When protecting your critical devices from power surges, choosing the correct surge protector is the first step. It’s important to consider surge protection as a preventative measure, preserving the functionality of both your devices and the systems they run on. Downtime is costly for all systems, and a surge event can cause long-lasting downtime by damaging or destroying devices-- and networked devices can carry that surge through an entire system.
When surveillance systems experience a power surge, there are three possible negative outcomes: damage, destruction, and downtime. Video surveillance systems are under constant attack-- not just by criminals with evil intent, but by fluctuations of power. Surges can come from a multitude of sources-- lightning strikes are actually by far the least common source, and surge events are mostly caused by normal fluctuations of power. Virtually every video surveillance camera is at constant risk of going out of service temporarily, or permanently. As video surveillance becomes more and more integrated into the everyday workings of your business, it’s essential to keep downtime to a minimum, and to do so, you must protect your devices and your system from surges.
As intelligent, networked IP cameras become the industry standard, protecting them from damage and downtime has become a crucial part of any security system. IP cameras can deliver constant analytic information, such as the routes customers take through a store, in addition to providing the round-the-clock surveillance necessary for protecting your business. Should an electrical surge event occur, unprotected cameras can easily become damaged and require maintenance or replacement, which is costly both in price and in downtime of critical systems. It is more necessary than ever to safeguard the consistent functionality of your IP cameras by installing surge protection.
Professional Fire Alarm Dealers protect their customers’ property, staff, and businesses by installing high-quality alarm systems – and those alarm systems also need protection. Here is a list to help make sure that alarm systems are protected from damaging electrical surges so that they can continue to provide coverage as needed and intended.
Protection against transient surges is only as good as the quality of the surge protector. Even if an electrical grid never experiences a massive transient surge, the hundreds of daily surges slowly deteriorate the surge device. It’s important to remember that these devices need to be replaced because faulty SPDs can create as many issues as not having a device installed at all. At DITEK, there are both AC Power Products and Low Voltage Products that have indicators built in that show if they’re ready for replacement. Some also have an alarm that sounds when it’s time to replace, but more often than not, a dedicated person needs to visually inspect each device.
Today’s highly intelligent IP networked surveillance systems are the new eyes and ears of business, working 24/7 to monitor activity both inside and outside of a facility. They continue to trend as an important business tool beyond traditional security applications for numerous reasons, including their ability to amass massive amounts of data for advanced analytics affecting general business applications.
Security systems are one of the most important and expensive investments a company can make, so prolonging the life of your system is crucial to the success and longevity of your organization’s security program. Despite the widespread belief that systems are only at risk for a power surge during lightning storms, surges happen far more frequently than storms do. The truth is that your business might be subjected to dozens, or even hundreds of power surges each day, depending on a range of factors. To ensure that these surges don’t have a detrimental impact on your security system, it’s important to properly protect yourself with surge protection systems.
Natural disasters and inclement weather can destroy your entire security system if you aren’t properly prepared. Cameras themselves are vulnerable to lightning damage, as the camera body, metal casing and attached electronics are made from conductive materials. Wind and precipitation present other potential threats if the camera is not waterproof. It is also vulnerable to being hit by flying objects, downed trees, or extreme temperatures. Here are some tips for protecting your security devices during these unpredictable and sometimes unavoidable weather events.
A common misconception about power surges is that devices are only at risk during extreme weather, but power surges can happen at any time without warning. According to the Insurance Institute for Business and Home Safety, lightning strikes account for just two percent of all surge protection damage. That means that 98 percent of the damage is done by the hundreds of power surges that are mostly unnoticed every day.
The best way to protect your business from lightning is to install surge protection on all vulnerable devices and the electrical data paths between them. For example, install AC power and data circuit protection for each dispenser. Next, install protection on the controlling devices inside your stores, such as distribution boxes and pump controllers. Finally, add surge protection to your point of sale equipment and all of its data paths. As a rule, always install AC power and low voltage surge protection on all devices that are interconnected.
