Three Tips For Maintaining Your CCTV System
Posted on: 5 March 2020
Many Australians have taken advantage of CCTV systems, and it is very common to see a security camera here or there around a commercial or residential property. Modern security cameras have incredible features that were simply not invented even as recently as ten years ago, such as night vision, motion detection, ultra-high definition and more. However, a security camera is only useful if it is well maintained and put in a place where it can accurately get the scope of the land around it. Here are some tips for maintaining and placing your security camera network.
Empty Your Hard Drive Weekly
Almost all security camera networks record the vision they capture onto hard drives located in a secure location. While video files used to take up much less space on hard drives, with the high quality and extra features mentioned above, security footage can take up many gigabytes of space in just a few hours. This means that to ensure you are keeping the most relevant data (which is almost always the most recent) you should clear your hard drives every week at least. If you want to keep old footage, you can have an even bigger backup drive, but it would have to be almost 100 terabytes to hold even a few months of footage, and those drives are very expensive.
Check The Casing And External Wires
The number one danger for a security camera is the penetration of the external casing or corrosion of their connecting wires. This is almost always done by environmental factors (erosion from rain, hail, dirt and falling twigs), but it can be done by would-be thieves or burglars as well. On a weekly basis, you should go round to each and every security camera and check the casing for rust, examine the cables for any breaches and give it a good wipe down. Make sure to get all dust off of it too, as dirt can build up on metal and scratch it, which leads to a shorter life expectancy.
Check The Nearby Lights
While night vision cameras are available, most security camera networks are still composed of models without that feature. That means to work at night they need at least a little bit of light to illuminate the surrounding areas. Many people remember to service their security cameras but forget to check the lights that make them work at all. Because these services are done in the day, it is easy to forget to check to see if the lights work or if the bulb has burnt out. Always make sure to test the lights and replace any outdated or broken ones you see as soon as possible.
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