CCTV Cameras – Some Ground Rules About their Protection

Installing the CCTV system isn’t just about choosing the right cameras for your needs. You also need to take under consideration weatherproofing them, their limits when it comes to humidity or temperature.

However, there are some other aspects that you need to know about:

Know about the IP (Ingress Protection) rating

This number is going to tell about how much protection from the elements your CCTV system presents.

• IP 65 Enclosure

This rating means your system is “dust tight” and it’s protected from water when projected from a nozzle. Your camera is going to be protected if water is projected by a nozzle against the enclosure, no matter the direction.

• IP 66 Enclosure

In this case, the camera is protected even if there is a strong jet of water projecting against it. Water projected in strong jets against the enclosure has no harmful effects, no matter the direction of projection.

• IP 67 enclosure

Rated as “dust tight” as well, this rating means the camera is protected against immersion. It’s not going to be possible for the water to get through the enclosure under specific conditions of pressure and time. It’s available up to 1m of submersion

• IP 68 enclosure

This means your camera is protected against continuous and complete submersion in water. You may fully immerse the equipment in water, but you need to take the manufacturer’s specifications as well.

The Dome Cameras

The IP rating on dome cameras depends a lot on the installation. Keep these tips in mind when you’re installing this type of cameras:

• The cap has to be securely fastened to the base, with no gaps whatsoever
• The base of the dome camera has to have no gaps between itself and the mounting surface
• Don’t remove the desiccant packets attached to the circuit board inside. This package is important for controlling the humidity inside the camera enclosure
• Use the right mounting box for the camera if you’re going to mount it outside

The Bullet cameras

The installation is the one to blame as well when it comes to the bullet cameras. Don’t forget about the following ground rules when installing bullet cameras:

• Never remove the desiccant packets attached to the circuit board inside. This keep humidity inside the camera enclosure under control
• You shouldn’t have any gaps between the base of the camera and the mounting surface
• Use the right mounting box if you’re going to install the bullet camera in some humid/dusty environment or outside

The PTZ cameras

Apart from the IP rating, you should also install properly the PTZ camera for getting the best performance. Here are some things to keep in mind:

• Many PTZ cameras present specific mounting options that you need to consider when buying the cameras
• Should you get a PTZ with a dome around the camera, it’s better to apply the rules for the dome camera
• When your PTZ comes with desiccant packets attached to the circuit board inside, it’s better not to remove it as it protects the camera enclosure from humidity.
• When you’re mounting the camera outside, use the right mounting box for better protection against the elements.

Even if many CCTV cameras are made so that they take the most challenging weather conditions, poor installation and unfortunate camera placement is going to ruin the performance of the whole CCTV system. Make sure you know about where to install the cameras and how to install them so that you get the best out of your CCTV system for a long time. Check this site out for a comparison between ip vs analog cameras.

Cabling is another part that some tend to skip. However, you shouldn’t undermine its importance and always use the right cable during the camera installation. Get a direct bury cable if you’re going to run the cables underground. You can also use standard cat5e cable or conduit for the same project.

Don’t forget about corrosion

Corrosion of the RJ45 connection leads to connectivity problems for your cameras and they may not even power up due to this kind of problem. Corroded connectors are a sensitive matter since even the smallest cable movement may lead to a disconnection between the pins, dropping the whole connection in the end.

You need to weatherproof the Ethernet (RJ45) connector in order to make sure that your CCTV system works properly all the time. When you’re compromising on the weatherproofing, it’s only a matter of time until the corrosion of your RJ 45 is going to happen. Wrong installation or lack of weatherproofing aren’t covered under warranty when causing corrosion.

When you’re identifying corrosion symptoms, some cotton swab and Isopropyl alcohol (stronger than 90%) is going to be more than enough to clean the connector, solving the connection problem between the pins.

In case the corrosion is a bit more serious than anticipated, you should get a contact cleaning solution especially made for the low voltage electrical connectors. If the corrosion is extreme, the only solution for saving your camera is to simply replace the female RJ45 connector that comes from your camera.