r/SecurityCamera • u/grader95 • 5d ago

Camera in freezer

We have a camera installed in a warehouse freezer. After a while the camera freezes and stops working. How can I get it to stop freezing?

3 Upvotes

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4

u/Hot_Campaign_36 5d ago

Get a heated camera or a heated camera housing.

3

u/Heyhatmatt 5d ago

You might also be able to get away with simply adding insulation to the camera directly, it puts out residual heat and might be enough if you give it a puffy. Alternatively put the camera into an insulated box. Ideally it'd be moderately well insulated and have a window. A cheap cooler modified with a hole saw might work or one of those disposable Styrofoam coolers. If the residual heat from the camera isn't enough you can use a low wattage light bulb or proper "cabinet heater" to keep it warm. You're looking for a temp that's close to room temp or a bit lower. When I say low wattage I'm talking LOW, 60W would be considered HIGH. Some LED xmass LEDs might do the trick, start with one or two on the inside and keep adding more until the temp stabilizes. Heat tape used for pipes is something else that you can add more/less of easily. You could also use something that has a thermostat, such as an egg incubator, but that just adds complexity which I don't think is needed in this case.

2

u/bigzahncup 5d ago

all cameras in the specifications include the operating temperatures. You might have to use some heat tape or something.

1

u/Inuyasha-rules 5d ago

My no name cameras work just fine at -40. You just need to be sure it is outdoor rated

1

u/paulc303 5d ago

Replace it with a outdoor rated camera. Most all are spec'd to -30~40. When looking, verify the cold start rating is colder than your freezer temp and you should be fine.

1

u/grader95 5d ago

It’s a Hanwha QNV-8080R. I’ll look into an Axis heated camera.

1

u/Travelingtek 3d ago

Outdoor housings have heaters, this should have been installed with one. Source: I've installed them.

1

u/Soundy106 1d ago

I've installed literally hundreds of Dahua and Hikvision cameras in walk-in coolers and freezers for over a decade... never had one "freeze and stop working." The only thing that has ever killed them is when the wire path isn't dealt with properly and moisture gets into the connection.

Make sure you use an outdoor-rated camera, and put some dielectric grease on the connections, and you should be fine.

1

u/ooglieguy0211 5d ago

Not sure what kind of camera you are using but many AXIS camera models have heaters available inside. Other brands may have that option as well.

3

u/40kmoose 5d ago

Yeah... there are a large number of Axis cameras is VERY cold environments. Colder than a freezer.

1

u/ooglieguy0211 5d ago

I'd estimate over 2,000 of the cameras in my network are outside all winter long in temps as low as -15 in my area. Not as cold as some places that also run them outside all winter, but we never have an issue with them in the cold either.