Technical Advice - Parts
for Vintage Doorbells
Did
I mention that I don’t sell parts? The parts
in my stock are scrounged from extensive searching, and are exclusively
reserved for repairing and completing other incomplete chimes I
find and doing renovation work for service clients. I would be happy
to provide you with an estimate for service on your chime.
Here's the thing about parts for vintage chimes: with limited exceptions, there aren’t any. No where. Other than NuTone, the major and minor chime makers have either been out of business or left this industry decades ago- or in some cases, over half a century ago. There is no cache of parts. Replacement parts generally need to be improvised or reconstructed. I often use a local machinist to make missing parts- which redefines the meaning of expensive, but its one of the only ways to get, for example, a missing solenoid plunger.
Replacing a missing return spring is an exercise in frustration. Unless one scavenged from a readily available modern doorbell will work, this is a true challenge. Should be a 50-cent item, if only it could be found. I use Century Spring, which boasts over 300,000 parts… which is cool, except it makes finding the right spring a serious endeavor. By my experience there might be a dozen or so springs among all of those that are more or less useable for any given doorbell repair job. And oh yeah… their minimum order is $50.
Did
I mention that I don’t sell parts?
If you have
one of the more common NuTone models. you might get lucky and find
that the part you need is still available from Nutone. I recommend
R&I Enterprise as a great online resource of NuTone parts.
Go to: www.rinutonedistr.com/default.htm
Here are what
I find to be the most useful NuTone parts still available.
Plunger Set-4
69581-000 includes four plungers, springs, rebound bumpers and rear
end caps. Useable on all K46-style mechanisms and probably many
others. Might be discontinued.
Grommet Set
69683-000 includes four rubber grommets for mounting flat bells.
Seem to fit every brand. These are specialized items, not typical
hardware store grommets.
Tube Hanger
Set 1958A-000 includes four molded nylon longbell hangers. Useful
only for late model NuTone longbells that use this unique hanger.
Also, here is
a massive list of NuTone models with links to parts drawings, but
be aware that a picture and part number does not mean a part is
still available.
http://www.rinutonedistr.com/DOOR%20CHIME%20PARTS.htm
For very old
or less common NuTones, or any one of the other less common brands,
you are entirely on your own to improvise, find a donor to scavenge,
or have parts custom made.
Did
I mention that I don’t sell parts?
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