Korean Intercom: Cost-Effective, Widely Installed, Being Superseded
Kocom has been manufacturing intercom systems in South Korea for over 40 years. Their door phone range: audio handsets and video monitors with door stations: was a popular choice in Singapore during the 2000s and 2010s because it offered Korean-made quality at a price point significantly below Japanese alternatives like Aiphone. A Kocom KDP audio system could be installed for roughly half the cost of an equivalent Aiphone system, making it attractive for cost-conscious homeowners and developers who needed functional door communication without a premium budget.
The Kocom market position in Singapore has narrowed significantly as IP intercom systems with smartphone apps: Akuvox, Hikvision, and others: have become the standard expectation. Traditional wired audio intercom systems are increasingly being replaced rather than installed new. Kocom has developed an IP intercom range (7-inch touchscreen monitor, Kocom Home smartphone app), but distribution and support for these newer products in Singapore is limited. Securevision continues to service existing Kocom installations and can advise on replacement options when a system reaches the end of its useful life.
Securevision Scope
Securevision services existing Kocom audio and video intercom systems: handset replacements, door station faults, wiring issues, and general maintenance. We do not actively install new Kocom systems. For new intercom installations in Singapore landed homes and offices, we recommend Akuvox as our primary platform. If you have an existing Kocom system requiring attention, contact us and we will advise on whether repair or replacement is the more practical path.
The Most Frequent Kocom Faults in Singapore
Most Kocom service calls we receive fall into a small number of recognisable categories. Understanding what is happening helps set the right expectation for repair versus replacement.
Ringing With Nobody at the Door: Water Ingress
The most common Kocom fault call Securevision receives: the indoor handset or monitor rings repeatedly for no apparent reason, typically during or immediately after rain. The cause is water entering the outdoor door station. Kocom's traditional door stations are not IP-rated: they are not fully sealed against water ingress. When rain or condensation reaches the internal contacts of the door station, it creates an electrical short that simulates a button press, triggering the handset to ring continuously.
The immediate remedy is to dry the door station. Remove the unit from its mounting if possible, allow it to dry completely: a hair dryer on low heat can accelerate this: and test once dry. In most cases the ringing stops and the system works normally until the next rain event. The permanent solution is to replace the door station with a properly IP-rated unit, or to upgrade the entire system to an IP intercom that is rated for outdoor exposure.
No Audio or One-Way Audio
Audio faults on Kocom systems: the visitor can hear the resident but not vice versa, or no audio in either direction: are typically caused by one of three things: a failed microphone or speaker in the door station (common after years of outdoor exposure), a loose or corroded connection in the 2-wire or 4-wire cable run, or a failed handset or monitor unit.
Securevision diagnoses audio faults by checking cable continuity and the door station unit separately. In many cases a door station that has been exposed to Singapore's weather for ten or more years has degraded internal components that cannot be repaired: replacement is the practical answer. Kocom handsets and door stations are still available for the common KDP series models.
Handset or Monitor Replacement
Indoor Kocom handsets and monitors do fail over time: typically from age, power surge damage, or physical damage. Replacement is straightforward if the same model or a compatible model is available. The 2-wire Kocom systems are relatively simple to work on. The main consideration is whether the replacement unit needs to be the same model (for plug compatibility) or whether a full system upgrade makes more sense at the same time.
Securevision can source compatible Kocom replacement handsets for the KDP-601AM, KDP-602AD, and similar common models. If the handset model is no longer available or the replacement cost approaches the cost of a basic new IP intercom system, we will advise on upgrading rather than repairing. A basic Akuvox IP intercom installation today costs a comparable amount to replacing Kocom components, with significantly better capability and long-term support.
Repair or Replace?: How We Think About It
Most Kocom systems in Singapore were installed 10–15 years ago. At that age, the question is not just whether the current fault can be fixed, but whether the system has enough useful life remaining to justify the repair cost.
Repair makes sense when: The system is otherwise working well, the fault is a single component (handset, door station), the component is available, and the client is happy with the current system's capability.
Replacement makes sense when: The door station has recurring water ingress faults, multiple components are failing, the client wants smartphone app capability, or the repair cost approaches the cost of a new basic IP intercom installation. Akuvox R20A with SmartPlus is a practical and cost-effective replacement for a traditional Kocom audio system: it adds video, smartphone app, card access, and cloud management at a price that is not dramatically higher than repairing an ageing Kocom installation.
Securevision will give an honest assessment of which path makes more sense for your specific system and situation.
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