Intercom replacement for strata in Perth covers the ageing apartment and townhouse intercoms that fail one unit at a time until the whole building is a complaint. We assess what the existing wiring supports, quote a 2-wire retrofit or a full IP system as options the council of owners can compare, and change the building over in stages so nobody is locked out.
The calls we get from strata and property managers follow a pattern. One resident's handset has gone quiet while the neighbours' still work, so it is probably that unit. Then a second unit starts ticking after a power outage. Then the door station stops releasing the door and the parts are no longer made. Repairing a single handset is sensible on a system that is otherwise sound; once several lots are failing and parts are scarce, the committee is paying for call-outs on a system that will be replaced anyway.
Our first visit establishes which it is. We identify the system, check the door station, the power supply and a sample of handsets, and tell the manager plainly whether a repair is worth doing or whether replacement options should go to the committee.
Most Perth apartment blocks from the 1970s to the 2000s have a two-wire or multi-core intercom cable to every lot. Where that cabling tests well, a 2-wire retrofit system reuses it: a new door station and new monitors in each apartment, no new cable runs through the risers and no access to ceilings in every unit. Where the cabling is damaged or the committee wants video calling to phones, visitor access via the app and integration with the fobs and car park, an IP system is designed around the existing risers.
Platforms we install for strata include 2N, Akuvox, Urmet, Aiphone and UniFi; the intercom systems page covers each in detail.
A building-wide outage is the thing a strata manager cannot have. The new door station and head end are installed alongside the old system and tested, then apartments are cut across in groups, with each resident shown the new monitor at their door. The front door keeps releasing throughout, because the old door station stays live until the last lot is across. Residents who are away are scheduled on their return, and the old equipment is removed last.
Where the building also runs fobs or a car park gate, the intercom door release is tied into the access control so a lost fob and a stuck door are handled on one system rather than two.
A council of owners usually needs three things to approve a replacement: whether the existing cable can be reused, what each option means for residents day to day, and a comparison the committee can vote on. We quote the options side by side, state what is included in each, and note where a decision depends on a resident survey, such as how many lots want calls on their phones. Where the strata requires several quotes under its procurement rules, we respond in the format the manager sets.
Ongoing servicing of the intercom, the fobs and the common-area CCTV can then sit on one maintenance schedule for the building, with a single contractor the manager calls.
Often, yes. Many Perth apartment buildings have two-wire or multi-core intercom cable to every lot that a 2-wire retrofit system can reuse, which avoids running new cable through risers and ceilings. We test the cabling on the first visit and tell the manager whether a retrofit is viable before any options are quoted.
No. The new door station and head end are installed and tested alongside the old system, apartments are changed over in groups, and the old door station keeps releasing the front door until the last lot is across. Residents are shown the new monitor at their own door and those who are away are scheduled later.
With an IP intercom, yes. Calls from the door station ring an indoor monitor and the resident app, so a visitor can be seen and let in from anywhere, and the system keeps a log of calls and door releases. With a 2-wire retrofit, calls are answered on the new monitor inside the apartment.
If one handset has failed on a system that is otherwise sound and parts are available, a repair is usually sensible. Once several lots are failing, the door station is unreliable or parts are no longer made, the committee is paying for call-outs on a system that will be replaced anyway. We tell the manager which case the building is in after the first visit.
As options side by side, typically a 2-wire retrofit and an IP system, each stating what is included, how the changeover is staged and what residents will see. Where the strata requires several quotes or a particular format, we respond to it. The manager can then put a clear comparison in front of the committee.
It depends on the number of lots, whether the existing cabling can be reused, whether the committee wants app calling and integration with fobs and the car park, and the door stations needed for each entry. Send the address, the lot count and photos of the door station and a handset and we will quote options the committee can compare.
Address, number of lots, which handsets are failing and a photo of the door station and one handset. We will inspect, test the cabling and quote the replacement as options the council of owners can compare.