Wired/battery doorbells

Grenage

I fitted one like this when moving into the new place; no batteries, no mains!

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Butlers-Bell-Round-Embossed-Pull-BRASS-Classic-Design-/331153539661

Not saying it's for everyone, mind you; probably best only used with high ceilings. Anything that isn't one of those bloody awful wireless jobs will probably be ok.

wantonnoodle

We've had one of these: http://www.argos.co.uk/product/6249102 for the past 4 years and never had a problem with it. Given the £8 ASDA version we had before that only lasted 18 months before it stopped working, new batteries or not, it's very reliable to us, and we can't foresee a need to replace in the near future.

ic

I can highly recommend the Friedland Libra doorbell range - sounds good, reliable and the big C type batteries last an age.

knightstyle

Easy solution, get a clockwork door bell like this Imperial Wind-up Doorbell

sortofwinning

Thanks for your replies everyone!! I've got rather a lot of Googling/links to click with the all of the above.


moneyistooshorttomention, that sounds a bit scary but you have just encouraged me to do a good bit of research to make sure I don't end up with problems.


To everyone that suggested a door knocker, we do actually have one but for some reason people don't use it. I don't know if it's because we have a porch which encloses the front door plus knocker, then we have a plaque outside with the house no plus bell ringer attached (the one that hasn't worked for years) and I think that's why people keep trying to ring the bell. But the weird thing is - when we don't come to the door, NOBODY ever seems to figure out that the bell doesn't work. I have no idea why this is, but people call us and say "I rang and rang and nobody answered" and yet our door knocker is prominent once you step inside the porch, and the porch door is always ajar. Weird. If I ring someone's bell twice and get no answer, I will always try the knocker if there is one, but people just don't seem to do this with us and I'm kind of baffled.


Anyway, lots to think about for me - thank you all.