CCTV Maintenance, Camera Systems Need Maintenance Too
Everyone has had something break and has had to repair it. In many cases the repair of the machine can nearly exceed the cost of a new one. The repair or replacement of the part that failed causes downtime increases costs and provides frustration to the owner. CCTV systems are no different. CCTV maintenance reduces costs and eliminates both downtime and frustration.
There are many things that the owner of a CCTV system can do in terms of periodic maintenance however there are just as many things that must be accomplished by a qualified technician. Only a qualified technician can be sure that an auto iris lens is functioning properly. Only a qualified technician can inspect the head end equipment, multiplexer, video tape or digital recorder and monitor and insure that the equipment is working at its full specifications. If the environmental controls (heater and fan) in the camera housing are not functioning properly then the service life of the camera and lens in the housing will be reduced.
Heat or sunlight can cause the insulation of the cables that run to the camera to become deteriorated should they not be protected from the environment. This deterioration of the cables will lead to an unusable video picture. Head end equipment, multiplexer, recorder and monitor must all be cleaned periodically. Dust that can accumulate in vent holes will shorten the life span of any electronic component by reducing the air flow through the vent holes. The heads on video tape recorders must have a periodic cleaning. As the tape runs across the heads it can leave deposits on the heads. If these deposits become heavy enough, the video signal will not record on the tape leaving the owner with a blank tape instead of a tape filled with data.
The simplest way to have CCTV maintenance preformed is for the owner of the CCTV system sign a maintenance contract with the provider of the system. The existence of the maintenance contract will insure that if one of the components in the system fail (and like any machine CCTV systems do fail) the component will be replaced free of charge or with a nominal charge. The cost of replacing components is often far greater than the entire cost of the maintenance contract.
The CCTV maintenance contract is a wise expense for the client. Should a component in the system fail, the cost of that individual component could be of a greater dollar value than the total cost of the maintenance contract. The owner of the CCTV system can be sure that their CCTV system is functioning properly and a lack of maintenance on the CCTV system will not contribute to the premature failure of the system.