Even if you don’t have any handyman skills, installing a new video doorbell is easy. The Ring Video Doorbell 2 has a streamlined installation process that anyone can do in under 30 minutes. Plus, most of the tools you’ll need are already in the installation kit. Here’s how to install a Ring Video Doorbell 2.
Prep
There are three things you need to get out of the way before installing your new doorbell.
First, you need to charge the Ring Video Doorbell’s battery. Slip off the silver part of the case (the faceplate) and slide the battery out of the bottom of the doorbell. Then, plug the charging cable that it came with into the battery and plug it into a wall socket until only the green light is lit on the battery casing. When it’s done, slip it back into the doorbell until you hear a click, but don’t put the faceplate back on the Ring just yet.
Ring Video Doorbell 2 battery Terry Walsh/Digital Trends
Second, turn off the power to your existing doorbell by flipping the corresponding switch in your home’s breaker box. If you don’t know which switch is the right one, flip the master switch. This will prevent an unwanted electrical shock while you’re installing your new doorbell.
Third, install the app and go through the onscreen instructions to connect your Ring Video Doorbell 2 with your home’s Wi-Fi.
Remove the old doorbell
Next, you’ll want to remove your old doorbell. Use the screwdriver that came in the installation kit to remove the screws and pull the doorbell away from the wall. You should find two wires on the back of the doorbell wrapped around two screws. Loosen the screws and remove the wires from the doorbell.
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ooA6KQggrt0]
Attach the Ring Video Doorbell
To install the Ring, you’ll need to grab a pencil, the screwdriver from the installation kit and a drill if the installation holes don’t match up with the holes from your old doorbell (more than likely they won’t). Otherwise, you’ll just need the screwdriver.
If the holes don’t line up, hold the Ring doorbell against the wall where you’ll be installing it and use the pencil to mark on the wall where the new screw holes will need to be. Then, use your drill to make the new holes. Put the plastic hole anchors that came with the doorbell into the drilled holes.
Ring
Next, loosen the screws on the back of the Ring. Wrap the doorbell wires around the screws on the back of the Ring doorbell and tighten the screws.
If the wires are too short, grab the wire extensions from the installation kit. Slide the bottom of a wire extension and a wire coming out of your wall into a wire nut from the kit (they look like gray caps) and twist the wire nut clockwise to join the two wires. Then, just slide the wire extenders under the screws and tighten them.
If your old doorbell was digital, you’ll need to install the diode that came with the installation kit. The diode looks like a wire with a black bead in the middle. To install the diode, take the screws out of the doorbell, slide the screws through the holes in the wire and then screw the screws back into their holes before wrapping the wires around them. Tip: if your Ring doorbell doesn’t work after installation, take the diode off, flip it around and reinstall it. Take a look at the video, below, for more information on installing the diode.
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bx_xP7_qCtM]
Secure the doorbell to the wall using the screws it came with. Your Ring will need to be four feet off the ground to work properly. If you’re installing it higher than that, put the installation wedge that came with the doorbell behind the upper part of the unit before you screw it into the wall. This will make the doorbell slant downward just a bit so it has the perfect view of your walkway.
Finishing up
Terry Walsh/Digital Trends
Remember the faceplate you removed to charge the battery? Now you can snap that back into place. Use the star-shaped end of the screwdriver to put the tiny screw from the installation kit in the hole at the very bottom of the doorbell. This will prevent the faceplate from coming off.
Finally, turn the power back on. The ring on the front of your doorbell should be lighting up and you should be able to use the app to see what your new doorbell sees.
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