My grandparents had intercoms in the sixties and seventies. They used them constantly, but then they had a big house that had been added onto quite a bit in that old-fashioned New England way, where a house gets longer and longer, and they had their business office and a print shop set up way at one end of the house.
My aunt’s mom (aunt by marriage) lives in a really old house that has a “speaking tube” intercom system. It’s so neat.
Yes, my house was built in 1956 and came with an intercom system and a built-in radio in the kitchen. I don’t remember ever using the intercom, though we did listen to the radio.
In the 70s, in Wisconsin.
We never, ever used it.
The intercoms have been superseded by home automation systems that include security cameras, lights, door unlocking/locking, etc. The sometimes include intercoms.
Legrande’s OnQ has the video and also has a station-to-station intercom at a price comparable to the old intercoms. If using their LCD displays and other features the systems are more expensive.
Control 4 has a sophisticated system but it is only available through their installers.
From what I’ve seen these systems are rare in new homes under $1M.
Note that trash compactors were once common and are now rare…however we like them.
Somethings have a different equation. Two CFL entry lights are about 30W combined. That is $4/month if left on continuously. It is cheaper to leave them on than deal with an automated system.
Gas stoves have always been in demand. Now induction cooktops are coming down in price and if you’ve used one, gas will seem weak and archaic. They are not common in the US (yet) but getting to be the norm abroad. Note you can get an 1800W portable induction burner for about $75.
I’d like to change my response, since I’ve since had the house remodeled, and had the intercom boxes removed and the walls patched.
Also, I no longer sign my name when I post.
My grandparents had the same type of house (also in New England) and used an intercom both in that house and their house in Bermuda so they didn’t have to walk from one end to the other. My grandma usually used it to let my granddad know that lunch or dinner was ready.
My bedroom when I was growing up was in the basement and I could hear things from the second floor through an air vent. My dad thought it was funny to use that like an intercom system.
There’s one in our house, but it’s never worked since we’ve been here. The house was built in the early 1980’s.
I have one in my house. It dates to when the house was built in the early 70s. It doesn’t really work and isn’t necessary, but it remains.
zombie or no
people would think you talked to yourself if you left them in.
The way my lady shouts when I’m upstairs or otherwise totally negates the need for an intercom system! :rolleyes:
Intercom and paging are features of our wired phone system. We use it fairly often, rather than yelling.
If I wanted, there is a door phone option - press the button outside, and it rings the phones. And if I really wanted to go nuts, loudspeaker paging is yet another option, but would require buying a paging amp and speakers.
When our kids were growing up, we had a standalone clock radio in our kitchen that also had a built-in wireless intercom system.
We put the two remote units in each of our daughter’s upstairs bedrooms. Came in very handy for letting them know they had a phone call (back in the day before Caller ID on phones was common) and getting them down for dinner.
Our daughters are long out of the house now, and I think the intercoms stopped working at some point. But the radio is still doing fine.
I never talk to myself. 
(glances above…)