Having CCTV installed at home is a great way to secure your property, and it's especially advisable if you have a lot of valuable possessions. It can be used to keep an eye on the interior and exterior of your home, including entry points, vehicles and rooms where there are high-value items.
Once the installation is complete, assuming it's been handled properly and performed by professionals, many homeowners choose to leave their CCTV system as it is, banking on the fact that it will do its job if it's ever needed to is enough for peace of mind. However, it's worth spending some time performing a few simple tests after installation to see if there are any improvements that can be made.
Try and reach the cameras
If your cameras are visible, particularly in the case of any outdoor units, an intruder may try to destroy or cover them. A simple way to check how feasible this is just involves trying to reach them yourself. You might find they need to be moved a little higher or concealed.
Get someone to walk around your property
Sometimes, you don't realise you haven't got the coverage you need until you get someone to walk around and help you test it. It could be that a camera covers your garden area well, but you can't see a person very clearly and there's a blind spot right by the door. This also helps you check motion-sensitive cameras are activating in time and not when it's too late.
Test different light levels
Dark conditions are an obvious concern, but sunlight can be just as much of a problem. Check how clear your images are at different times of the day when the sun is in various positions. Make sure there's no point where the sunlight completely obscures the image.
Make sure you're respecting other people's privacy
When positioning cameras, people put most of their effort into ensuring they're going to cover the necessary areas and work properly. It's only afterwards they consider the impact on neighbours' privacy.
Have a good look at your monitors to see if your cameras are accidentally covering areas they shouldn't be and get them adjusted before you get complaints.
Keep an eye on different weather conditions
It takes a while to do this, but it's important to make sure your cameras all work fine in sun, heavy rain and other weather conditions. Try to make time to watch your monitors whenever the weather changes, so you can pre-empt problems.
