Removing Ancient Intercom System

[Kyle Boatright]

Our new (circa late 1960's) house has a NuTone intercom system that needs to go. Some of the functions work, but for the most part, the system is dead.

After removing the face plate from the main control box, I found a label that indicated that the system runs off of a 30V AC transformer (the label says the transformer is "located elsewhere"). After crawling through a large portion of the house, I still have not found "elsewhere".

Where to begin? My first (possibly biggest) problem is that the "hot" wire isn't apparent...

Suggestions?

KB

[Art]

Check near your circuit breaker box.

[Kyle Boatright]

Did that. Unfortunately, it ain't there. Also, none of the breakers is marked to indicate which breaker the system feeds from. Oh, the joys of a

35 year old house...

KB

[D Duddles]

Perhaps it's mounted similar to a doorbell transformer which, at least in those days (as it is in my 35 year-old house), were typically mounted next to or on top of a light fixture box for one of the basement lights (assuming you have a basement, of course). My doorbell transformer is mounted directly to the top of one of these fixture boxes, and you can't even see it unless you stick your head up between the floor joists. I guess I'd suggest looking there.

Good luck.

Doug

[Paul]

It may be nippled into a ceiling junction box in your basement. If the ceiling is finished you, obviously, won't see the transformer and will have to check each outlet box until you find one that has 2 black wires coming through a nipple. Even then, it could be your door bell transformer and not your intercom transformer.

Happy Hunting Paul

[PrecisionMachinisT]

Pretty sure NuTone is still in business, and a new control box could be purchased that would be plug and play.

On ours, I stripped the master unit clean of most internal components and just left all the speakers and pots in place, patching em to a paging amp that is sourced from a spare co port on our phone system ......

The 30vac transformer jack I taped off well and just left it sitting inside the can--I doubt the transformer uses more than 2 dollars worth of electricity per year when not connected to a load anyways.

[JerryMouse]

If you can't find it, it must be gone. Case over.

[willshak]

Some of those old intercoms had a radio installed. Does yours, and does it work? If so, turn it on and loud enough to be able to hear it from the breaker box, or have someone standing by the main intercom console and operate controls that indicate operation by emitting sound or by observable indications. Start turning breakers off until the radio/console shuts off. That's the one that the transformer is hooked into.

[John Keith]

Check around the furnace or utility room.

John Keith [e-mail]

[Bob]

that needs to

system is dead.

found a label

(the label

through a

the "hot" wire

Figure out which breaker it's on. Follow that wire from the breaker box. What else is on that breaker?

Bob