I was gifted a "wired" Google Nest camera/doorbell. My house has vinyl siding. Where the current button doorbell (and wires) is located is where the Nest will go. My problem is that there is about a 1/2 to 3/4 void between the siding and the house so that when you push on the button the siding itself collapses inward also. We don't get many people ringing the doorbell so I never worried about but now I'm wondering about the best way to mount this Nest. I'm thinking of maybe using a foam filler like Great Stuff to firm it up but I also worry that improper usage of that foam may actually balloon out the siding. I suppose I could hold the siding in place so any foam expansion would creep away instead of outwards? Any thoughts would be appreciated. Thanks!
Google Nest doorbell installation ?
- Thread starter Dave P.
- Start date
they sell different spacers for mounting these devices.
That I know but those spacers are designed to mount onto the outside of the siding. I need to fill a gap on the inside of the siding.
Low expanding foam from big box stores should work.
Can you cut the siding and use j channel around it and mount the doorbell into the recess, on the wood?
Thanks, I've seen that mentioned in some of the install videos also. That won't be a problem as long as I can find it! I might just consider taking a step back in time and installing a door knocker and a peep hole and call it a day!
If you can get behind the siding to spray expanding foam, you might as well add something more proper, like the spacer JustinH mentions. Yes, they're designed to go on the outside but it seems like they'd work behind the siding just as well. That or make a wood copy of the spacer for behind the siding. I'd never consider using expanding foam... what if you add too much ? You can't stop that stuff once you spray/activate it.
Yes, most homes will have the required 16 volt or higher transformer but a fair amount of homes have 8 or 9 and that doesnt cut it.
You can test the voltage with even a cheap battery tester right at the front door. We used to do this before we even attempted an installation because if the voltage was too low we would tell the customer that it's up to them to upgrade the transformer before installation and jsut put the old button doorbell back..
Yeah, we would also do it but it gave us an out to get out of there for the time being on a tight schedule and at times we would have to run to HomeDepot or Lowes to get one.
Depending on the age of the home the transformer can be anywhere. In many new homes it right above the circuit breaker panel.
Other homes up in the attic or basement but it should be easy to find (gulp)
My house is 20 years old. The transformer was right on the circuit breaker panel. If my memory serves, I had the right voltage but not enough volt amps. I posted about it on here but not going to search for it. Why they use VA instead of Watts evades me. I mounted the new transformer the same way as the old transformer but an electrician told me that it's not up to code to do it that way any longer. The transformer needs its own utility box so you're supposed to run romex from the panel to a utility box and mount the transformer to the utility box and not directly on the panel.
The camera is actually pretty cool. The door bell function works great but I've never used it. But I use the camera function often. It's nice knowing what's going on in front of my house and on my porch. For disclosure, I have the EZVIZ doorbell camera but I'm sure they all function the same way.
I think every locality allows a like for like replacement to get around "current" code requirements. Just like 2-prong outlets aren't allowed to be installed in a new location (or major renovation) but you can replace an existing one with another.
Yes, that sounds correct. I think I remember at one time transformers being at the knock out of some breaker panels. On a 16 year old house it’s above the breaker panel in its own junction box.
With that said, being your house was built at a time, where it was still approved you could probably get away with just a replacement, at least I think so but I’m not a licensed electrician, and it certainly isn’t hard to put its own junction box
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