The 10 most common problems with a NuTone IM /IMA3003 Music Intercom System
Thursday, September 13, 2012 at 9:21AM The IM/IMA3003 Music Intercom System was in production from 1984 through 1994. During this time there were many electronic updates to the fundamental design of the 3003.
The 3003 is a 3-wire, home-run wired system which has room-to-room intercom functions, entry door communication, built-in AM/FM radio and a digital clock.
The models manufactured in 1984-1985 use different amplifier/control and selector control boards than the later versions. With the increased popularity of built-in Chime Modules, a change was made to allow the homeowner to take better advantage of this new option.
To be able to hear the Chime Module throughout an early 3003, it was necessary to leave the power switch in the ON position. If if the power switch was in the OFF position you would not hear the chime tones. A change was made in 1986 which allowed the chime to be heard regardless of the power switch position. There was a Factory Modification to convert early models if needed.
The 3003 does have a true digital clock, however it has an analog (mechanical) tuner. The tuner is connected to the digital display for convenience, but it is not a digital tuner.
There are Room Control Switches behind the door which surround the clock. Behind this door are the Intercom Volume and Tone Controls along with buttons to set the clock.
The 3003 uses 25 ohm speakers throughout the system.
Inside remote speakers are Models:
IS/ISA305: Small inside stations with 5" speaker cones, Ivory, White, Faux Wood Grain
IS/ISA308: Large inside stations with 8" speaker cones, Ivory, White, Faux Wood Grain
Inside wall mounted Remote-Controls:
IC/ICA301: A small wall station with volume and intercom control, no built-in speaker
Inside Remotely mounted Ceiling Speakers:
IS76: A round Ceiling Speaker with a 8" speaker cone, used with IC/ICA301 remote control
IS75: A round ceiling speaker designed to look like a recessed light fixture with a 5" speaker cone.
Inside Volume Controls:
IC901: A wall mounted Volume Control used when creating a Music-Only location.
Cindy & Christopher
POWER SUPPLY PROBLEMS:
The #1 problem with 3003 systems has to do with failed power supply components on the Power Supply/Amplifier/Intercom Control circuit board.
When the 3003 was new, if you listened carefully to any speaker, you would hear a light background hiss. This is white noise. White noise is the background noise an amplifier makes when it is turned on.
As the 3003 ages, the hiss becomes a hum, and as time passes the hum becomes louder and then turns into a buzz. These changes in the sound are due to the gradual failure of the components in the Power Supply.
As the 3003 reaches the complete failure state, you will notice that the radio, door chime and intercom functions will not work, although the clock will still show the time. If you turn the radio power on and switch the input selector to FM, you will notice that the numbers on the display will continuously change, as if the display were counting.
If left in this condition, the 3003 can have a dramatic failure which will cause greater damage to the amplifier.
THE SOLUTION:
Rebuilding the Power Supply in a 3003 is a fairly simple task for a NuTone Service Center. It consists of replacing 10 capacitors and 4 diodes.
More repair will be required for sets that have been left powered up after they have failed.
THE OUTCOME:
After rebuilding the power supply, the 3003 will be restored to its original condition, with only a slight hiss of white noise at each station. This type of repair will extend the life of the of the 3003 for another 10-15 years.
Inside the red box are the power supply capacitors. All of the blue arrows point to the newly installed parts. There are 3 additional capacitors located on the other side of the heat sink.
Here are all of the old capacitors.
Cindy & Christopher
CHIME MODULE PROBLEMS:
The 2nd most common problem with a 3003 has to do with installations that include a chime module.
Chime modules are Models are:
IA28 which is a 1-2-8 note chime module.
IA29 which is a musical chime module.
When a chime module is installed in a 3003, the interconnect cable is plugged into the Switch Control Board. This 4-pin connector supplies power to the chime module and makes the audio output connection from the chime module to the 3003.
Chime modules have a high gain output (high signal level) and that signal is fed into the switch board through a pair of transistors. Some times when a chime module fails, it will feed DC voltage into the switch board input and cause the transistors to fail.
Chime module failures are not uncommon field service requests. Even thought the chime module has failed the service person will find that a new module will not solve the problem. The switch board failure must also be corrected.
Reader Comments (113)
Does the Nutone IMA-3003 have an input jack so I can connect an iPod? I know it isn't on the front anywhere, but it is somewhere on the main board?
Thanks.
Hi Tom, The IM3003 did not included a 3.5mm (1/8") jack on the unit. We add the to the IM3003 all the time for customers.
I purchased a house with a Nutone radio intercom system 3003 series installed the front and back door charm is very low and the master volume has a hum what could be the possible cause for this system to be malfunctioning?
Hi Godfrey,
From your description your IM3003 has a failed power supply in the Master Station. If you fill out an Intercom Repair Request Form I will contact your directly to discuss the repair of your IM3003
Thanks
Chris
Is there a way to find out what year my model 3003 is? I salvaged it from a house during renovation. I am trying to upgrade my older intercom system to this 3003. My current system is the 2540 with a six wire system. Can I just pair the six wires to create a 3 wire system, change the speakers to three wire speakers and get away with not running new three wire cables? Thank you for any help you can provide.
Jeff
Hi Jeff,
If you email me pictures of the IM3003 I can ball park the date of manufacture for you. The IM3003 is sensitive to the type of wire that is used in the system and it does not like twisted-pair wire. You can try it with the original IW6 wire, bu tit likely won't work.
Thanks
Chris
I have a 3003 that was installed about 1995. Several of the 5" modules have noisy "Talk" buttons: When we press the button to talk there is a lot of static, sometimes so much that you can't hear the person talking.
I would like to replace some of these units. Which current remote units are compatible? Will any 3-wire retrofit units work, such as NRS103WH or ISA335WH?
Hi Daryl,
You can use some Deoxit D5 spray cleaner on the push button to clean them up and get rid of the static. The NRS203 speakers are NOT compatible and WILL NOT work with your IM3003. The IS335 or ISA335 speakers will work, however these are discontinued models and they are difficult to find and tend tend to be expensive. I would try cleaning the switches first.
Chris
Chris,
Wow, that Deoxit spray is fantastic! I had tried WD-40 before, and it helped a little for a day or two, but the problem came right back. I sprayed Deoxit over a week ago, and the switches still work perfectly, with absolutely no contact noise.
Thanks for the tip. I'll keep that can around for future similar projects.
I have a nutone 3003 Intercom system. The doorbell module isn't working. Are there new or rebuilt ones available, or can this one be rebuit? Thanks
Hi Jerry,
We have rebuilt chime modules that are available on an exchange basis. Please fill out an Intercom Repair Request Form (in the Navigation heading) and the I will contact you about the chime module
Thanks
Chris
When I purchased my house 5 years ago it came with a Nutone Intercomm / doorbell / AM-FM radio. It's worked well up to now. It turns out that my doorbell will not stop chiming. The door bell switch works (I tested using a multi-meter) however when wires are connected to switch the doorbell rings regardless of whether anyone is pressing the switch. Has anyone out there ever experienced such a dilemma?
Thanks in advanced,
Perplexed2013
Hi Perplexed,
Even though you have tested the pushbutton, I would replace it with a new button. It is possible that the Chime Module has become too sensitive, which can cause it to trigger too easily. We have rebuild / exchange Chime Modules available if you need one.
Thanks
Chris
I'm had the problem of the loud buzzing sound, so I powered the system off. The doorbell continued to work, but now nothing works and no display, however the master control lights up but no display and no doorbells work. I think I have complete power failure. The system is discontinued. I need help
Hi San,
Please fill out an "Intercom Repair Request" form (under the navigation heading) and once I receive it, I'll contact you directly about the repair of your IM3003
Thanks
Chris
Dear Chris,
We have a IM-3003 series which was installed in 1987 during new home construction. Approx. 3 years ago we replaced all of the internal speakers as well as a patio speaker and doorbell. The system is still working but get humming and buzzing in the speakers when the volume is left on. We are considering remodeling our kitchen and are contemplating replacing the unit with a new version. Can you let me know if this is feasible, and if so, what model # can we replace the older unit with?
Thanks
Hi Susan,
Your IM3003 is a 3-wire system, so the replacement will be the new NM100 System. Due to the age of the IM3003, your original remote speakers are not compatible with the new NM100. You will have to replace not only the Master Station but all of the remote speakers as well. The humming and buzzing issue with your IM3003 is common and can easily be repaired.
Thanks
Chris
Hi Chris,
Our door speaker is not working on our IM-3003, even though all other speakers are fine. Not sure why but if it is due to speaker malfunction, are we able to simply replace the speaker with an alternative brand but same type or does it have to be a Nutone part?
Thank you.
Las Vegan
Hi Las,
It is likely that the speaker cone in your entry door station has failed. It should be replaced with a genuine NuTone speaker cone. We have these speakers cones in stock and supply one to you. If you would like to verify that the speaker cone has failed do the following:
1. Remove the entry door station form its mounting location
2. Remove the 2 wires that are attached to the speaker cone
3. Using a ohm meter set a a low range (0-200 ohms) measure the speakers impedance, it should show between 16 - 18 ohms
Thanks
Chris
Our house that was built around 1991 has a 3003 that still works reasonably well. The only problem was that the doorbell chime was getting softer and softer. Other neighbors have the same problem to varying degrees from being unable to hear the doorbell at all to some not noticing any decrease in volume. My wife is hard of hearing, so this was a major issue for us. After some experimenting, I found that the capacitor on the output of the chime board was very low in value. It is C15. It is supposed to be a 33uF cap but it only measured 0.7uF. I replaced it with a new 33uF 25V cap and now I have full volume again. Replacement was trivial. Just unplug the 4-pin cable going to the board to remove power. Unsolder C15, replace it, plug it back in, and you are done.
Hi Caesary,
Good job in finding the source of the low output with your chime module. There are many different versions of Chime Modules made over the last 30 years and as the design evolved the circuits and components changed. The capacitor you changed may not be the same on other versions of NuTone's Chimes Modules.
Chris
I have a Nutone IM 3003 that was installed in my house by the buider in 1993. It still works fine but I want to remove the kitchen wall where the master unit is located. I have a remote station in each of my 3 bedrooms and a station at the front door and in the patio. I would like to eliminate the station in the kitchen and replace on of the bedroom stations with the master station. without doing any rewiring. Is that possible?
Hi Jack,
The short answer to your question is NO, you can't install the IM3003 Master Station in place of an existing remote station and have the system work.
The IM3003 is the hub of the system and everything wires back to it. To relocated the IM3003, all of the existing wiring has to be relocated as well.
If you call me, I'll try to help you plan out what to do about this.
Thanks
Chris
925-743-8236
I have a Nutone IM3003 system in my 30 year old house. The master built into my kitchen wall, plays all music well,the clock works well, and it will work to and from my front door. Each of the room intercoms can be heard at the master, with some hum, but you can not hear anything from them that is sent from the Master. The only one that will work is from the master to the front door. Any ideas what this might be?
Hi Randy,
Can incoming calls from the remote stations be heard at the Master Station? Can calls between remote stations be heard?
Please let me know
Chris