Intercom Systems For Homes 101

Did you ever wish you could talk with other people in your house without having to yell? Intercom systems for homes allow you to do just that.

If you’re considering building a new home, you’re in the middle of a remodel, or you’re thinking about upgrades you want to put into your new home, consider adding a home intercom system.

DIY or Hire a Professional?

There’s no standard rule whether you want to hire professional intercom systems for homes installers or do it yourself. Other more critical considerations include what’s actually involved in the process and what the costs are of a do-it-yourself job compared to a professional installation.

Several factors influence the costs of installing intercom systems for homes – depending on how many rooms or areas of the house you want the system to cover.

Intercom systems for homes come in wired and wireless options. However, the more sophisticated and advanced systems are hard wires. Hard wired intercom systems for homes require wires to run back to a central console. This is where every component of the system is controlled from and hooked up – which is usually in the kitchen.

On the other hand, wireless systems run through Wi-Fi, mobile network (3G), two-way radio, and phone system.

Some intercom systems for homes also have features that let you stream music throughout the house. Wiring this system would be the same as installing a wired home alarm system.

How much is the cost of intercom systems for homes?

Your location, the size of your home, and the features you want to be included will dictate how much an installation of home intercom systems would cost.

With a hard wired intercom system that comes with a master control panel, expect to shell out anywhere from $500 to $1000. This type of system is suitable for bigger homes with multiple rooms that you want to interconnect. The master control panel would be the costliest piece of the component in the system.

Other added costs would be the individual speakers you want for every area of the house that needs to be covered. These speakers are in the market for $70 to $200 each. They come in different sizes, as well as control options that let have different uses and features you can use, depending on your needs.

A physical connection intercom installation is more expensive and challenging in an already built home. It is, however, more practical to install it during the construction phase of new homes, especially when the system requires a front fence.

The distance between each component of intercom systems for homes will also be a consideration for installation costs. Wireless connections can run through the front door, but it won’t work from a gate, especially taking signal strength into account.

Functions

Intercom systems for homes come in two functional versions: video only and audio only. Video only intercoms are usually integrated with a home surveillance solution; it primarily functions as an additional security camera within the system.

Nevertheless, whatever the primary function of any intercom system you choose, it will depend on how the systems “communicate,” the environmental conditions, and additional features that work with each other or stand-alone.

Another vital consideration is the phone reception during intercom calls.

Digital or Analog?

Analog intercom systems can transmit audio and video connections as waveforms. Digital, on the other hand, carry these connections as binary forms.

Digital systems will have less noise and interference over longer distances. You will be able to hear the voice and video transmittance more clearly.

Extra Features

Intercom systems for homes may be part of an overall home access control system or just for a video or voice system. The door component system may have these additional functionalities:

• PIN Code access
• Fingerprint reader
• Calling the homeowner to provide entry
• Facial recognition
• Call from a set device

Integration with Other Systems

Integration with other systems will prove to be beneficial for a residential property. Some examples of these are:

Integration with a phone system:

• Registering the door station to call a phone
• 2-way radio network
• Mobile network

Integration with a security system:

• CCTV system
• Alarm system
• Home automation systems such as Control4

Integration with an intercom terminal

This includes mobile devices, multimedia phones, and intercom terminal panels.