What To Do With An Old Intercom System (4 Simple Ideas!)

Older homes often featured intercom systems that were once useful and cutting edge, but have since fallen out of style. Intercom systems have made a comeback, but countless homes still feature outdated systems that are all but useless. It’s hard to know what to do with an old intercom system, that is unless you explore all of your options.

Remove your old intercom system if it is outdated or broken and you don’t intend to use it. You can also repair or upgrade an old system to improve your intercom and add value when you sell your house. Otherwise, you can deactivate the intercom system and cover it with a picture, bookcase, or paint that matches the room.

There is no reason to get rid of an old intercom system that still works unless it is simply in the way. Follow along as we explore the best options for what to do with an old intercom system.

For many years, intercom systems were a panel located on one of the walls. A visitor could push the buzzer, sounding the panel in your home. If someone is home, they can press the button to respond to the visitor.

Times have changed and everything now has video capability. Intercom systems are no different. Instead of listening and responding, you can now see when a visitor is at your door. Visual verification just adds another layer of security to this function.

With the addition of video to intercom systems, the older models have become outdated and not nearly as effective. That begs the question of what to do with them.

You can easily remove a plug-in or battery-operated intercom system from your home without professional help. However, it can be a chore to remove a hardwired intercom system from your home, and you may need to hire someone.

All that you need to do is unplug and unscrew the old intercom system from the wall mount if it isn’t a hardwired system. This is a one-person job and should only take moments unless it is a bulky and heavy intercom system. However, it is much trickier to remove an old intercom system that is hardwired because it involves more steps.

You must first shut off the power, remove the mounting screws, and disconnect the wires that run to the back of the system. Pull the old intercom system out of the wall and make sure that there are no dangling wires. Cap the ends of each wire before you stuff them back into the wall to make it safe and cover the hole in the wall.

It isn’t always necessary to remove an old intercom system if you can simply cover it up and conceal it. This can save you time and money compared to removing the system, and you can do it without professional help. Intercom systems are generally flush with the wall, and you may be able to cover them with something as readily available as a picture frame.

Otherwise, you could slide a bookcase or plant in front of the old intercom system. The goal is to conceal the old intercom system completely without drawing attention to it. Make sure to shut off the intercom system and disable it before you cover it so that it doesn’t sporadically turn on and off.

You can also simply paint over it to match the décor of the room if the unit is thin enough and you don’t mind looking at it. If it doesn’t bother you at all, simply leaving it in place is the simplest method to go with. But concealing it is just as easy and you don’t have to see it whenever you walk into the room.

Repair your old intercom system if you want to be able to continue to use it. It may come in handy when you go to sell your home even if you don’t want to currently use your intercom system. It costs an average of $2,100 to repair an intercom system, but costs vary based on how old the unit is and what the problem is.

It is only worth it to repair your intercom system if it will restore it to its former glory or even improve upon it. Otherwise, it may not be worth the cost if you don’t intend to use it or it’s too outdated to add value to your home. If your intercom simply isn’t working, try having it repaired instead of just getting rid of it.

Modern intercom systems are particularly expensive, so it is generally worthwhile to repair an existing system. You may want to repair your old intercom system even if you don’t use it but want to sweeten the pot when you sell the home.

Whether your existing intercom system is merely outdated or broken and not working at all, there is always the option to upgrade it. As mentioned in the previous section, repairing it may not be the most cost-effective solution. When the price gets to be close enough, upgrading to a modern unit is likely the better option.

More importantly, intercom systems have evolved in just a few short years. Where they used to be audio-only, they have now come to include video. Moreover, there are modern video intercom systems that have additional features that would not have existed with prior generations.

Home security is of the utmost importance. If you are considering scrapping that old intercom system, consider upgrading it to a new unit that will give you video functionality as well.

As nice as it is to have video, some of the older video units can feel a little clunky. They may have thicker cases with physical buttons to push down. These are nowhere near as slick-looking as some of the more modern units out there.

Touchscreen video lets you buzz visitors in with just a tap of the screen. There are also several alarm inputs that can be set through touchscreen. You are also likely to find a plethora of options that would otherwise not be included on the older models.