By Phionah Nassanga
Installing CCTV cameras in your homes is always an excellent way to ward off potential thieves and keep your property safe and secure. But have you considered having it maintained since its installation?
Robert Serwadda, a technician with Dish Pointer Uganda Limited, says the most important reason having your system serviced is to make sure it works properly.
He says after installation many homeowners do not take time to look at their security camera systems until something goes wrong, which could be months or even years, thus rendering them useless.
“All the indoor and outdoor cameras should be checked every four to six months. Get a technician to check out the focus, quality of video, signs of rust and directions because criminals can decide to change it and the power supply,” he explains.
Noting that one of the issues that might require you to consider maintenance is rain. He says when you do not waterproof your cameras, rain can be harmful to the video surveillance since many of the cameras are not designed to withstand heavy rains.
The other problem is lightning which is at times as a result of poor earthing and wiring. Bugs, mud and dust should also be kept under control since they affect the camera lenses.
“When your camera lenses are covered in dust or mud, it distorts the picture quality thus making identification of intruders impossible. That is why cleaning them every month is important. Take care when cleaning your CCTV lens to avoid damaging its special coating that prevents light reflection,” the technician says.
He adds that it is important to check on the lenses because when intruders get to learn about the cameras they are most likely to destroy the lenses.
Serwadda explains that to clean your CCTV lenses, might not require a technician, as you can do it yourself with the help of two small clean pieces of cloth. One for rinsing and the other for drying the lenses.
However, the piece of cloth you use for drying must not leave streaks.
The power supply
According to Serwadda, once in four to six months you may need to invite a technician to check out the cables connecting the monitor, digital video recorder (DVR) or network video recorder (NVR) depending on your type of camera.
“This is important because it ensures that all these devices are receiving power,” he explains.
However, he notes that when hard drives are corrupted, the security system will not be able to store any recordings. That is why you also need to check the settings of the NVR or DVR, ensuring that the hard drives are on a normal status.
The technician can as well get to know if there are any cable wires that are wearing out and need immediate replacement. Check the power supplies to your CCTV security systems to ensure that there is no loss of power due to thunderstorms, tampering, blackouts or other unwanted events.
You may also want to check that your surveillance cameras are receiving their recommended power requirements using a voltmeter. Otherwise, the camera may fail rapidly and it is always cheaper to replace the power supply than buy a new security camera.
Costs
According to Serwadda, different installation companies charge differently. Some will do it free of charge as long as you can cater for their transport costs.
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