Is Your Security Camera Flickering at Night? Here’s What Might Be Wrong

When you hire a security company in Toronto to install cameras around your home or office, you need to be able to rely on those cameras to provide useful footage 24/7, both day and night.  However, one of the most common problems you might see with your cameras is flickering or cutouts when they’re operating at night.

This is a serious issue that needs to be investigated!  Otherwise, your surveillance might be compromised.  These are some of the most common causes of the problem.

Three Reasons Your Security Cameras Might Be Flickering at Night

Switching between regular and IR modes

Most modern security cameras include two sets of viewing modes, one for picking up regular light, and the utilizing infrared (IR) lights for night vision.  If there are changing lighting conditions, the camera may end up flipping between the two modes, causing a short flicker in the footage.  For example, if the camera is in IR mode but gets hit with a car’s headlights, it would switch to the regular daytime mode, then back to IR once the car is gone.

This isn’t truly a problem, and there’s no fixing it.  However, if it’s a constant issue, you might see about relocating the camera, so it has more consistent lighting.

Power problems

This is the most common issue to affect security cameras.  Their IR mode consumes more power than regular operation does.  So, if there are issues with the power supply, the camera may work fine during the day but suffer from brownouts at night.  The solution is simply to move the camera onto a more powerful, or more reliable, power source.

Network connectivity issues

If you have Wi-Fi security cameras, this could be a problem.  Wi-Fi runs on standard radio waves and is potentially susceptible to interference from other wireless devices – particularly if it’s an older camera that’s using the 2.4ghz band.  Upgrades to newer hardware may be called for.

Or, if your camera is wired, there could be issues with the wiring.  A wire that’s been chewed open by pests, for example, may have an intermittent connection that causes cut-outs or poor video quality from the feed.  Be sure to check your exposed wires frequently for damage!

Lynden Security Systems Keeps You House and Company Safe in Toronto

Since 1979, Lynden Security Systems has supplied top-quality security and surveillance systems across Toronto!  Whether it’s for your home or business, contact our security company for the best in security hardware.