In our little corner of the NuTone Universe business is very busy. We are contacted everyday by homeowners who are looking for someone to Repair their NuTone Intercom equipment. A common thread that runs through many peoples stories is how difficult it is finding someone that doesn't just want to sell them a new system
People tell me how they are told that "it's to old to fix", "they don't make parts for it any more", "those types of electronics are no longer made". These types of statements are simply not true. If someone has an interest in repairing Vintage NuTone Intercoms, it can be done.
In 2014 we had 396 NuTone Intercom Master Station sent into us for repair. Out of all of those sets, only 2 were beyond economical repair and for those customers we found replacement Master Stations and rebuilt those for them.
While the majority of the repairs are on models made between 1984 and 2008, we do have many Master Stations sent in that date from the late 1950's through the late 1970's.
So far this year we are running about 10% ahead of last year and we are just coming into the busiest time of year. We have created a You Tube Channel for our on-line Videos, which help our customers with the task of removing their Master Stations for repair. We have an article on this site that shows how to package the Master Station for shipment so it doesn't get damaged. We are constantly buying NOS and used NuTone Intercom equipment so we have the parts we need to repair the sets that are sent into us.
Thanks to Cindy, we have a reorganized our parts and electroinc modules storgae, which makes finding what I'm looking for so much easier.
While everything is constantly growing, I refuse to compromise the level and quality of work I do on my repairs. It may be very old-school, but if my name goes on any repair, it will be done properly, period.
Thanks to everyone who has trusted use with your equipment.
As the number of Instructional Videos grows, keeping them organized and easy for visitors to find is more and more important. I've shuffeled things around a bit and I've created a Master Index / Link page for all of the current and future Videos.
This Videos on this page will be sorted by the Model Number of each NuTone Intercom System.
I hop this will make it easier for everyone to find the information they are looking for.
After just 4 months we have posted 32 Videos on our You Tube Channel, and so far they seem to be very helpful to our customers.
I have started creating Play Lists on You Tube, separating the into groups based on a systems Model Number or by a specific type of task.
While I have lots of topic ideas for the videos, it turns out that our customers have some pretty good ideas also. Some of the most recent videos are to address specific topics or problems that our customers have contacted us about.
If there's something that you would like to see or know about has to do with repairing or working on a NuTone Intercom System, please let me know and I'll see if I can turn the idea into a video just for you - and everyone else that might need to see it.
If you find our Videos helpful, please "like" the Video on You Tube. If you think that the Video would help others, please "subscribe" to our You Tube Channel. Doing these things raises our Search rankings on You Tube, which means that it will be easier for other people to find our Videos.
From the very beginning in the 1950's, NuTone offered outdoor Patio Speakers for their Radio Intercom Systems. The earliest Patio Stations were slightly modified Entry Door Stations with a very small 3-1/2” diameter speaker cone.
In the early 19060's NuTone began to sell larger Patio Stations which had a 5” diameter speaker cones and the Deluxe 2-piece Patio Station, included a small wall mounted Intercom Remote Control which was connect to a large, separate 8” diameter wall mounted speaker.
As new models were introduced, so were new and better designed Patio Stations. Even with the better designs, all Patio Stations have one common problem, they're located outdoors in the weather.
Sun, Rain, Snow and Wind take their toll on the paper in the Speaker Cones and sooner or later the speakers will stop working. Since NuTone Intercom Systems use speaker cones with special impedance ratings, which are matched to the system they are used in, you really can't just go out and buy any old speaker cone to replace the failed original. You need an original Genuine NuTone Part.
The problem with finding a genuine NuTone Replacement Patio Speaker Cone has always been the same, since outdoor Patio Stations are the first to wear out, any remaining stock of a discontinued model is the first to be used up. An added twist to this problem is that recently NuTone has discontinued manufacturing replacement speaker cones used in all models made between 1972 through 2008. Any remaining stock of Patio Speakers cones is already gone, so what should we do?
We will make our own Patio Speaker Cones.
The only difference between an “Inside Speaker Cone” and a “Patio Speaker Cone” is that the patio Speaker Cone has been treated to protect the paper cone in the speaker from Sun, Rain, Snow and Wind.
Protecting the paper cone is easy. We use a product called “The Wet Look” which is specifically designed to protect the paper cones from the elements and help them to last longer.
Here you can see a pair of standard 5” diameter NuTone inside speaker cones, these are both 25 ohm speakers, which are used in many models of NuTone Radio Intercom Systems made between 1972 and 2008. If you put one of these untreated speaker cones into a Patio Station out doors, it will likely last just 2-3 years before the weather rots the paper away.
Applying The Wet Look is easy, it's just brushed carefully onto the surface of the paper cone, making sure that all of the folds and creases are cover.
Let application dry over night and then apply a second coat. After it is thoroughly dried, install the treated speaker cone into your Patio Station.
If your NuTone Radio Intercom System has a deluxe 2-piece Patio Station, you will need a replacement 8” diameter Speaker Cone.
Here is a new 8” diameter NuTone 25 ohm Speaker Cone ready to be treated with The Wet Look.
Red Arrow is the treat side - Blue Arrow is the untreated side
You can see the difference once one-half of the speaker cones has been treated.
If you look carefully, you can see that with just one coat of The Wet Look, the coating looks blotchy in some areas. This is why 2 coats is needed to really protect the paper cone.
The Wet Look is commonly available to buy from many sources on-line and it's inexpensive. However a 4 oz. Jar is enough to coat between 25 and 30 speaker cones, many more than the average homeowner will ever have to do.
Since there is a real need for treated NuTone Patio Speaker Cones, we keep them in stock. Not just for our customers who send in equipment for repair, but for anyone who needs one. We don't charge any extra for the treatment of The Wet Look, we just charge for the Speaker Cone.
If you need a treated Genuine NuTone Patio Speaker Cone, contact us and we will send one to you.
NEXT UP: How to turn an “Inside Remote Station” into a “Patio Remote Station” . . . it's quite easy. . . really
Has Your NuTone Radio Intercom Master Station Discolored and Turned Yellow?
A big problem with many models of NuTone Radio Intercom Master Stations are that over time the Master Stations discolor and turn from their original White or Bright White to a sickly yellow.
This happens due to a complex chemical reaction in the plastic after it has been exposed to Ultra-Violet light from the sun.
Many types of plastics used in consumer products are made from a formula that includes the chemical compound Bromide. Bromide is added to the plastic to help make it more fire-retardant.
When the plastic is exposed to UV light for a long period of time, the bromide (which is a naturally brownish color) reacts and slowly turns the plastic into a yellowish color. The yellowing effects only the surface of the plastic, keeps the original color just below the surface
This yellowing of plastics is very common, especially with consumer products made in the early 1980's through the mid 2000's.
Many of the NuTone Master Stations we receive in the shop for repair are severely discolored. Even after the electronics are repaired and the faceplates have been cleaned, the yellowed faceplate makes the Master Station look unsightly.
As it turns out, there is a process that can reverse the chemical reaction in the plastic and restore the face plate almost to it's original color.
By using a mixture of concentrated Hydrogen-Peroxide, Oxy-Clean, Water, Sun Light and Time, the yellowing process can be reversed.
I have started some trials on the face plate from a NuTone IMA3303WH, which originally was NuTone's “Bright White” finish. My test face plate had discolored to a sickly yellow that no one would want in their kitchen.
As a control for the test, I removed one of the lower doors from the IMA3303's face plate and put it aside. The face plate (with all of the electronics removed), the second door and the push button assembly were place is a transparent plastic tub and the de-yellowing solution was added. A tight fitting lid was placed on the tub and everything was placed outside in direct sunlight. The test began on Saturday, May 3rd at 6 PM.
Red Arrow is untreated door - Blue Arrow is treated door
The pictures which shows the outcome of the test were taken on Sunday, May 4th around 4 PM, which is slightly less than 24 hours of soak time in the solution.
Red Arrow untreated door - Blue Arrow treated door
You can clearly see a dramatic difference in the color between the treated door and the original door.
The pictures were taken under my normal work bench lights and there has been no Photo-Shopping of the images.
After I took the pictures, the door was placed back in the solution with the face place and button assembly. The test will continue until Saturday, May 10th giving the items a total of 168 hours of soak time.
For this to be a viable process, the exact formula of the solution will have to be standardized and a proper method of testing the solution to determine if it's been depleted must be made.
It will also be necessary to test the process on every model of NuTone Master Station that was available in White or Bright White, to make sure that the process will work on all of the different plastics used.
It may also be possible to use this process on discolored and yellowed remote speakers, but I will leave that until I have the Master Station testing completed.
I think that this process will allow more homeowners to keep their original NuTone Radio Intercom Systems and not have to live with an unsightly Master Station
I will post more pictures after the ongoing test is completed. The next Master Station that will be tested is a IM5006.
It's been 7 days since I started the whitening experiment on a very yellowed IM3303WH face plate.
Here are the results. . .
For testing purposes, I removed 1 of the lower doors and put it aside. The face plate and the remaining door were soaked together in my solution for 7 days. You can see how much change has taken place.
In another shot you can see how much "whiter" the face plate looks when compared to the original yellowed door.
When I decided to try this experiment, I look through all of the IM3303 face plates I had at the shop and I choose the two that were the most yellowed. The face plate that was treated was the worst of the two. Here it sits, next to the runner up.
Here's a close up of the same two face plates.
Just to be completely fair and to keep this honest, here is a final picture of the treated face plate next to a pristine IMA3303WH. This picture might seem disappointing to some, however I think that you really have to focus on how far the treated face plate has come. From a dingy, sickeningly yellowed face plate to what I would call a Antique White, which is the color white that NuTone uses for their new systems today.
Since the IM3303 turned out so well, I decided to try the same whitening process on the face plate of a yellowed IM5006.
This IM5006 face plate doesn't look to bad when it's by-it-self, but . . .
The IM5006 face plate is next to a perfect IMA3303WH, quite a difference by contrast.
A close up of the yellowed keypad. Notice the difference in color between the control buttons and the whiter panel insert.
Here is essential the exact same shot after the face plate treatment.
With the treated IM5006 next to a yellowed IM3303 (used as a benchmark in the IM3303 trial) you can get a good idea of how effective the treatment can be.
Full frame look at the treated face plate. Looks good to me.
But, just to be fair, here is the treated face plate sitting next to my perfect IMA3303WH. Again, while the IM5006 may not be "bright white" it certainly seems about 1000% better than when I started, really would anyone complain - I thnk not.
My science experiment is moving forward nicely, I've purchased 5 gallons of laboratory grade hydrogen peroxide along with some basic chemistry lab equipment so I can do some proper testing and find exactly the right formula and method.
For this process to be something that I can offer to customers, the correct methodology must be determined so the outcome will be certain and repeatable.
While my more "formal" testing is underway, I proceeded with some more off the cuff testing.
For this process to be successful there has to be a standardized way to relate the original color of a yellowed faceplate. The easiest way that I could think of is to use the free paint color samples from my local Home Depot. I collected many samples in a fairly wide range of whites through yellow, about 50 sample or so.
This seems like a good method because everyone has access to this colors and if they're interested in verifying the amount of change to their faceplate, they can compare the yellowed color that matches the before to the whitened final color.
Here is a practile example of how this will work.
This is a NuTone IS67WH Door Speaker. It has a white plastic grill, this speaker is from a 1994 installation.
You can see that the plastic grill is very yellowed and discolored.
After searching through my color samples I found that Hummus was the closest to the color of the grill.
After treating the grill in the whitening solution, you can see how much change there has been when the treated grill is placed next to the Hummus color sample.
IMA3303WH Faceplate Doors Update:
While I was fairly happy the the results on the IM3303WH faceplate I had treated, the final color was not really as good as I hoped. I decided to give one of the doors in the test another treatment in a solution with a slightly different mix.
As I did with the IS67WH door speaker, I compared both of the doors that had been treated just once to my color samples. They were a very close match with the color "Stonewashed" (PPUB15).
I placed the right-hand door in the same solution as the IS67WH and left it for 24 hours.
You can see that there is a significant difference to the single treatment "Stonewashed" door.
It's been a few weeks since I posted any additional information about my Faceplate Whitening Project, however very good progress has been made during that time.
For the Whitening Project to be something that we can offer as an option to our customers, it must be reliable, repeatable, and I must be able to manage it as part of the workflow in the shop. Also, it cannot damage any customers equipment - ever. There must be a certainty with the process that I can rely on every time.
So far I have had some brave customers agree to let me test my process on their equipment, Thanks to all of you for allowing me to do this! The end results have been very promising and I think that we are very close to have this worked out.
Today I had a prime example to test the process on. I purchased a used IM3303WH Master Station, mostly to becomes a parts unit. The face plate was very very very yellowed and very ugly. I decided that this would be a good candidate for another test of the process.
These pictures was not taken by me, they are the pictures that the seller had taken to use in the sale listing. It clearly shows how awful the IM3303 looked.
Here is the same face plate after being treated today. Pretty fantastic I think.
So far we have managed to reduce the amount of chemicals needed in the treatment and we have shortened the amount of time to complete the treatment.
In the next follow up I will explain some of the limitations we have encountered with the process.
Use this Button to Email Your Questions about having your Face Plate WhitenedUse this Button to Fill Out an Intercom Repair Request Form
So far, we have whitened nearly 50 discolored NuTone Intercom Faceplates, all of which were successful to varying degrees.
We have our Whitening Chemical Formula and Whitening Process well established; the only uncontrollable variable seems to be the faceplate itself.
I have kept close track, by model number and approximate production date of each faceplate we have treated. Since every model of NuTone Intercom was in production for at least ten years, and many models were made in different factories in different countries, it is a safe assumption the the faceplates came from different sources as well.
I think it's also a safe guess that the formula of the plastic changed over time as well. All of this means that the final result of the whitening process can not be predicted accurately. Only a general range of improvement can be stated, based on the model number and date of production.
The best results have been with NuTone Models IM5006, IM3303, IMA3303, IM4406 and IMA4406.
The other NuTone Models that were made in a White Finish are IM3003, IM4006, IMA4006 and IM2003. These models show some improvement but not as much as later models.
Whitening an IM4006 Master Station
This NuTone IM4006 was produced in 1992 and as you can see in the "before" picture, it had yellowed some where between "Humas" and "Calla"
After the Whitening Process, the Faceplate is closer to "Apple Core" in Color
The treatment of this IM4006 faceplate took almost 8 hours to complete, and it was necessary to replace the chemical solution half-way through the process.
It turns out that for the chemical treatment of the faceplates to be the most effective, it is really necessary to monitor the treatment throughout the process. It is necessary to flatten out the air pockets that form in the chemical gel, and to mist the surface with a diluted solution to keep the gel wet and active, every 30 minutes.
Subtle and Not So Subtle Changes to a NuTone IMA4006WH Master Station
Here's a very recent example of NuTone IMA4006 that was in desperate need of face plate whitening.
The original look was very yellowed and it looked terrible in the customer's home.
You can easily see the huge improvement in this IMA4406 after the whitenimg process
There are some subtle changes to the face plate because of the whitening process that are important to point out.
The RED ARROWS point to the two rows of push buttons: these buttons were black before the whitening, they turned a dark gray during the process.
The BLUE ARROW points to a raised border that's moulded into the face plate: this border originally had a "chrome" finish on its top edge. The whitening process removes the "chrome" leaving white plastic.
The GREEN ARROWS point to the two GREEN BLOCKS on the display panel. Where the green blocks are, there used to be printed labeling that showed the functions on the button on the panel. These buttons are used to set the clock and tune the radio. We make up for the removed labeling by adding a label inside the lower door that shows the functions of the buttons.
It's Time To Take The Next Step in Face Plate Re-Whitening
I made my original post about re-whitening NuTone Intercom Face Plates back in May of 2014. After a lot of trials and testing, we developed a formula for the chemicals and UV light exposure that yielded very good and consistent results.
The demand for re-whitening has increase over the past 2 years and now seems like the right time to improve the process, making it mostly quicker than our original method.
The limiting factor in our original process was the UV light exposure that is critical to the process. We would simply place the Face Place in the chemicals and put it outside in the bright sunlight. This of course does not work well on cloudy days or during the winter months. Also, since UV light is scattered very easily, even days with very high hazy clouds, greatly affect the amount of UV light that makes it to earth.
Now is a good time to build a UV light box, specifically designed for the Face Plate re-whitening process.
This past week I received 2 specially designed UV lamp kits from Solacure, a company that specializes in UV light equipment for commercial and industrial use.
I will be building a UV light box during this next week and then the testing begins, to rework our process. After speaking to the owner of Solacure, I think that we should be able to reduce the UV exposure time that the yellowed NuTone Face Plates need from 5-6 hours to perhaps 1-1/2 - 2 hours.
Here's the short un-boxing Video of the Solacure UV Lamp Kits
I spent a few days building our first UV Light Box. Of course the project took a little longer then I expected, but the final result is very good. I designed the box with an height adjustable lamp assembly tray, so I can vary the distance between the UV Lamps and the Face Plates. This distance can be important because if the distance is to far away, the results can be a stripping effect that's caused by a lack of overlap with the UV rays.
Here's a short Video showing the completed UV Light Box.
As soon as the Light Box was completed, I started testing it to find out how we would need to change our process and have the best end results. I found that whitening process is far superior with the UV Light Box than our previous method of placing the Face plates outside in the sunlight.
Here's and example of a pair of IM4006 Face Plates. In the first picture, you can see a re-whitened Face Plate next to an untreated Face Plate. These Face Plates we in the same condition before the first one was re-whitened.
In this picture you can see the difference in the second Face Plate after it has been treated. Both of these Face Plates are nearly bright white again. When comparing them to the backside of the Face Plates, where there isn't any real discoloration, the final re-whitened color is very close.
I have also made a change to the chemical formula that we use the the re-whiting process. On previous IM4006 Face Plates, the labeling on the display panel would wash away after the treatment was completed, on these 2 the labeling is still intact. The chrome finish that runs around the outer edge of the face plate did still wash away, but it hardly seems that noticeable.
NuTone IMA4406 Master Station Responds Well To Whitening
At the end of last week, I decided to try re-whitening a NuTone IMA4406 Face Plate. I choose a typically yellowed Master from my selection of parts units and gave it a quick wash to remove the ordinary dirt was on the face plate.
In the before picture, you can easily see the difference between the original white finish behind the CD Players door and how the exterior of the face plate, which has yellowed.
In the after picture, the difference is almost completely gone. I would say the the exterior is about 95% back to its original white finish.
The final results with the UV light box and the IMA4406 Face Plate should be the same with the earlier IM4406 models. Building the UV light box has improved the re-whitening process many times over and it allows us to do this for customers anytime it's needed.
As part of my re-whitening tests, I've been working through every model of NuTone Intercom Master Station that would benefit from the re-whitening process. This is necessary to make sure that the final outcome will be something that our customers will want.
I've already completed testing on a NuTone IM3303, IMA4406, IM3003 all turned out well with very good results.
I was preparing to re-whiten the face plate from a NuTone IM5006 and I residentially overlooked a very small piece of clear tape that was stuck to the face plate.
I performed the re-whitening with our new process and after 20 hours under the UV lights it was time to see how it turned out.
I was surprised to see a very small spot that was still yellowed as I washed off the face plate. The the little piece of tape came off and I knew what had happened. The tape apparently blocked the chemical solution and the UV light rays, so it didn't get whitening.
At first I was disappointed the I realized that this is a perfect way to show off how effective the re-whitening can be.
I've actually shown this to several local customers who were interested in
the re-whitening of their IM5006's. All of them choose to the have the process done.
Yesterday I spoke with a customer named Robin from Florida. She was interested in having her NuTone IM3303 Intercom Master Station re-whitened because it has turned a really ugly yellow over the years.
Robin had read all of the information about re-whitening on this web site, and she asked if the re-whitening process was still experimental or if we had figured out the complete process and were we offering it to our customers.
I was somewhat surprised by the question, but I realized that even though I have posted several Videos on our YouTube Channel about re-whitening face plates, I haven't updated the web site information in the last year.
So, just to be very clear - Re-Whitening in no longer experimental - we have a solid process in place that provides predictable and repeatable results. During an average month we are re-whitening between 7-10 NuTone Intercom Master Station Face Plates
Here are some on my most recent YouTube Videos that show the Before & After of rewhitened Face Plates
You can find all of the Re-Whitening Videos in our YouTue Playlist:
It's not only NuTone Intercom Master Stations that can be re-whitened
While much of the attention about re-whitening NuTone Intercom equipment is focused on The Master Stations, the Remote Intercom Station can be re-whitened as well.
Recently for a local customer, we re-whitened the 5 inside Remote Stations from a NuTone IMA3303 System. These were model ISA335WH Inside Remote Stations that had discolored due to sunlight exposure.
Here's a Video that shows the before and after of the re-whitening.
Thursday, May 14, 2015 at 8:12AM 
