There are several useful methods for notifying when a guest arrives in a room and it is important to choose which is the most suitable based on the type of environment in question. The sound could be too low, so much so that you don't hear the warning, or, on the contrary, it could be too loud, almost annoying. So, how do you choose the ideal acoustic signaling device to best welcome your guests? Below you will find all the useful tips to take into consideration so as not to make mistakes in your choice.
First of all, it is important to know that there are two types of devices that can alert you when someone arrives at your door. We are talking about ringtones and buzzers , both devices that are installed in the electrical system and work by emitting a sound when they are activated and can be powered by safety transformers.
The main difference between ringtone and buzzer is certainly the sound that the two devices produce.
The ringtone emits the classic " drin " or " dindon " sound if it is two-tone, while the buzzer , just as the word suggests, emits a sound more similar to a buzz .
In both cases, both ringtones and buzzers can be controlled by a wall-mounted or flush-mounted bell button , for the creation of bell systems.
The ringtone , precisely because of the classic sound it emits, is ideal for installation in civil environments, such as homes or offices. The sound of the ringtone is certainly more delicate and less loud than the buzzer. For this reason, if the room is too large, and the sound of the ringtone could be dispersed throughout the environment, it is possible to mount multiple ringtones in different points of the structure. If, for example, we are talking about your apartment, you could install a first ringtone at the entrance and another in the living area, or in the sleeping area and in the tavern. It all depends on the organization of your home and your needs.
If you then need to differentiate the sounds based on the environment in which the call is made, then the advice is to choose a two-tone ringtone or a three-tone ringtone . In particular if you want to differentiate external calls from internal service calls , such as those coming from the condominium door, from the gate, directly from the entrance door or the emergency call coming from the bathroom pull button.
The three-tone ringtone is an ideal device for signaling three independent calls and can work in the following three ways:
• three-tone sound sequence: normally performs only one cycle at a time, even by keeping the button pressed;
• two-tone sound sequence: normally performs a maximum of 8 cycles while keeping the button pressed;
• constant tone buzz: normally cycles for a maximum of 20 seconds, keeping the button pressed.
As already mentioned, the buzzer emits a sound very similar to a hum. Like the ringtone, the buzzer can also be powered by 12V or 230V and, again like the ringtone, the buzzer can also be electronic or electromechanical . In the first case, the signal is sent by an electrical card: for this reason, if the buzzer or the ringtone are electronic devices they are equipped with a speaker. However, if the horn is an electromechanical device, the sound is generated electromechanically by, for example, an eardrum, but still by an electrical impulse.
Unlike the chime, the buzzer has a much louder sound and is often adjustable via a screw on the back. For this reason it is ideal for installation in large environments, such as warehouses and factories, or even in hospital facilities, where the sound warning could be absorbed by other noises.
If we have talked so much about acoustic signals, optical signals are also equally important. Among these, the main ones are certainly the warning lights available in different colours: white, orange, red, green, blue, depending on the type of signaling that the warning light must provide. In addition to warning lights, there are also other optical LEDs that can be used in different contexts. For example, localized lighting can be installed in floors, in stair steps or even outside, such as in garden paths. Not only that, but it may also be essential to install a courtesy light, capable of remaining constantly lit at night, near the bathroom or near the head of the bed. Or again, you may need to install a LED device that acts as auxiliary lighting in the event of a power failure or as a normal portable rechargeable torch. In this case it is a good idea to check the voltage, power supply and know all the characteristics of the emergency lamp: charging time, autonomy time and type of installation .
The bell call system can only concern the acoustic signaling of calls from the entrance; in this case it consists of the button with name plate and a ringtone to be installed in the kitchen. For a more complete service in a public or office environment, we can also include a second internal service or emergency call system , in this second case we can create more complex systems with multifunction timers controlled by SELV transformers with very low safety voltage, a ringtone and a buzzer to distinguish the two calls. The emergency call concerns the bathroom and is made with a pull button. If you want to take advantage of the best safety conditions offered by SELV circuits, the wiring must be housed in pipes completely separate from those hosting the energy cables; requires 3 wires on the backbone: phase, neutral and return of the buttons.
It is important to keep this last conductor separate from the live phase: for this reason we recommend using a white cable, but all colors are allowed, with the exception of yellow-green used for earth and blue used for neutral. If the signaling system is separate from the energy system, cables with a section smaller than 1.5 mm2 can be used up to a minimum of 0.5 mm2.
After reading this article, therefore, you will certainly have clearer ideas on the differences between ringtone and buzzer, and on the characteristics of these types of devices.
If you still have doubts about suitability and installation you can contact experts on the subject, like us at Elettroclick!
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