How to connect the intercom on your own in an apartment building?

The intercom system is already a necessary device for a homeowner in an apartment building. It minimizes the access of strangers to the entrance: equipped with audio, and in many houses and video communication tubes allow you to quickly identify a person on the other side of the door. Many are interested in whether it is possible to connect an intercom in an apartment on their own. Of course, if you understand at least the basics of electricians. And we, in turn, will provide you with detailed instructions that will help you easily cope with this matter.

About the design of the intercom

Before connecting the intercom in an apartment building on our own, we will understand the design of the device. This bandwidth with intercom functions (audio and video) has become popular in the last decade, taking the place of less convenient combination locks, which protected some of our entrances before it. Door phones are installed most often by specialized companies for the entire staircase. They subsequently maintain the system.

The most popular manufacturers of intercoms today are Vizit, Commax, Falcon Eye and so on.

In the diagram above, you saw the main components of the intercom system. Before connecting the intercom on your own, refresh their functions in memory:

• The tube . It is installed in the apartment so that the tenant can answer the call and open the door to the guest. This subscriber element must be connected to a common locking system.
• The calling panel . We see it next to the access door - a key code reader, keys for dialing an apartment or code number, an auxiliary screen.
• Lock (locking device ). Today, the most popular electromagnetic variations. Although with the proper use of physical force it is still possible to open them without a key, they are considered the most reliable. Previously, the variant with the usual metal valve, which was opened by an electric motor, was popular.
• Switch module . This element of the system is responsible for transmitting a signal from the call panel to a specific tenant.
• Power supply system .
• Button "Exit" and so on.

An element such as a video camera at the door station appears in the video intercom system. The image is transmitted by the microcomputer.

Varieties of intercoms

Before connecting the intercom yourself, you need to determine its type, which is most suitable for you:

• Digital . The guest call is transmitted via a two-wire line, where the apartment number is recognized. The pairing here is the work of jumpers that transmit a signal to a particular tube on a twisted mesh. Each of the latter is equipped with chips for such an operation. All apartments are connected to this controller, not only the entrance, but also the floor.

• Coordinate-matrix . A simpler option, which is why it is considered more reliable. Here, a switch is connected to the coordinator, when making a call, it transmits a signal to a specific handset. The connection itself is a wire of units and a dozen. From here, each apartment is determined by two cables, the numbers of which, of course, cannot be repeated. To establish a connection, a signal is required via DAT1. Then there is a conversion and processing of information by the modulator, after which it is connected to a specific unit and ten. The LIN connection to the apartment is due to the electromagnetic relay.

Safety precautions

Before connecting the intercom yourself, remember the most important safety rules:

• With the main electric chopper, turn off the power supply before working with the wiring.
• Use quality licensed products and accessories.
• Do not install the transformer outdoors or in a humid room.

Wire selection

We advise you to start installing the doorphone yourself by choosing a wire - focus on its required length:

• For an audio device:
  • Up to 50 m - 6/10.
  • More than 50 m - 1.5 mm.
• For a video device:
  • Up to 25 m - 6/10.
  • More than 25 m - 1.5 mm or maximum cable.

Electrical protection and wiring

We continue to talk about how to connect the intercom handset yourself. The connection itself is possible only to the mains, protected by a 16 A circuit breaker or a 10 A fuse. To ensure the safety of residents, a 30 mA residual current device is also installed.

For the intercom device, two types of power supply are used:

1. The transformer is located separately from the intercom, connected both to it and to the network.
2. The handset is integrated with a transformer, and is connected to a power outlet using a power cable.

One of the important topics regarding how to connect the access doorphone yourself - wiring. Make sure that it fits only in corrugated pipes. Therefore, you need to accurately measure the distance from the external panel to the interphone to lay the pipes along the required length. The free ends of the wires should go out about 20 cm from them.

Street panel installation

How to connect the intercom yourself? The next item is the installation of a street exterior panel:

1. The approximate height of the element from the ground is 1.6 m.
2. For patch panels on the door or wall, the locations of the mounting dowels are marked, then holes are drilled according to the markings and the device is attached.
3. For built-in options, lines for strokes are drawn, the position of the built-in box is noted.
4. Use a chisel to cut through the stub, taking into account the thickness of both the built-in element and the corrugated pipe.
5. Install and fix the built-in box with cement.
6. Then place the corrugated tube in the stub. If necessary, fix its position with nails.
7. Gently putty the stub with the pipe, simultaneously pulling out the nails holding the last.
8. Now cut to the required length of wire from the pipe, connect them to the street panel.
9. The action ends by fixing the street panel in the built-in box.

Installation of the internal device

If you do not always need to install an external device (this can be done by a company that supervises the intercom system of your entrance), then it is up to you to do the installation of the handset, if you want to take matters into your own hands. Here is an example action algorithm:

1. The approximate recommended tube location is 1.5 m from the floor.
2. Next, you need to determine on the wall the location of the corrugated pipes from the external access element. If the transformer is built into the tube, then this path is one, if not, then two - to the intercom and, in fact, to the transformer.
3. Again, the thickness of the corrugated pipe you make chisels chisels.
4. The next step is to place the pipe in the pit and then cement it or putty.
5. Mark the exact location of the tube, drill holes for the dowels that will hold it.
6. Attach the tube stand.
7. From the corrugated pipe, connect the necessary wires to the pipe.
8. Install the intercom on the mounting brackets and fix it with screws.
9. The transformer (if it is not built-in) is installed in a protected place (for example, a distribution panel) and connected to the common system with wires strictly according to the scheme. It can only be connected to a network protected by a fuse!

Installation of video intercom

We examined how to connect a digital intercom on our own. Its type is a video intercom, connected in a similar way. But before installation, consider the following:

• The camcorder is not mounted against sunlight or a powerful lighting device.
• The video peephole must be protected from vibration and mechanical damage.
• The camera must be protected from rain and not be exposed to high temperatures (more than 40 degrees).

Self-installation of an intercom is the prerogative of people who have more than once dealt with an electrician. If this is your first time doing this, we advise you to carry out work under the guidance of an experienced friend, as all descriptive instructions are general, recommendatory in nature and do not prevent particular installation problems.