Outdoor security cameras need to be weatherproof to withstand the test of time. Unfortunately, many people confuse weatherproof security cameras with waterproof, but it’s not necessary.
People use waterproof cameras to capture underwater videos and photos as they’re completely impervious to water.
An outdoor security camera doesn’t need to be waterproof to work optimally. This article discusses the best method you can use to weatherproof your security camera to keep it protected against environmental elements.
Best Methods for Weatherproofing Your Outdoor Security Cameras
Your outdoor surveillance camera will be at risk of getting damaged from weather conditions such as rain and snow. You can use the following methods to protect your security cameras from environmental elements.
1. Use Weatherproof Housing to Ensure Protection from Weather
If you live somewhere with harsh weather conditions, your video surveillance system that operates in an outdoor location can get damaged if it’s not designed to cope with weather extremes. They must be housed properly to withstand ice, snow, water, wind, humidity, cold, and heat.
You’ll also need to make sure that the operating temperature of your security cameras is broad enough to cover highs and lows of temperature at their mounting location. That’s where weatherproof housing comes into place.
These security mounts are specially designed for outdoor use, and they can secure and protect your CCTV camera from ice, water, snow, and even hail storms. A camera housing can also help you camouflage your surveillance cameras cleverly to protect them from potential burglars.
Using weatherproof housing is the best way to protect your security camera that’s not specially designed for outdoor use.
These weatherproof/waterproof camera housings allow your security cameras to withstand elements far beyond what rain brings. They are made of high-density metal and are tightly sealed. This helps shield the camera and associated sensors from all environmental elements.
2. Periodic Maintenance to Ensure Protection from Dust Dirt, and Bugs
Protecting your outdoor security cameras from bugs, dust, dirt, and even small animals and birds is also important. They can interfere with the smooth function of your surveillance system, but they can also damage your valuable equipment.
Squirrels and other critters can chew through cords, so sheathing the cables is also important. A spider web can hinder your camera’s field of vision, and wasps and bees can build nests that can damage your camera lens.
The only way to protect your security cameras from such problems is to perform periodic maintenance. Use insect and animal repellents at regular intervals on your camera, housing, and accessories to keep animals and insects away.
It’s also important to clean your camera and housing regularly to get rid of dust and dirt before spraying a repellant.
Make sure that you use a microfiber cloth to clean your camera lens to keep it from scratches. Failure to perform easy regular maintenance can cause corrosion in your camera housing, which is normally not covered by a guarantee.
3. Ensure Protection Against Condensation and Fogging
Places where it rains a lot, can be very hard on your outdoor security camera, leading to a fogging problem. Outdoor security cameras are typically airtight to reduce the possibility of moisture entering the lens.
However, the seals of your camera housing can weaken over time, and it allows moisture to make its way into the camera housing.
It will make your feed foggy, but it can also damage your surveillance equipment. The best way to get rid of this moisture is to place silica gel packed inside your camera housing.
In addition, make sure that you change the seals to increase protection if the current ones are loose and are causing moisture buildup.
4. Ground Your Camera Housing to Minimize Electrical Risks
If your camera housing is made of metal, it can get damaged from electrical charges. In addition, these charges can be in the air during a thunderstorm that can be very dangerous for your unprotected outdoor security cameras.
So, if you have used a metal housing to mount your camera, make sure it’s properly grounded. Then, it’ll minimize the damage that electrical charges can cause.
Use lightning surge protectors to prevent voltage surges and spikes. These devices block the voltage levels that surpass particular thresholds and redirect the extra charge into the ground line of your outlet.
5. Protect Your Security Camera with a Proper Installation
Ensuring that your security cameras are properly installed is one of the best ways to ensure protection. You want to choose the location that offers protection and the best viewing angle.
Don’t forget to adjust the viewing angle to prevent infrared flare and reflection lights. Install your cameras high below the design features of your house or under the overhang from a roof.
If your camera system doesn’t have built-in weatherproofing features, find alternative ways, such as an awning that can work as a shield. Keep in mind that the cameras mounted on a pole are at the greatest risk of getting damaged from weather-related common issues.
Therefore, avoid attaching your security camera to a metal pole.
But if you need to install your security camera on a pole, make sure that both pole and camera are properly secure and use a security camera weather cover. You can also opt for a camera housing specially designed for pole-mounted cameras for additional protection.
6. Use Cameras Designed for Outdoor Use
Indoor cameras don’t come with any protection against harsh weather conditions such as rain and wind. Therefore, you need to make sure that you buy a specially designed camera for outdoor use if you need to install it in an open place.
Both wired and wireless outdoor security cameras are available, and they come with weatherproof housing or cover. The primary purpose of such enclosures is to keep your cameras safe from moisture, water, snow, heat, dust, and dirt.
Some modern weatherproof security cameras even come with vandal-proof coverings to keep your equipment safe from vandalism along with difficult weather conditions. However, not all weatherproof cameras are made equal, and you can use the following guide to choose the best product depending upon your needs.
How to Choose Weatherproof Cameras?
It would help if you went for a weatherproof camera that offers protection against the following:
- High falls
- Shocks
- Extreme humidity
- Extreme temperatures
Wind, persistent condensation and rain do not threaten security cameras with the protection mentioned above features. However, understanding the environmental rating of outdoor security cameras is important to choose the most suitable product.
This environmental rating of an outdoor security camera is known as IP (Ingress Protection) rating. It would help if you kept this in mind while shopping for outdoor cameras.