Door entry systems that struggle by the sea
In Calafell most door entry call-outs come from coastal apartment blocks. Plenty of buildings in Calafell Platja and Segur de Calafell were built with analogue systems running one line per flat, and the street panel sits a few metres from the sand. Over the years the symptoms are very specific:
- Buttons that do not call because the contact has corroded.
- Audio with a hum or that cuts out, from damp in the panel or in the terminals of the distribution box.
- The door will not open even though the resident presses the button: a release seized by salt, or a power supply no longer delivering the voltage needed.
- Flats left without door entry after a refurbishment where somebody cut or badly joined the cables.
The first step is to test: the power supply, the continuity of each line and the state of the panel. That way the decision to repair or replace is made on facts. What the service covers is set out under door entry and video entry systems.
Repair or move to video entry
Repairing makes sense when the system is fairly recent and spares are available. If the panel has a lot of worn buttons, the handsets are obsolete, or the owners have already paid for several repairs, it is worth putting replacement on the table.
The usual options in Calafell buildings are:
- A 2-wire video entry system. It reuses the stairwell cabling if it is in good condition, and puts a monitor in every flat without opening up walls.
- An IP video entry system. Useful in buildings with a lot of rented flats: the owner takes the call on their mobile and can let a guest in from another city.
- A partial upgrade. Changing only the panel and the power supply and keeping the handsets, when the building’s budget is tight.
We set the alternatives out in writing so the owners’ meeting can compare them.
Street panels built for the outdoors
On the seafront not any panel will do. We choose models with good protection against water and dust, robust buttons, and a hood where the facade takes driving rain. We also pay attention to sealing the back box and the cable entry, which is where damp gets in. A careful installation adds years to the equipment’s life.
Houses in the old town and on the estates
In the old centre and on estates such as Bellamar, Mas Mel and Valldemar we work on individual houses. Here the panel is at the gate, and the cable between the street and the house usually runs buried or along the boundary wall. Where that cable has failed, a wifi video entry unit is sometimes the more practical answer, as long as the coverage reaches the gate properly.
If you also want to control who gets onto the plot or into a shared area, we combine it with access control using a code, card or fob.
Organising the work in your building
In seasonal buildings we recommend doing the changeover between autumn and spring. We coordinate with the property manager or the chairman, give notice of the loss of service, and test the call and the door release from every flat before we leave.
We work out from Salou and group our Baix Penedès visits, so we also repair door entry systems in El Vendrell. There is more about our work in the town on our Calafell page.