If your intercom isn’t working, you know how important it is to get it repaired. Residents of Brooklyn depend on reliable intercoms for all sorts of important tasks. And a broken intercom jeopardizes many of them — from letting in friends to granting access to delivery drivers. Whatever your residents use your property’s intercom for, intercom repair in Brooklyn is an urgent task.
In this post, we go over some of the reasons why your intercom might not be working. Then, we go over the steps you should take to troubleshoot your intercom issues. Finally, we help you pick out the best Brooklyn intercom repair service.
This post covers:
- Why is my intercom not working?
- Intercom troubleshooting: Does your intercom need repairing?
- How to pick an intercom repair company in Brooklyn
Why is my intercom not working?
If your intercom isn’t working, there are a few usual suspects that you might be able to blame.
- Weather damage. Brooklyn property managers have seen it all — from scorching hot days to thunderstorms to hail. And it doesn’t even take a drastic weather event to ruin your intercom’s functionality. Over the years, fluctuating humidity and temperature will naturally degrade many of your intercom’s parts, including its wires.
- Faulty wiring. Your intercom depends on copper wires to carry power to its components and to link every intercom substation inside a resident’s apartment to the base station at the front door. These wires often become loose or break down over time, leading to malfunctions.
- Outdated hardware. Your intercom has a lot of important parts. Any one of them breaking down could be a cause for disaster. Substations, base stations, and the wires that connect them might all be decades old. At that point, you’re looking at replacing multiple parts — or even the whole system entirely.
Learn how to install ButterflyMX:
Intercom troubleshooting: Does your intercom need repairing?
Occasionally, you might run across some more obvious signs that your intercom is in need of maintenance. For example, you might receive an uptick in resident complaints. On the other hand, you might see visually apparent damage to the intercom’s face. No matter what, it’ll take some time for an intercom repairperson to arrive on your property.
And whether you’re waiting several days or just a few hours, it’s still a significant amount of time. It’s especially inconvenient for residents who depend on your building’s intercom to let in their guests.
But you can prevent long wait times.
Roll up your sleeves and do routine checkups on your intercom system yourself. As a result, you’ll be able to tell if you need to hire an intercom repairperson before any of your tenants are disrupted.
Troubleshoot your intercom by following these steps:
1. Check the intercom’s voltage
The typical intercom uses voltage in the range of 6 to 16 V. You’ll be able to check on this yourself using a reading instrument called a voltmeter. If you get a reading outside of that range, you should consider calling a professional repair person.
2. Check intercom wiring
Wiring is one of the most finicky components of an intercom system. And you don’t just have to worry about it degrading. Instead, over years of use, a copper wire might bend out of shape, or the outer casing might fray.
Consult your intercom’s manual to check if any wires are loose or disconnected and simply reconnect them. Don’t forget to cut power to the intercom before messing with the wires to prevent injury.
3. Inspect all components
It might be cost-prohibitive for you to check on every component. Undoubtedly, ripping out walls and ceilings just to do a routine maintenance check on wiring is a little excessive. However, inspecting every part of your intercom may save you a lot of money.
For example, if one resident raises a complaint about the intercom, your first idea might be to replace intercom substations in all of your building’s units. But after a thorough inspection, you might realize that only one resident is having technical problems. This drastically reduces the money you spend on repairs.
How to pick an intercom repair company in Brooklyn
Here’s how you can make sure you’re picking the New York City intercom repair company that will best suit your needs. Even if pricing is your primary concern, you can tell if the person you’re hiring for cheap intercom system repair in Brooklyn is worth hiring by reviewing these criteria.
Pick an intercom repair service using:
1. Customer reviews
These days, it’s easy to ensure that the Brooklyn intercom repairperson you hire is vetted and has a track record of success. Before you commit to a repair service, look for online reviews and ensure that you’re about to hire somebody efficient and reliable.
But the internet isn’t the only place to seek out reviews. You can also ask any potential installer to refer you to a past client, allowing you to hear an honest assessment directly from its source.
2. Peer recommendations
While online reviews are always helpful, you might put more stock in the opinions of your trusted friends and colleagues.
Ask around to see if your fellow property managers would recommend a Brooklyn intercom repair service they’ve worked with in the past.
3. Endorsement from the intercom manufacturer
Nobody knows how to fix an intercom better than the company that created it. Reach out to your original intercom’s customer service department to see if they have any recommendations.
Keep in mind that a manufacturer’s endorsement might come in different forms. For example, a manufacturer might offer certifications that prove that a repairperson has put in the hours and effort to become certified in repairing that intercom brand. Or, more outright, the manufacturer might be able to directly connect you with a repair service they’ve partnered with.
Takeaways
- Your intercom may be damaged due to repetitive inclement weather, faulty wiring, or outdated hardware.
- Even if your intercom is currently working, you’ll be able to tell if it needs repairs soon by checking its voltage levels, wiring, and the rest of its components.
- Once you’ve determined the source of the intercom’s damage, decide if you can tackle the repair yourself. However, only attempt repairs you feel confident handling yourself in order to prevent further damage.
- Find intercom system repair in Brooklyn, NY by checking customer reviews, asking your property management peers, and seeking recommendations from the intercom’s manufacturer.
