What is CCTV Maintenance?
CCTV maintenance is the periodic inspection of a CCTV system. We recommend this is carried out every 12 months. We are SSAIB accredited CCTV Experts
CCTV Maintenance – System Basics
Once a CCTV system has been installed, it quietly works away in the background. The system does not need any user input to perform its function. The system does this day after day, year after year. When you want to view live images or playback recorded footage, you log on and do as you require. Most systems nowadays allow you to do this remotely from a Smartphone app. The system could go untouched for extended periods of time.
Modern CCTV systems are generally made up of the following components:
- CCTV Cameras – Turret camera, bullet camera, Pan Tilt Zoom (PTZ) camera, Dome Camera
- Cabling – CAT5e, CAT6, or RG59
- A storage Device – either a Network Video Recorder (NVR), Digital Video Recorder (DVR), or a Network Attached Storage (NAS) device –
- Power Supplies – either Power Over Ethernet (POE) switches, 12/24v power supplies, or mains voltage
- A Monitor
What do these components do?
CCTV Cameras capture a visual image
Cabling is the medium used to transmit data and power from one component to another
A recording device incorporates a hard drive. The ‘main brain’ of the system in most cases. The recorder collects all of the information from the cameras and writes it to the hard drive. If you want to view the cameras, you do this by accessing the recording device. The recording device then reads the stored data and displays it on the monitor as a video.
Power Supplies provide power to components.
A monitor displays images from the camera / recorder
This begs the question – why should you have your CCTV system maintained on a regular basis?
If any one of the above components fails, the system will not operate correctly.
Because the CCTV system quietly goes about its business, it can get forgotten about. If this happens and a fault is present or occurs, you may not know until too late. If an incident occurs with a fault present any evidence may not have been recorded.
A CCTV maintenance involves checking all components of the CCTV system to make sure they are all working effectively. This does not simply involve making sure the cameras show an image, and the recorder can playback stored footage.
Most new systems fitted nowadays are Internet Protocol (IP) systems.
IP systems give both better image quality and recording frame rates over analogue systems
IP cameras are much ‘smarter’ than analogue and have their own operating system within the camera
NVRs (used with IP systems) and DVRs (used with analogue systems) both have operating systems
What does CCTV Maintenance involve?
We go through a checklist on every CCTV maintenance. This checklist involves but is not limited to the following:
- Check fastening of all CCTV system components
- Cleaning of all CCTV cameras
- Checking cameras are not obstructed
- Adjust camera viewing are if requested
- Check all cable connections
- Upgrading the camera firmware to latest
- Ensure the time and date of the recorder is accurate. We always use a NTP server for continued accuracy
- Check all functions of the recording device – live view, playback, backup
- Upgrading the recording device firmware to latest
- Cleaning of the recorder including internal fans if fitted
- Checking of Power Supplies
- Adjustment of motion areas, line crossing and intrusion areas if requested
- System run-through with customer if required
What are the common failures within a CCTV system?
- Dirty / obstructed cameras
- Changes to the surroundings reducing the effectiveness of the system
- Pests can wreak havoc with cabling. Mice, rats, squirrels, birds have all been known to chew through cables.
- Cables can be damaged by building / decoration works
- Dust in the recorder fans can lead to failure of the fans. When this happens the recorder will overheat. This can cause damage to the internal power supply, hard drive, and main board.
- Power supplies, this could result in cameras or the recorder not powering up at all
- Hard Drive failure. If the hard drive fails no images will be recorded.
- Old firmware. Firmware upgrades are critical. New firmware includes security patches, ensuring system security from vulnerabilities through the internet.
Firmware is constantly being updated to get the best out of the system.
CCTV Repair
Have an issue with your CCTV system? We can repair your system so that it is fully operational
If you would like a CCTV maintenance or repair visit, you can arrange this by filling in our contact form.
