Dropping temperatures means your business security system works even harder. Winter weather can adversely affect cameras, sensors, and even the connectivity that keeps your system online. It’s important to understand how the elements – cold, snow, and ice – can interact with your equipment, so you make sure your business remains protected regardless of the weather.
Outdoor Cameras
Camera performance can be significantly reduced in extreme cold weather. With snow and freezing rain, your lenses can become obscured, lowering your visibility. Lenses can freeze, preventing your cameras from capturing footage, and cold temperatures can cause batteries to drain faster than in milder weather. Snowfall can even affect infrared night vision by reflecting onto the lens.
Outdoor Sensors
Extreme temperatures have long been known to create expansion and contraction, and motion detectors on doors and windows are no different. False alarms are more likely during swift and dramatic temperature swings, while ice buildup and snow accumulation can obstruct or create pressure that can cause a sensor to misread its environment. All of these factors can render your home security unreliable, and it’s important to understand how to keep everything in critical working order.
Connectivity & Power
Make sure you create a plan for weakened Wi-Fi signals and outages. Your entire system relies on power and the Internet, which can be affected drastically during the winter months. Widespread power outages, especially during ice storms, may take systems offline, which is why a backup power source is so important. Even cellular backups can experience interference in extreme cold weather.
Maintenance specifically for the winter months will ensure that your cameras and sensors are working properly. Consult with your security company about tips to keep your system running smoothly and how to weatherproof your equipment. You’ll need the guidance of a trained technician who can identify cold-related wear, seal vulnerable components, replace batteries, and verify that your systems are ready for winter.