BC203 Lee Electric Two-Family Brass Doorbell Button with Name Plates

BC203 Lee Electric Two-Family Brass Doorbell Button with Name Plates

The Lee Electric BC203 is a wired doorbell button made for entrances that serve two households. One brass plate carries two separate black push buttons and two name plate pockets, so visitors to a duplex, a two-flat, a house with a basement apartment, or a shop with an upstairs tenant can see whose bell they are ringing before they press it. Each button is wired on its own, which means each one can ring a different chime inside the building.

This is an unlighted button. There is no bulb to burn out and nothing to keep a trickle of current flowing through the chime, which keeps the wiring simple and makes it a safe fit for older bell and buzzer systems as well as modern chimes.

How the BC203 Works

Behind each brass dome is its own contact with two screw terminals. Pressing a button closes that contact and completes the low-voltage circuit between your doorbell transformer and the chime, bell, or buzzer wired to it. Release the button and the circuit opens again. There is no electronics inside, no battery, and no pairing. It is the same momentary switch doorbells have used for decades.

Because the two buttons are independent, you have a few ways to wire it:

• Two chimes, one transformer: run each button to its own chime in each unit. A transformer with some headroom, such as the DH910 tri-volt transformer or the T1615 16V 15VA transformer, will handle two chimes comfortably.
• One chime, two tones: wire one button to the "front" terminal and the other to the "rear" terminal of a single two-tone chime so the household can tell the buttons apart by sound.
• Replacing an old two-button plate: move the existing pairs of wires from the old button to the new terminals, mount the plate with the included screws, and you are done. Lee's own instructions on the package say the same thing: no special wiring required.

The BC203 is rated for systems up to 16 volts, which covers the standard 16V doorbell transformer found in most homes. It is for wired, transformer-powered chimes only. Do not connect it to a battery-powered chime, and if you are not sure what you have, our doorbell transformer guide walks through how to check.

What Makes It Different from a Single Button

Most of the wired doorbell buttons we sell are single-button plates for one front door. The BC203 is one of the few that puts two buttons on a single plate with labels, so you do not have to mount two separate buttons side by side and hope visitors guess right. Compared with a plain round button like the DH1605 or the small DH1805 brass button with black center, you get:

• Two buttons on one 4⅞" tall plate instead of two separate installs
• A name plate pocket above and below the buttons for a slide-in card or printed label
• Mounting screw holes that sit inside the name plate pockets, so a label card covers the screw heads once it is in place
• Rear screw terminals on each button, no soldering or crimping

About the Finish

The plate and raised button rings are a bright brass-tone finish over metal. The push buttons themselves are black plastic. It is a traditional look that suits brick, painted trim, and older apartment entries, and it matches the other brass-tone Lee buttons if you have more than one entrance to outfit.

What's in the Package

• 1 x BC203 two-button brass doorbell plate with two name plate pockets
• 2 x brass-tone wood screws for mounting

Name cards are not included. The pockets are sized for a slip of card stock or a printed label.

BC203 Specifications

• Brand: Lee Electric (West New York, NJ)
• Model: BC203
• Type: Wired, unlighted, two-family push button station
• Buttons: 2, each with its own two-terminal contact
• Name plates: 2 pockets, one above and one below the buttons
• Finish: Brass-tone plate and rings, black plastic buttons
• Mounting: Flush mount with two wood screws (included)
• Plate size: about 4⅞" tall x 1¾" wide x 1¼" deep at the button domes
• Mounting hole spacing: about 3¾" center to center
• Voltage: Up to 16V AC, low-voltage wired systems only
• Works with: Wired chimes, bells, and buzzers powered by a doorbell transformer
• Not for: Battery-powered chimes or wireless doorbells
• UPC: 721667203008
• Made in China for Lee Electric Inc.

Where the BC203 Fits

The usual place for this button is the shared front door of a duplex or two-flat, where each unit has its own chime. It also works for a single home with a separate in-law suite or basement rental, a storefront with an apartment above it, or a side-by-side twin home where both doors open onto one small porch. If you only need the second button for a back door or a workshop, you can wire it to the second input on a two-tone chime instead of a second chime.

If you need a transformer or wire to go with it, see our doorbell transformers and wire, and for the chime itself, browse wired doorbells. If you are matching this plate to an existing opening, the push button measurement guide shows how we measure hole spacing and plate size.

The Lee Electric BC203 gives two households one clear, labeled doorbell at the door. Order it here with the mounting screws included, and add a transformer or chime from the links above if you are starting from scratch.