More Intercom Information

Expert Advice Installing a Nutone IMA3303

One evening our son, Nathan, was answering the Central Vacuum phones and he got a call from a customer who wanted to upgrade his Nutone intercom system to a new Nutone IMA3303.  For Nate it was a routine call as he talked the customer through everything he would need to do...end of story, we thought.  Then last week I got an email from this same customer and kudos to Nathan for a job well done!  if you are considering upgrading your intercom, Central Vacuum Stores is the place to call at 1-800-221-8227.  We have trained experts standing by to answer your questions and talk you through the process, or you can use our  Intercom Upgrade Wizard to guide you step by step.  Here's the email from Nathan's very happy customer.

Hello Renee and everyone at Central Vacuum!

I don't usually agree to provide feedback but I feel compelled to do so in this case. By sheer serendipity, I stumbled on your website while trying to find replacement parts for my NuTone whole house intercom system.

What a lucky day for me.  I had been very frustrated trying to accomplish an upgrade to our system by visiting local dealers here in Greater Atlanta. I found it impossible to find the parts I needed and even more frustrating was the fact that the clerks at the local stores were completely in the dark about NuTone and therefore could provide no help whatsoever. So imagine my delight when I discovered Central Vacuum on line.  I submitted my questions on-line and ended up talking to a staff member (sorry, I have forgotten his name) who was incredibly knowledgeable about the entire Nutone product line.  The most impressive part was that he was able to describe to me, from memory, details of which new units replace what older units AND the details of how the wiring would be connected.  I was amazed, I had stumbled on the expertise I had been searching for over the last two years.  With his help, I was able to confidently order the replacement part needed on line and within a week, the parts arrived.

A wonderful experience all the way through.  It is reassuring to know that companies still exist that really know their stuff!

Dick Mueller

(Just a side note...This customer is my kind of guy...he used that great word, serendipity...If you get a chance be sure to visit Serendipity's in New York City.  It's between 2nd and 3rd Avenue near Bloomingdales and the desserts are awesome!)

Nutone IS515 for Nutone IM5000 Selective Call Intercom

We recently made one of our homemade YouTube videos spotlighting the features of the Nutone IS515 speaker for the Nutone IM5000 Selective Call Intercom.  This system is unlike the other Nutone intercoms, because each speaker is actually a full function master.  My favorite feature on the IM5000 intercom system is the selective call which allows me to call and speak to individual rooms without every other room hearing the conversation.  We have an outdoor speaker by our swimming pool and this feature means my neighbors don't have to listen in every time we use the intercom.  Watch our video to learn more about all the functions of the Nutone IS515 for the IM5000 system.  You can also check out one of our previous blogs highlighting the Nutone IM5000.

Nutone Intercom Favorite with Customers

Our customers love their Nutone intercoms, and they love the satisfaction of installing them.  Here's some of our most recent emails from intercom customers...

Some 5 years past I had bad news that Sears could not service their installed music/voice intercom if it were to fail.  This prompted me to order from Central Vac a Nutone model IMA-516 with 8 remote stations,
transformer and mounting brackets, all of which were delivered.  Well, when I pulled the Sears system out sans wiring cable I found the NuTone had zero instruction not any manual.  One phone call and "walla" the info was PDF'd from the web site, for that a qualified "Thank You Very Much.
Charles A. Bailhache, 29 Sep 09

I recently upgraded my 20 year old NuTone IM 4006 master station  with IMA 4406.  I purchased all of my materials from Central Vacuum.  The services and delivery were great. It was a real pleasure dealing with you.
Lanny Floyd

I haven't the time to create a video or full narrative of my experience with Central Vacuum, but I can happily report that your service (and website) has been great. I had been deliberating for months about replacing our old NuTone intercom system (it was nearly 30 years old and showing its age), but until I visited your site it seemed to loom as a daunting task.  The information on your website with upgrade guides and full system specifications for different intercom models led me to a manageable solution and I was able to install the new master station and 10 remotes within two days using the existing wiring. Best of all, everything works as expected and there were no unwelcome surprises.  Thanks again for your great customer service and attention to detail!

I love my new Nutone IMA 4406 Intercom system!!  
It looks great in our newly updated kitchen.   I purchased the IMA that allows you to hook up your IPOD to the system and that has been great as well.  It is also nice to be able to page someone in the house and they can respond to the page without having to push a “talk” button.   
Best regards,
Mark
 

Drive Thru Intercom Kit That's Easy on the Budget

In July 2008 I blogged about our new drive thru intercom kit. Customers really like it and so I thought I'd talk about it again.  We knew there was a need for a reasonably priced drive thru intercom kit, but we just couldn't find one for our customers.  There are several high end systems and you can drop several thousand dollars, or more, for one of those.  But not all drive thru restaurants and businesses have the resources of McDonalds.

So, we combined the expertise of two quality manufacturers, and packaged a kit for businesses looking for a reliable, cost effective drive-thru intercom system.

$455.00
30 Day Money Back Guarantee
Ask us a question about this product

The first component is the Dakota Alert WMA-3000 which will alert your inside staff that a customer has driven up. The Dakota Alert system uses the reliable wireless MURS technology. We combined this with the Aiphone MP-S and AS-3N allowing you to speak to your drive-thru customers, who can then respond hands free.

Dakota Alert WMA-3000:
The transmitter on the Dakota Alert WMA-3000 operates on one 9-volt battery and is easily mounted on the post near your outside speaker. The transmitter uses a passive infrared (PIR) beam to detect vehicles to a distance of up to 80 feet, then sends a radio signal back to the WR-3000 receiver.

The transmitter is weather proof and meant for exterior locations. The WR-3000 is the receiver for the WMA-3000 system. The WR-3000 plugs into a standard wall outlet inside your establishment and can be placed on a table or mounted on the wall. When the receiver gets a signal from the transmitter, one of four different tones (Classical, Westminster Chime, Ding Dong, or Whistle) will sound for a few seconds. There is also a volume control, allowing you to set the sound to the desired level.

The WR-3000 is equipped with a 12-volt DC output terminal that will activate for several seconds when a signal is received. The receiver can be user-programmed, so the 12-volt DC terminal and one relay will activate for 10 minutes, if this is desired. The tones will still sound for several seconds.

Aiphone MP-1S and AS-3N:
The Aiphone MP-1S combines a compact master with powerful 2.5 watt output for higher noise areas. We have combined this master with the Aiphone AS-3N ceiling speaker station for maximum output. Customers in the drive-thru reply hands free. The master station is desk or wall mount.

Wiring and Distance:
This system requires 3 conductor, shielded wire. For distances up to 330’, use 22 AWG and for distances up to 720’ use 18 AWG.

Successful Upgrade of an M&S N440 Intercom to a M&S DMC

I've said it before, and I'll say it again, we promise our customers if they send good quality photos of their DIY jobs, we'll post them on our blog.  Here are some before and after photos, along with an email, from another successful intercom upgrade done by one of our highly skilled customers.

Hi Renee,

Everything went well with the install. Both my wife and I are Ham radio operators and the old N440 system was sensitive to RFI (radio frequency interference).This new M&S system is not and is a big improvement.

Thanks,

Dave A.

If you are considering upgrading your older M&S intercom or Nutone intercom, we have an exclusive Intercom Upgrade Wizard .  I recently devoted a whole blog to the Wizard.  Just start plugging in your information, like the model of your older system, or the number of wires you have, and when you are finished you will have a complete list of all the items you will need to upgrade your system.  If you are wondering if you have to replace your wiring, the Intercom Upgrade Wizard will tell you....if you are wondering if you need to replace your speakers, the Intercom Upgrade Wizard will tell you...if you are wondering about update frames, the Intercom Upgrade Wizard will tell you...if you are wondering who's going to play in the World Series, the Wizard has no idea!

If you want more information, feel free to call us at 1-800-221-8227 and our folks will be glad to help you.(unlike the Intercom Upgrade Wizard, they may have an idea about who's going to pay in the Series!)  We have decades of experience installing intercoms and we have the widest variety of systems available on the internet.  You don't have to wait on hold while you call the manufacturer for tech assistance...you can always reach a live intercom expert at Central Vacuum Stores...also check out our Intercom DIY library for tons of information.

 

Customer Tackles Nutone Intercom Upgrade IMA3003 to IMA3303

Our customers are the best.  Randy Palmer recently upgraded his Nutone intercom to a new IMA3303WH.  We gave Randy lots of tech support...You can always call the factory for help, but when you buy from us there's no need to call the factory, we have trained experts standing by to assist you.  Randy was so pleased, he sent us this blow by blow account of his experience and included a picture of the finished product.  We've also got an interactive intercom upgrade wizard on our site to help you with the process.  Call us at 1-800-221-8227 if you're thinking of tackling a job like this. And now, without further delay....here's Randy's post.... 


Attached is a picture of my finished intercom installation.  We upgraded from a 20-year old Nutone 3003 to a new 3303 model.  The old intercom was installed over a desk in the kitchen.  We decided to move the refrigerator to that space.  To accommodate the refrigerator, I removed the old desk, cabinets, and intercom and built a new wall to encase it.  As I built the wall, I rerouted the old intercom wiring to the new master unit in the new wall.

 

Originally, I was going to pay a contractor to install the new master unit.  I'm reasonably handy around the house, but didn't think I had the skills to do the install myself.  I didn't want to spend any more money on that part of the refrigerator project and so I was going to forgo new speakers, etc.  The old outside speakers didn't work but given the price I was going to pay for the master unit install, I figured the additional cost to have the outside speakers replaced would be hard to justify.

 

I was just about ready to commit to the contractor when I stumbled upon the Central Vacuum website.  The more I reviewed the site, the more confident I became that I might actually be able to do the install myself with the support offered.  I realized that for the money I was planning to spend with the contractor for just a master unit, I could buy the master unit, all new inside and outside speakers, an auxiliary music speaker, and a door chime from Central Vacuum.  The commitment of technical support persuaded me to go ahead and place the order.  The sales reps were very helpful in the ordering process and I got everything delivered to my house in Virginia in just a few days.

 

While I had a few anxious moments during the installation, overall everything went smoothly.  I just took my time and followed the instructions provided,  When I got confused about how a component was to be installed, all I had to do was send an email to Central Vacuum and I got a quick and informative response.  I was especially concerned about the door chime after I realized that the old doorbell was actually a completely separate system.  But again, Central sent me a wiring diagram to use for my situation that was easy to follow and worked flawlessly.

 

Needless to say, everything works beautifully.  Overall, the system is very functional and the door chime is a huge improvement over our old door bell system.  I can't say enough about how helpful Central Vacuum was in helping me get so much more value for my money.

 

Attached is a picture of my new wall and my new Nutone 3303.

 

Nutone IM5000 Intercom

With 50 years of experience, Nutone is the brand that has longevity in the intercom market.  I have a Nutone intercom model IM5000 in my home.  I really like the product because of the select call feature.  This means I can call specific rooms and they can talk back to me, hands free, without having everyone else hear  what we are saying.  The system isn't intended for high quality stereo music, but it does have an audio output so you can add a cd player or iPod dock.  In fact we manufacture a product called the iMi.  It is a small built in dock that connects to your intercom and allows you to play your iPod through your system. 

Here are a few of the features of the Nutone 5000 intercom

• Uses up to 20 remote stations plus 3 door speakers, 6-wire system
• Master surface-mounts, no rough-in required
• Can be placed in utility room, closet or other out of the way place
• Auxiliary input distributes any audio source throughout the home
• perfect for residential or small office use
• An affordable selective call system
• Private Communication between two stations or between station and door speaker
• “Private” button prevents unwanted monitoring or unwanted calls
• Hands-free answering at all Stations - answer calls without touching a button
• Optional chime module or external electronic chime
• Connect any music audio source to your system
• Separate music and intercom volume controls
• Source audio is muted during intercom calls

For more information check out the links below
Nutone IM5000
iMi music interface for the iPod

Replace Your Older Nutone or M & S Intercom: Let Our Wizard Help

Yesterday Roger spent an hour and a half on the phone with a customer who was upgrading an older Nutone IMA303 to the Nuotne IMA3303. The lady told Roger that her husband was not handy and so she was tackling the project herself.  I guess she was pretty frustrated when she called, because Roger said at one point she was in tears.  Well, an hour and a half later, SUCCESS!  Now you probably think Roger is the Wizard I'm talking about, and while he is an expert in his field, he is no Harry Potter.

The Wizard I'm talking about is a new tool we've just added to our website.  If you have your brand and model # in just a few easy steps our interactive Intercom Update Wizard will tell you everything you need to upgrade your older system.  Once you've ordered everything you need, remember the lady I mentioned in the beginning of this blog, and just call 1-800-221-8227 to get expert technical assistance during your installation.

Check out our Intercom Update Wizard

Nutone IM5000 Intercom can be Adapted for a Door Release

I want to make sure our customers understand, the Nutone IM5000 does not come with a door release feature.  However, in our own market we have installed the 5000 with an optional door release.  All you need is the Nutone door release and power supply and you will need to purchase a momentary switch from an electrical supply house.  If you are interested in this...give us a call at 1-800-221-8227 and we will be more than happy to explain the installation process.  Ask for Roger or Brad if you call.

Aiphone, Valet,  and the M&S DMC actually are manufactured to operate a door release.  You may want to take a look at these products on our website.

Look at Residential Intercoms

Intercom Installation Assistance

If you are planning a DIY intercom installation you are not alone.  Thousands of people across the country tackle this project every year.  At Central Vacuum Stores, we've been installing systems in new and existing construction for almost 30 years.  We have trained experts standing by to talk you through any installation project. 

If you are just beginning to plan your system and have questions, give us a call at 1-800-221-8227 or if you want us to look at your plans and help you with the design, just email them to faith@centralvacuumstores.com.  Faith Elliott is available to look at your plans and give you expert advice on a level not offered by many of our competitors.  Faith's grandfather started the company and she has worked in the business since she was a teenager.  She has expertise that comes from sales and installation experience.  In addition, Faith recently passed her P.E.(Professional Engineer) exam and is a licensed Structural Engineer in the state of Florida.  She can look at your plans and tell you the best way to install a system.

And as always, we'll help anyone with their installation, even if they aren't our customer, yet.  We treat everyone as if there were our customer because we want them to become our customer.

Check out our Intercom DIY Library