Flat Intercom System no longer remotely able to open front door.

[VICENTE]

Any electricians able to give me a heads up greatly appreciated.

The intercom on our block of flats has stopped working fully.

From the intercom outside:
You can buzz from downstairs to any of the flats fine.
You can hear someone speak through to one of the flats headsets fine.

From a flat:
You can no longer speak back.
When you press to undo the strike door latch on the phone system - no buzz is heard, the lock doesn't open.

I have undone the system outside and re stripped wires/reconnected the connections but no joy.

Its wired flat 1 from the bottom of the intercom to 3 at the top.

It looks like the multicolour wires feed the audio and buzzer to the flats while the blue/black/white cables could be problem? - Also between the white and black wires is this a fuse or just a light?

 

[moggy]

I used to fit stuff like this a few years ago. The latch sounds like it's either seized or lost the 24v
There should be a little power supply for the setup or a small transformer. That's your first point of call

 

[TomandJerry]

Have you tried turning it on and off?

 

[Return of the Rev]

Try the rear entrance

 

[fat old seagull]

Try the rear entrance

I am trying hard to refrain from unsuitable comment!

 

[Prince Monolulu]

Top the oil up to 'MAX'.

 

[skipper734]

That's a fuse between the white and black wire. Surely there's a battery in the system somwhere or you couldn't get out if there is a power failure?

 

[VICENTE]

That's a fuse between the white and black wire. Surely there's a battery in the system somwhere or you couldn't get out if there is a power failure?

ok thanks will try the fuse.

the lock is like a yale lock which you can turn at the door to open.

before when you pressed the button in a flat it would buzz and send a signal allowing someone to push the door open

 

[VICENTE]

would the power supply be inside the actual lock on the door. theres a wire from the intercom to the lock - but no transformer or anything between.

 

[Bruntburger]

Looks a bit complicated for a door bell. Maybe switch to a good old fashioned knocker

 

[moggy]

The latch is electronic and runs from the 24v supply. I've already told you this.
There's either a fault there or the 0v has gone to ground.

 

[moggy]

would the power supply be inside the actual lock on the door. theres a wire from the intercom to the lock - but no transformer or anything between.

Yes there is, there will be a 24v supply so where do you get that from without a power supply or transformer

 

[spence]

The latch is electronic and runs from the 24v supply. I've already told you this.
There's either a fault there or the 0v has gone to ground.

Sounds like he is getting into something that's way out of his depth

 

[moggy]

Sounds like he is getting into something that's way out of his depth

Probably making things worse ripping out wires and reconnecting. Hope he made a note of everything or has a schematic drawing he's working to

 

[Bruntburger]

Cut the red wire, no wait I mean black!!!

 

[moggy]

Inside the latch will be a coil and an electromagnet so when the 24v is sent to the coil it pulls in the electromagnet and thus pulls the latch in thus allowing the door to open.
The battery is just a backup incase of power loss. Otherwise you wouldn't be able to get in or out in a power cut.
There is definately a power supply somewhere in the system
THE POWER SUPPLY WILL NOT BE PART OF THE LOCK!!!

 

[VICENTE]

Inside the latch will be a coil and an electromagnet so when the 24v is sent to the coil it pulls in the electromagnet and thus pulls the latch in thus allowing the door to open.
The battery is just a backup incase of power loss. Otherwise you wouldn't be able to get in or out in a power cut.
There is definately a power supply somewhere in the system

thats it although you can turn the yale from the inside manually on the door so wouldnt get stuck if there was a powercut.

other than the one wire to the lock itself from the intercom the other wire runs along the wall and up through the floorboard, i assume to each flat. could the power source be anywhere along the cable then? bit of a nightmare having to start pulling floorboards to find the power source..

could it be plugged into a mains socket somewhere within one of the other flats?

 

[moggy]

There should be two wires to the lock. One is the 24v and the other is the 0v.

 

[Bucharest49]

Hi there do u have a manaeging agents for the flats or do they run it them selfs as normally these entry phones are on a service contract if it is u should not be messing around with it as they can now charge you for it playing around with it .i manage 2 blocks of flats here in hove so thsi is ypur first thing to check out ...

 

[Gazwag]

Is your visitor still waiting outside