As the winter weather falls away, the temperatures begin to get more pleasant, and everything starts to bloom, many people kick off their annual spring cleaning. Spring is also an excellent time of year to give your home security system a once-over to make sure everything is functioning as it should. In addition to checking all door and window sensors tied to your system, you should also do a security camera check.
A springtime check of your security camera system will give you the peace of mind of knowing that it will be working should you need it. Whether it’s keeping an eye on package deliveries or ensuring the safety of your kids when they’re playing in the backyard, your security cameras are only useful if they’re working properly. Here are the camera-related items to add to your security-focused spring cleaning checklist.
The 4 Step Home Security Camera Check
Check All Camera Angles
First, pull up a live feed of every single camera on your security system and have a look at the view. Do you have a full range of sight for each camera angle? You may be surprised to learn that certain cameras may have shifted due to being hit by objects or even due to issues with the camera mounting itself.
Interior cameras should be part of your angle view check, as well. Over time, cameras can get moved due to being hit by objects tossed by kids. If you’ve moved furniture since your cameras were installed, your camera view may have changed, as well. If a shift in furniture or exterior landscaping has altered your camera’s ability to keep tabs on a particular area, it may be necessary to have your home security company pay a visit to move that camera into a different position. Making sure each camera has a full view from where it’s mounted is one of the many ways to make sure you’re getting the most out of your home video surveillance system.
Clean All Camera Lenses
Once you’re certain that each camera is functioning and has a full view of the area it’s supposed to be covering, it’s time to get out the ladder and elbow grease and take care of annual security camera maintenance. Cleaning as part of your yearly security camera check will ensure that you get maximum quality visibility should something happen that you’d like to catch on camera – whether it’s something going missing from your garage or taking a look out front to see who just rang your video doorbell.
Use a broom to carefully remove spider webs from on and around your exterior cameras. It’s not a good idea to spray your cameras with any sort of DEET-based repellent, as they contain a solvent that can damage your lenses. You can blow off dust and debris with a can of compressed air before cleaning the camera lenses with a small amount of lens cleaner on a microfiber cloth.
Trim Back Landscaping
Finally, take time to trim back landscaping. This will prevent wayward bushes, vines, and branches from blocking camera views so that you can easily keep an eye on all areas of your home – both inside and out. In addition, keeping landscaping trimmed back denies thieves an easy place to hide around the exterior of your home. Trees and bushes near windows and doors offer useful cover to criminals as they case your home or enter and exit during a burglary.
Home security spring cleaning as part of your regular spring cleaning will help give you peace of mind for the rest of the year, from time spent at home during the summer to traveling during the holidays. Make sure not to skip your annual home security camera check so you can easily keep an eye on things – both when you’re away and when you’re working from your home office upstairs.
Check Your Recordings
This may seem like a no-brainer, but it’s often overlooked. People often don’t know something is wrong and a camera isn’t recording properly until they need to pull up a recording after an incident, at which point it’s too late.
Whether your cameras are recording natively to the camera itself or to a network-attached storage device, you want to make sure that recordings are actually happening. You’ll also want to check how much recording is being retained. If it’s only a day or so, but you want it to be 30 days, you need to look at adding storage.
At ProTech Security, we have a strong history of experience, innovation, and customer service. The ProTech Security Advantage is more than 35 years of service in Northeast Ohio and a strong commitment to providing quality, cost-effective protection for homes, businesses, educational institutions, and government facilities. To see what ProTech Security can do for you, contact us today.
