Doorbells

Doorbells are used as a method of announcing one’s presence at someone’s home or place of business via a mechanized bell. Where once ornate doorknockers were the preferred method of announcing visitors, doorbells have replaced knocking.

Most doorbell feature a small button attached to a location near the door. By pushing on the button, a visitor completes a tiny electrical circuit, causing a bell or chime to sound. In most cases, the doorbell has a plain chime or series of chimes to alert the residents within that someone is at the door. However, customized doorbells are available so that people can choose to have the doorbell play a favorite tune.

Most businesses have a modified form of the doorbell that sounds whenever the door is opened. Again, this is to alert the shop owner to the presence of a customer, so that he may leave non-essential tasks and attend to the need of the customer. Doorbells for businesses are modified less frequently, often emitting either a single chime or buzz to alert the business owner.

Doorbells have become preferred to knocking for two main reasons: the size of modern houses and the numerous indoor appliances that can make it difficult to hear someone knocking.

A century ago, when houses were mostly small, cramped quarters, rapping on the door could be heard throughout most of the house. It was a perfectly fine method for attracting the occupants’ attention and getting them to answer the door. Now, however, it is not uncommon to see homes in excess of 3,000 square feet and some rapping at a door near the front of the house might be completely missed by someone at the read of the house.

The additional problem solved by doorbells was the noise level inherent in a modern home. Between dishwashers, televisions, microwaves, computers and vacuum cleaners it is not only possible, but also likely that someone merely knocking on a door could be overlooked.

And, although it seems like a small advantage to having a doorbell, it is less damaging to one’s hands. Raping loudly enough to get someone’s attention on a heavy wooden door can be quite painful. Adding a doorbell makes the process of receiving a visitor much easier on the visitor who now needs only press a button rather than scrape their knuckles against a door.