Here in Florida, temperatures are on the rise, shorts and flip flops have resumed daily fashion, and the beach is getting busier every weekend. It’s official… Spring is has sprung. This is the time of year we knock off the winter dust, spruce up the yard, and perform a thorough inspection of our Video Surveillance Systems.
If that last one is not on your list you might consider adding it. If it has been a while since the last time you looked at your system, chances are there is some dust that has built up causing cameras not to look their best or your DVR to work harder than it should. In addition to general clean up there are DVRs that sit quietly all year and do not get used until there is an incident. If the system is not checked from time to time there is a chance that it may not be recording or a camera has failed. The worst time to find out is when you need to pull a copy of the video and there isn’t one to pull.
This spring, before you consider your spring cleaning list complete, there are a few more items I recommend you add to your check list:
- Clean the dusty DVR
Check fans, air vents, and underneath where the dust bunnies multiply. - Clean the lenses on your camera
You may not see how dirty the camera is from the image because its focal point is well beyond the lens. You may be surprised how much clearer your picture will be after a good cleaning. Also, any “laser beams” on your picture at night are actually spider webs. - Check each camera
Make sure all cameras are functioning properly. Check day and night. The camera may work but that does not mean the infrared lighting is. Hint: To check night image during the day see checklist item 4. - Check the playback on your DVR
Make sure your DVR is recording on every channel. Don’t be caught with a DVR that is not recording when you need it the most. Hint: Check both day and night.
