Smart doorbells have become one of the most popular home upgrades in the Aiken area. Whether you want to see who is at your door from your phone, record package deliveries, or simply feel more secure, a video doorbell is a practical addition to any home. But the installation is not always as simple as the marketing suggests. Depending on your existing wiring, the model you choose, and the age of your home, the job can range from a 20-minute swap to a full wiring project that requires an electrician.
This guide covers everything Aiken homeowners need to know about smart doorbell installation, from choosing between Ring and Nest to understanding transformer requirements and wiring options.
Ring vs. Nest: Which Smart Doorbell Is Right for You?
The two dominant brands in the smart doorbell market are Ring (owned by Amazon) and Google Nest. Both offer excellent video quality, motion detection, two-way audio, and smartphone notifications. The differences come down to ecosystem integration and a few technical details.
Ring integrates tightly with Amazon Alexa. If you have Echo devices throughout your home, a Ring doorbell can announce visitors on every speaker and show the video feed on Echo Show screens. Ring offers both battery-powered and hardwired models, giving you flexibility regardless of your current wiring situation. The Ring Video Doorbell Pro 2 is their flagship hardwired model, offering head-to-toe video, 3D motion detection, and radar-based presence sensing.
Google Nest Doorbell works best in Google Home households. It integrates with Google Assistant, Nest speakers, and Chromecast-enabled displays. The Nest Doorbell comes in both battery and wired versions. The wired version offers 24/7 continuous recording, which Ring does not provide on most models without a specific plan. Nest also uses on-device processing for person, package, animal, and vehicle detection without requiring a subscription for basic alerts.
From an electrical standpoint, both brands have similar requirements when hardwired. Your choice should be based on which smart home ecosystem you already use and whether continuous recording matters to you.
Understanding Doorbell Transformer Requirements
Every traditional doorbell in your home is powered by a low-voltage transformer that steps your household 120-volt power down to somewhere between 8 and 24 volts. This transformer is usually mounted on or near your electrical panel, inside a junction box in the attic, or attached to a ceiling joist in the basement or crawl space. Many homeowners have never seen theirs and do not know where it is.
Older mechanical doorbells typically use a 10-volt or 16-volt transformer. Smart doorbells need more power. Most Ring and Nest hardwired models require a transformer that outputs 16 to 24 volts AC and delivers at least 10 to 40 volt-amps (VA) depending on the model. The Ring Pro 2, for example, requires 16-24 VAC at 40 VA. The Nest Doorbell wired version requires 16-24 VAC at 10 VA minimum.
If your existing transformer does not meet these specs, the doorbell will behave erratically. Common symptoms of an underpowered smart doorbell include the device going offline frequently, failing to ring your indoor chime, recording choppy video, or simply not charging its internal battery fast enough to stay operational. An electrician can test your transformer with a multimeter in minutes and replace it if needed. A compatible 24V 40VA transformer typically costs $15 to $30 for the part, plus labor to install.
Working With Your Existing Doorbell Wiring
If your Aiken home already has a wired doorbell, you have the foundation for a hardwired smart doorbell installation. The existing low-voltage wires running from your transformer to your front door location are typically 18-gauge thermostat-style wire. In most cases, these wires are perfectly adequate for a smart doorbell as long as the transformer provides sufficient voltage and power.
The installation process for replacing a traditional doorbell with a smart doorbell involves disconnecting the old doorbell button, connecting the two existing wires to the new smart doorbell's terminals, and mounting the unit. If you are keeping your mechanical indoor chime, the smart doorbell integrates with it. If you prefer to use only phone notifications, some models include a bypass plug that replaces the chime connection.
Where things get complicated is when the existing wiring is damaged, corroded, or too thin. Homes built before the 1970s sometimes have wiring that has deteriorated inside the walls. If the wire run is excessively long, voltage drop can also be an issue. An electrician can test the circuit end-to-end to determine whether your existing wiring is viable or needs replacement.
Hardwired vs. Battery: Which Should You Choose?
Battery-powered smart doorbells are the easiest to install. No wiring needed. You charge the battery, mount the doorbell with screws or adhesive, connect it to your Wi-Fi, and you are done. This is ideal for homes with no existing doorbell wiring, renters, or anyone who wants the simplest possible installation. The downside is maintenance. Depending on traffic and settings, you will need to recharge the battery every one to six months. Cold weather reduces battery life further. Battery models also cannot offer 24/7 continuous recording because the power draw would drain the battery in hours.
Hardwired smart doorbells never need charging. They draw continuous power from your doorbell transformer, which means they can support features like 24/7 recording, higher video resolution, and more responsive motion detection. The Pro models from both Ring and Nest are hardwired-only and offer the best performance. The tradeoff is that installation requires compatible wiring and a transformer that meets the power requirements.
For Aiken homeowners who want the best long-term experience, hardwired installation is the clear winner. The set-it-and-forget-it convenience, combined with better features and no battery maintenance, makes the upfront wiring work worthwhile. If your home does not currently have doorbell wiring, an electrician can run new low-voltage wire from your panel area to the front door, typically in one to two hours.
Pro Models: Why They Are Worth the Upgrade
Both Ring and Nest offer standard and Pro versions of their doorbells. The Pro models are hardwired-only and deliver noticeably better performance. The Ring Video Doorbell Pro 2 provides 1536p HD video with a head-to-toe field of view, so you can see packages on the ground without tilting. Its 3D Motion Detection uses radar to map your front porch and yard, letting you set precise motion zones and reducing false alerts from passing cars or windblown trees.
The Nest Doorbell (wired) offers HDR video, a wider field of view than the battery version, and continuous 24/7 video history when paired with a Nest Aware Plus subscription. Its on-device intelligence can distinguish between people, packages, animals, and vehicles, sending you specific alerts rather than generic motion notifications.
The performance gap between standard and Pro models is significant enough that if you are investing in a hardwired installation anyway, upgrading to the Pro version makes sense. The marginal cost of the better doorbell is small compared to the installation cost, and you get a meaningfully better daily experience.
When to Call an Electrician for Doorbell Installation
While a basic doorbell swap on existing, compatible wiring is within reach for a handy homeowner, several situations call for a licensed electrician. You should call a professional if your home has no existing doorbell wiring and you want a hardwired unit, if your transformer needs to be replaced or relocated, if your existing wiring tests as damaged or shows voltage drop, if you want to add a doorbell where there was never one before, or if your home has older wiring and you are not sure what you are dealing with.
Doorbell transformers connect to your home's 120-volt electrical system. While the doorbell side is low voltage and safe to handle, the transformer's line side carries full household current. Replacing a transformer means working with 120-volt wiring inside a junction box, which requires proper technique, wire nuts, and grounding to do safely and to code. This is work for a licensed electrician, not a YouTube tutorial.
In the Aiken area, a professional smart doorbell installation including transformer replacement typically runs $150 to $350 depending on the scope. Running new doorbell wire where none exists adds to the cost based on the length of the run and accessibility of the wall cavities. It is a modest investment for a reliable, permanently powered smart doorbell that works correctly every time.