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Linear Keypad & Intercom Repair: The Tomball Owner’s Guide
Linear keypad and intercom repair in Tomball typically runs $145 to $320 installed, depending on whether we’re replacing the keypad face, the intercom module, or both. We stock Linear-compatible parts on the truck and can complete most keypad swaps same-day, since the wiring is already in place and we’re matching like-for-like rather than re-engineering the run. The usual discovery is quiet: you punch in the code, nothing beeps, the gate sits still, and the intercom speaker crackles like a cell phone in a dead zone.
Which Linear Models This Applies To
This page covers the Linear keypads and intercom stations most common on Tomball gates: the AE-1000, AE-2000, AK-11, and the MEGACODE series, plus the AM-KP wireless keypad and the ACP00744 intercom module that pairs with Linear’s access control boards. If your keypad came with the gate and the gate motor says Linear on the cover plate, there’s about a nine-in-ten chance it’s one of these. The surest way to identify the part is to remove the keypad face (two screws, usually at the bottom) and read the label on the circuit board before calling. We ask for that photo when you call, because the AE-1000 and AE-2000 look nearly identical from the front but take different internal boards, and guessing wastes a trip.
On the OEM-versus-aftermarket question: for Linear keypads, we generally install OEM or Linear-spec boards. The aftermarket keypads that claim to match Linear’s wiring often omit the tamper circuit or the relay rating for gate motors drawing over 10 amps, which is most swing and slide operators. A keypad that works for a pedestrian door strike will burn out on a gate motor within a season in Tomball’s humidity. We’d rather put a board rated for the job than save $30 and come back in July.
Signs Your Linear Keypad & Intercom Repair Is Failing

- The keypad lights up but the gate doesn’t move. The relay on the keypad board is likely stuck or welded open. We see this on older AE-1000s after years of Texas thunderstorms and grid surges. The keypad thinks it sent the signal; the motor never heard it.
- The intercom buzzes constantly or not at all. A steady hum usually means a failed speaker or a short in the station wire where it enters the post. Total silence points to the module itself, especially if the call button stopped clicking when pressed.
- Keys work intermittently, worse after rain. Water intrusion through a cracked keypad face is the classic Tomball failure. Condensation from the humidity sits on the board contacts, and the keypad reads the wrong digits. If you have to press “5” three times, the membrane is failing.
- The gate opens from the remote but not from the keypad. This isolates the fault to the keypad or its wiring, not the motor. When remotes work and the keypad doesn’t, we start at the keypad and trace the run.
- The intercom works but the speaker sounds like it’s underwater. The Mylar cone in the intercom speaker degrades in heat and moisture, which Tomball has in abundance. The fix is a speaker swap, not a new wire run.
Before
AfterReplacement Cost & What’s Included
In Tomball, a Linear keypad replacement installed runs $145 to $220 for a standard wired keypad like the AE-1000 or AK-11. An intercom module replacement runs $180 to $320, and a combined keypad-plus-intercom station lands around $280 to $420. What moves the price: whether the existing mounting box can be reused, whether the station wire run needs splicing, and whether you want OEM or a spec-matched equivalent. The price you get from us is written before any work starts. It includes the part, the install, the wiring check, and a photo record of what was replaced with the part number labeled. If we find the keypad is fine and the problem is upstream at the control board, we’ll tell you that and hand you the written quote for the actual fix. No one pays for a guess.
Every repair carries the 365-Day Done Right Promise. If the keypad or intercom fails inside a year, we make it right at no additional charge.
DIY or Call Us?

What you can safely check: the breaker feeding the gate, visible wire damage at the keypad post, and whether the keypad lights up at all. A tripped breaker or a severed wire at the post is something you can see and tell us about before we arrive. What goes wrong when owners dig further: Linear keypads run low-voltage, which isn’t dangerous to touch, but the wiring terminals on the control board are shared with the motor’s high-voltage side. Opening the motor box to trace keypad wires puts hands near 120V and capacitor discharge, and that’s a job for a trained tech with insulated tools and a meter. The other common DIY miss is polarity: Linear keypads wire to specific screw terminals, and reversing the data lines burns the board the moment power cycles.
If the keypad is dead and you want it done today, call (346) 248-7685. We’ll identify the part from a photo, quote it in writing, and tell you whether we can match it and install same-day.
FAQs
Expect 5 to 7 years from a Linear outdoor keypad in Tomball’s climate. Heat and humidity shorten that: keypads facing west sun on an unshaded pillar tend to fail closer to year 5 as UV eats the keypad membrane, while shaded keypads can make it to year 8 before the relay gives out. The intercom speaker often fails first, before the keypad itself. If you’re at the 5-year mark and noticing sticky keys, replacing the face now is cheaper than replacing the whole board after water gets in. Call (346) 248-7685 for a written quote on your specific model.
Yes, sometimes. A failed keypad membrane can be replaced without swapping the whole keypad, and an intercom speaker can be re-coned with a new driver. The board itself we don’t attempt to solder, because a repaired relay is a gamble we won’t hand back to a customer. If the diagnosis is a failed membrane and the board is clean and dry, repair runs about 40% less than replacement. We’ll show you the photo before you decide.
A standard Linear keypad replacement takes 45 to 90 minutes on site. A combined keypad-and-intercom station runs closer to 2 hours if the mounting box needs re-drilling or the wire run needs new weatherproof connectors. We carry the common Linear parts on the truck, so most Tomball customers are done in a single visit. Call (346) 248-7685 and send us a photo of the existing keypad; we’ll tell you what we’re bringing.
We stock Linear AE-1000, AE-2000, AK-11, and MEGACODE keypad boards, plus the common intercom modules and replacement speakers on our service vehicles. For less common Linear models we order direct and typically have the part in 2 to 3 days. We also carry compatible parts for LiftMaster, Mighty Mule, and Ghost Controls systems, so if the keypad is fine and the fault is elsewhere, we still have what we need. We’re an independent service provider, not affiliated with Linear, and we’ll match the part to what’s already on your gate rather than selling a conversion.
If your Linear keypad is dead and the gate won’t move, call (346) 248-7685. We’ll name what we found, name what it costs, and name what we left behind. The quote is written before we touch a wire, and the estimate is free.
Written by Adrian Vance, Owner, Vance Gate Repair Tomball at Vance Gate Repair Tomball, serving Tomball and nearby areas.





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