Question : If a telephone answering machine on a single line is maxed out with messages, will the phone just ring?
I called my brother and usually the answering machine will answer on the 3rd ring in an electronically generated man’s voice. But here lately it’s just been ringing over and over like 8 rings at a time as if he was using call waiting. I think that is what makes the phone ring continuously instead of giving you the caller, a busy signal. But could the answering machine be maxed out from in coming calls and could that be causing the phone to just ring continuously?
telephone answering

Best answer:

Answer by kg7or
Generally, an answering machine used with a home phone will not interfere with the normal functions of the phone as you suggest. One thing to keep in mind, the ringing tone you hear when you place a call is coming from the telephone company switching office, not the phone at the location you are calling. It’s just a courtesy indicator to let you know that ringing voltage has been sent to that customer’s phone line.

If there is a problem at his end, like the phone cord has been pulled out of the wall jack so that his phone itself isn’t ringing at all, you’ll still hear the ringing tone on your end.