Your lens fogging up is possible even after taking mainstream measures. It’s normal, and you can tackle the issue by simply wiping the outer lens regularly to get rid of the security camera condensation build-up.
However, there are other ways as well, which we are going to discuss now.
- Using Sprays
- Using Air Blowers to dry the outer cover of the camera lens
- Remove outer lens
- Use silica gel or desiccant
These are four ways to protect your cameras from fogging. Let’s see how they work.
Security cameras are a great tool to protect your loved ones, property, and assets from probable damage. But sometimes, your cameras can be subjected to several factors as they malfunction, and fogging is one of them.
How to Stop Fog in the Camera Lens?
If your cameras are foggy, you need a solution because you won’t be able to see clear pictures, and that’s a bummer.
How to keep the security camera from fogging up?
I’ve brought up this blog post to solve the issue. Keep on reading, and you’ll uncover the ultimate solutions to the problem you’re facing. Let’s begin with how you have a foggy camera lens.
Non Technical Solutions
The solutions that I’m going to discuss here are temporary or for the initial stages.
- Use Anti-fog Spray
You can use anti-fog spray on the outer cover of the lens to clean it properly. These sprays are a quick solution to solve the security camera condensation problem.
If you don’t want any cleaning stains on the camera’s surface, you’ll need to use a microfiber cloth. Keep only a slight pressure on the hand while you clean.
Regular spraying (twice a week) will do the work if the weather conditions are not favorable. Otherwise, once a month would be good because too much spraying can damage the product.
- Use Air Blowers
A major reason for lens condensation or fogging is heat. We can’t keep the cameras hidden because they won’t work that way, so heat or air blowers are a good solution. These air blowers are portable and can drive out the fog from the camera lens in a couple of minutes.
Heat blowers are suitable for humidity, differing outside and inside temperatures, heavy rain, and dew drops. If you’re on the go all the time, air blowers can be a good tool for the surface of the lens, but if the issue persists, you’ll have to open the security camera and blow air to dry the lens.
For starters, using this tool on the surface would be enough. Just make sure to do it according to the weather conditions.
Technical Solutions
This category involves opening and cleaning the outdoor CCTV cameras from the inside, but it offers helpful answers for the longer run, so it’s undoubtedly more viable.
- Remove the Outer Lens Cover
If you have time, know the technicalities, and the problem of lower image quality or ‘blurry’ footage is bugging you constantly, consider the proper cleaning by a screwdriver to remove the screws of the outer cover of your security camera and anti-fog spray the lens.
I won’t say it’s a permanent solution for people living under extreme weather conditions, but it can help big time. Use a microfiber cloth piece to wipe the surface clean.
- Use Gels or Desiccants
Do you wonder why your camera lens is foggy in the first place? It’s due to the weather and moisture, and using such desiccant materials like a tiny fiber fabric or silica gel packets inside or outside the security camera is the ultimate solution for that.
To keep your cameras from fogging, you can expose the lens, and clean it the way I told you, and when you are about to cover it again, use the silica gel or desiccant on the outline carefully.
Desiccant is a permanent solution, but you can also put a small packet of silica gel inside the camera. Both of these products ensure dryness. Silica will keep the lens dry from the inside which is directed from the camera sensor, and desiccant will stop the temperature effects from touching the camera’s surface.
How to Handle the Problem Altogether?
There’s no way to guarantee that your cameras will always be free from fog issues because even if you take care of the security equipment from the start, the issue can arise from time to time.
However, we can start with precautionary steps like purchasing a good product with weather-resistant qualities or weatherproof security cameras and regular cleaning of the cameras, especially if they’re outdoors.
You can also change your security systems or contact a field professional to help you through it. You can first consider the company (your security camera company) to fix camera issues.
Reasons For Condensation in Camera Lens
In the case of a CCTV camera fogging up, it’s better to know what’s causing it so you can nip it in the bud. Here are a few reasons.
Use the Right Camera
If your camera lens is fogging up, you need to check your equipment’s features. Use an outdoor camera for outdoors and an indoor camera for indoors.
Mostly, outdoor cameras are weather-friendly, and indoor ones are not that weather-resistant. So you need to purchase the right product for the right place but try not to open the Camera’s Housing If you choose to buy a camera with a varifocal lens.
If you ask me, I’ll suggest all your cameras should be weatherproof to be ahead of any situation. Why is this even worth mentioning? Because people sometimes forget to check the status before they pay for a product which can cost you a hefty amount later in the form of consequences.
Prevent Condensation
One of the other reasons for outdoor CCTV cameras fogging is condensation. How does it happen? The process is the same as what you’ve learned in grade 5.
It’s basically due to temperature changes, i.e., the outside temperature is either higher or lower than the inside temperature of the camera. When the different temperatures come into contact with each other, there’s condensation on the surface.
Condensation has chances when the temperature dips from 35°F or colder. So when you’ve tracked the degrees, you can turn the cameras off to avoid CCTV camera condensation problems.
Pick the Location Wisely
The location where you install your camera is crucial when we want to prevent security cameras lens fogging. Choosing a weatherproof camera is simply not going to help if you’ve not combined it with a good spot.
Placing the camera in a shaded place will protect it from harsh weather conditions even if you have, weatherproof cameras which will prevent security camera condensation.
With the major reasons discussed, we’ll now talk about how to get rid of the moisture in a camera lens.
Conclusion
Spending your hard-earned money on your family’s protection is worth the appreciation but choosing a high-standard product is always an option.
When you’re making decisions, please do your research and go for a company that’s well-reputed for being reliable and responsible for its product, services, and customers.
Besides this, lens fogging can be annoying if it happens frequently so you must have heat blowers installed, keep a microfiber cloth in your hardware drawer and keep desiccant at hand to avoid last-minute tension.
With the blog’s conclusion, I want to ask you if you have a security camera installed in your place. If yes, how do you handle the foggy lens? Share your views or thoughts in the comments below.
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