Is Your CCTV Prepared for Autumn and Winter?
With the cold weather settling in and the dark evenings starting earlier, it’s fair to say that autumn is upon us and winter is only around the corner!
According to the UK Met Office, the autumn and winter months can often bring stormy conditions with strong gales and snowfall. In addition, several indicators in the latest UK State of the Climate report show that the UK’s climate is becoming wetter, with an increased risk of floods by at least 20%.
How does bad weather affect outdoor security systems?
CCTV cameras and other outdoor security apparatus are subject to extreme weather conditions all year round, but the impact is much worse more during the autumn and winter months, when bad weather is at its peak.
Exposure to the elements can affect the quality of the CCTV feed and can even distort or partially obscure the camera’s vision. Barriers or poles mounted with CCTV can be weakened by the wet and windy weather. Lower temperatures can also cause a build-up of snow and ice around the access control systems, causing the equipment to short circuit.
Whilst most people are aware of the impact of the low winter sun when driving, it is also important to note that sun glare could affect your security system. Cameras can become subject to sun glare if positioned incorrectly and light settings such as backlight compensation may need to be altered to maintain your image quality.
All of these issues pose a big problem if an intruder decides to commit a crime on your premises during a period of bad weather.
But the elements are not the only culprit, as spiders can also create blind spots in your surveillance system. Their movement can trigger false alarms and cobwebs across the lens of a camera can significantly compromise the quality of the images captured.
While we can’t control the weather or stop mother nature in her tracks, we can minimise the risks to CCTV from bad weather and bugs! How, so?
Prevention is better than the cure
Like most things in life, security cameras need maintenance and upkeep. When the functionality of cameras is frequently monitored and evaluated, you can minimise the risk of damage occurring from changing weather conditions. In contrast, poorly maintained equipment, can cause false alarms or worse still, fail to detect unwanted intrusions.
In the long run, preventative maintenance can save you money and extend the life of your security systems. Additionally, if you are trying to claim from insurance companies and it emerges that you have not kept on top of the security maintenance, you may lose out on pay-outs.
Watch Systems Ltd, know how important it is to keep all security systems performing well especially during extreme weather conditions, so they offer tailored maintenance and servicing contracts to suit the individual needs of your business.
They proactively maintain your security system using the latest technological diagnostic support including, remote reset facilities; remote maintenance and false alarm management; remote video management and technical phone support from their dedicated 24 hour help desk – they literally take care of everything for you!
This level of preventive maintenance can detect any issues caused by the natural elements, early on, hence preventing system breakdowns from occurring.
If you don’t have security maintenance in place, it’s worth looking in to, as it could save you money in the long run. For a free quote, please click here.
