Maintenance Tips for CCTV Systems

CCTV systems represent a significant investment in securing your business, so it makes sense to spend a little time maintaining your CCTV equipment. A little bit of care – taking just a few minutes at a time over the course of a month – can help prolong the life of your surveillance system. Some vendors offer a maintenance contract when you purchase their systems, but if you buy and install your own CCTV camera and system, that may not be an option. In most cases, these simple tasks are easy enough for you to perform them yourself on a monthly or quarterly schedule.
Check All the Connections
Check the connection where each security camera feeds into the DVR to make sure that they have not worked loose or become brittle. Loose connections are among the most common causes of image loss on the DVR.
Check the Power Supply Box on Your Security Camera
If your system is an older one, check the power supply on each CCTV camera. Older power supply boxes often have individual fuses on each surveillance camera. Modern systems carry a non-fused resettable power supply. If your cameras are the older type, this is a good time to go shopping for a new system. CCTV systems have never been more affordable – or easy to install.
Break Out the Duster
Dust gathers everywhere, including on the lens of your security camera. Dust on the camera lens can distort the image, or simply make it hazy and difficult to see. The solution? Break out the duster and gently wipe the lens clean periodically to keep dust from causing problems.
Check the Housing on Your Outdoor Cameras
If you have an outdoor security camera, give the weatherproof housing a good going over every few months. Check the seals and the bushings that make it weather-tight. If they seem dry or cracked, or if they don’t fit correctly, look into replacing the housing. Damaged seals can allow moisture and humidity to get into the camera, causing damage. Wipe the seal down with a dry cloth if it looks dirty.
Reboot Your System
Like any computer-based system, most CCTV systems benefit from a regular reboot to allow the system to cool down. Reboots also provide the opportunity for your system to install firmware updates and restart in order for those changes to take effect.
CCTV systems don’t require a great deal of routine maintenance. These few simple tasks can help prolong the life of your security system with very little effort on your part.