Should an old intercom be repaired or replaced?
The usual situation
A building with an intercom that’s twenty or thirty years old. It has always worked — until one day a flat can’t hear who’s ringing, or the entrance panel stops calling one staircase. The first question is: can it be fixed, or does everything need replacing?
When repairing makes sense
- There’s a single fault. A broken handset, a power supply that has failed, a worn button.
- The rest of the system is sound. Cables in good order, no widespread damp or corrosion.
- Parts are available. In stock, we keep spare parts for older Urmet, Elvox, Bitron and MM systems. When a part is no longer made, we look at whether it can be sourced or rebuilt.
- The system still does what you need.
Repairing an existing system without changing how it’s built counts as routine maintenance: no building work and a quick turnaround.
When replacing makes sense
- Faults keep coming back. Fixing one part today and another tomorrow ends up costing more than a new system.
- Parts have run out and rebuilding them doesn’t make financial sense.
- You want new features: seeing who’s at the door, opening from your phone, a concierge desk, access control.
- The building is redoing its common areas: the right moment, so the walls don’t have to be opened again later.
Replacing doesn’t necessarily mean new cabling. Many new two-wire bus systems reuse the existing wiring. If you need more services, an IP system over the building network is worth considering.
Three warning signs not to ignore
- A hum, or a voice that comes and goes: often a power supply on its way out. Caught early, the fault stays small.
- A button that calls the wrong flat: usually damp in the outdoor panel.
- A door release that only works sometimes: it may be the electric lock, not the intercom. It takes minutes to check.
Tell us what’s happening in your own words: that’s often enough to know where to start.
In an apartment building
For the property manager, how the decision is made matters too. We prepare two proposals side by side — repair and replacement — showing:
- what we’d do in each case;
- how many days of work, and what disruption;
- what changes for residents;
- how long each option can reasonably be expected to last.
That way the residents’ meeting decides with the facts in hand. See condominiums and property management.
How we work
We come and look, test the system and find the fault. If a repair makes sense we’ll tell you, even if it’s the smaller job. The site visit for a quote is free.
See our door entry and video intercom page.