Can I use a wired Video Doorbell together with an Audio Doorbell at the back door?

[RobbieS]

Can I wire an audio doorbell to the wires at the back door locations to ring the doorbell with the audio doorbell, while a wired video doorbell and included power adaptor are connected to the wires at the front door?

details: I am planning on purchasing a wired video doorbell for the front door and will use the power adaptor inside the doorbell unit to supply power.
In the back, we have 2 doors, one on a lower patio and one on an upper deck.  I plan on having Arlo cameras covering the back tard, patio, deck, and stairs so do not need a video doorbell there.  I want to install the audio doorbell in those locations.

[StephenB]

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@RobbieS wrote:

Can I wire an audio doorbell to the wires at the back door locations to ring the doorbell with the audio doorbell, while a wired video doorbell and included power adaptor are connected to the wires at the front door?

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Not sure if you mean the powerkit or something else when you say "power adapter".

But if you mean the powerkit, then the answer is yes.  If your existing doorbells+chimes are wired correctly, you can use the audio doorbell at rear door and a video doorbell at the front.  If the transformer has enough power, you can put wired video doorbells in both locations.  Or go with the wireless video doorbells (which will trickle-charge from the transformer).  The wireless models don't need a powerkit, and can run at lower voltages than the wired model.

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@RobbieS wrote:

details: I am planning on purchasing a wired video doorbell for the front door and will use the power adaptor inside the doorbell unit to supply power.

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This may need followup.  There is no power adapter inside the video doorbell.  Normally the doorbell is powered from the same transformer that powers the existing chimes.  That needs to be low-voltage AC (16-25 volts for the AVD1001).  

That transformer sometimes integrated with the chime, though often is it a separate component.

[RobbieS · Accepted solution]

Thanks for the reply.  I guess I mean the power kit - the thing that comes included with the video doorbell to power it off the doorbells transformer. 
I am assuming the this kit turns the doorbells switch leg to the door bell button into a power feed and the video button communicates via some protocol over this back to the power kit - and I was worried that kit would change things in a way to mess up the back button wires being used for an audio doorbell.

[StephenB]

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@RobbieS wrote:

I am assuming the this kit turns the doorbells switch leg to the door bell button into a power feed and the video button communicates via some protocol over this back to the power kit - and I was worried that kit would change things in a way to mess up the back button wires being used for an audio doorbell.

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It's simpler than that.  It diverts power around the chime in normal operation, but not when the doorbell is pressed. That protects the chime (they aren't designed to have current flowing through them all the time), and prevents extraneous ringing or buzzing that can result from the current needed to keep the doorbell running.

I think that is simply done based on voltage/amperage - not a protocol.  For instance, a zener diode circuit.  BTW, I'm not sure if Arlo is using a zener diode - that's just one way to do it.  I haven't taken apart the powerkit to see what's inside.

The powerkit is connected between the front and transformer leads at the chime (or rear and transformer if you are installing at the back door).  It won't affect operation of the other doorbell - if you install a second AVD1001 in the rear later on, then you would need a second powerkit.

BTW, if you have two or more chimes wired in parallel (I have a second chime upstairs), then you only need to install the powerkit on one of the chimes.

FWIW, there are some newer chimes that have power diverters like this built in.  If you happened to have one of these, then you shouldn't install the powerkit.