chime in your series of chimes--the one that is connected DIRECTLY to your doorbell. The post below has a diagram showing how to wire a Nest Hello Doorbell with two chimes. It shows the Chime Connector wired in front of the chime that is directly connected to the doorbell, while the second chime remains wired in series AFTER the first chime.

https://www.googlenestcommunity.com/t5/Cameras-and-Doorbells/Need-wiring-diagram-from-wired-nest-doo...

[sunfixer]

The transformer is  a NuTone 20PT-0907, THY51K which should be a 16V, 30VA unit.  There are four (4) chimes wired in parallel.  The chime closest to the doorbell physically is the last in the chain.  I have put the chime wire adapter on ALL chimes with the same effect.  They all two-tone chimes and their response is a noise for the first chime and a long hold then chime for the second.

Additionally, the Nest Ring is direct wired and is not staying charged.

Is this setup beyond the units capability.  Their tech support was absolutely useless and told me to hire an electrician to evaluate and resolve the situation.

[MplsCustomer]

@sunfixer 

Your situation is beyond my knowledge. But here are my non-expert observations. I don't understand how your chimes could be wired in parallel, and you mention that the chime closest to the doorbell is physically the last in the chain. If I were trying it--as a non-electrician--I'd be tempted to wire the Chime Connector to the chime connected directly to the doorbell, and then try to turn on electronic chime (under "Chime duration") even though you have mechanical chimes, and experiment with the chime duration setting. Some customers have had success turning on the electronic chime setting with their mechanical chime.

This assumes you have the Nest Hello doorbell and not the Google Nest Doorbell (Battery) released starting in 2021. (You mention that your "Nest Ring" is not staying charged, but the Nest Hello has only a small internal battery with no indicator as to whether it's being charged.) The newer 2021 Google Nest Doorbell (Battery) does not use a Chime Connector and only trickle-charges the battery and does not provide a continuous livestream.

[sunfixer]

OK.  From the transformer (in the attic) there is one pair of wires which apparently travel from one door chime to the next, looping around the appropriate screw and heading to the next chime, not a single wire run from transformer to each individual chime.  Hence, wired in parallel.  The chime closest to the bell button (aka Google Nest Doorbell per the package) is the end of the wire cable.  I do NOT know where the wire pair at the bell button connects to in the circuit.

If the 2021 Google Nest Doorbell does NOT require the Chime Connector, would that be my problem, I DO have one installed on the first chime in the circuit.  Should I remove the Chime Connector and have the system function that way??  I wondered why there was no Chime Connector with the doorbell even though the instructions showed how to connect it and that it was needed.

[MplsCustomer]

@sunfixer 

We have three Google Nest Hello Doorbells. Two of them each use a Chime Connector connected to our old mechanical chime, which serves to provide continuous power to the doorbells so the cameras can stream 24/7 without triggering the indoor chime. (Our third Nest Hello is connected with an OhmKat Video Doorbell Power Adapter, which powers the doorbell, triggers an electronic chime, and does not require a Chime Connector.  This Adapter is designed to not need the Nest Chime Connector.)

My understanding is that the Google Nest Doorbell (Battery) does NOT use a Chime Connector, always runs off of the battery, and trickle-charges the doorbell's battery at a level so low that it does not trigger the indoor chime. Because of this low power, the battery doorbell cannot stream 24/7. I have no idea why its instructions would reference the Chime Connector. Where did you get the Chime Connector anyhow?

We do not have the Google Nest Doorbell (Battery), so I don't know for sure whether it will work with 4 chimes. My guess is that it SHOULD, because when you press the doorbell button, it should close the circuit and provide power to your chimes the same way your old doorbell did.

By the way, the battery doorbell has real challenges at temperatures below freezing; see these:

Forum thread:
https://www.googlenestcommunity.com/t5/Cameras-and-Doorbells/Cold-weather-concerns-with-Nest-Doorbel...

Google Nest Help topic:
https://support.google.com/googlenest/answer/11830989?hl=en&ref_topic=9360834

[Brad]

Hi there,

Just checking in to see if you still need assistance with this issue. Please let me know if you need further assistance. 

Best Regards,

Brad.

[Brad]

Hi there,

Just checking in to see if you still need assistance with this issue.  We'll leave this topic open for another 24 hrs in case there are any follow up questions or comments. Please let me know if you need further assistance. 

Best regards,

Brad