Maintenance Tips That Can Help Keep Your Security Camera Images Crystal Clear

Security cameras that are positioned and installed outdoors are typically meant to withstand the outdoor weather, but that does not mean that you should not provide maintenance for the cameras. It is really important that the cameras have the ability to see clearly and focus so that your recorded images are effective evidence to hand off to the police. Most of the maintenance is easy enough to do, and you can manage most of the following on your own.

Keep the Lenses Clean

About once a week, you can climb up on a ladder and use a soft cloth and camera lens cleaner to clean the camera lenses. If it is especially cold outside, you may want to skip the liquid lense cleaner (unless there is a little bit of ammonia in it, which can help dissolve any freezing rain or ice that has caked over the camera). If your security cameras are experiencing a lot of problems with ice, you may want to purchase special cases or lense hoods that will keep the ice off the camera lenses.

Keep the Security Lights Bright and Functional

Because the lights on your security cameras or the motion detection lights you installed with your cameras are directly related to the clarity of your camera images, the bulbs need to be changed when the lights grow dim or burn out. If the lights are built into the cameras, you may need the assistance of a technician from your security company. The cameras may need to be disconnected and dismantled to change the lights, and you want to be sure you are not voiding the warranty if you do it incorrectly and/or do it yourself.

Keep the Electrical Wiring and Video Feed Lines Working

Loose electrical wiring or loose video feed lines have a tendency to cut out video images from the recordings at critical moments. If you do not want to give an intruder the opportunity of a lifetime, check the wiring at least monthly to make sure the wires and lines are tight and secure. Also, have someone inside the building monitor the CCTV screen(s) while you gently wiggle the wires outside. This will help determine if there are any electrical shorts or video feed issues that need repair service. If your cameras also have "night vision" and record at night, repeat these checks at night so that you can uncover any issues with your night vision imaging system. Go to site for more information.