12 Tips On CCTV Camera Installation For Living Room & Kitchen

The home is the ideal dwelling place. After all the day’s hustle, any sane person would want to have a roof over their head, for relaxation purposes. Coming back to the house, only to realize that some of the most treasured home appliances have been stolen, and with very scanty information about their whereabouts, is a sure disappointment. Home security systems come in various forms, among them: cameras, monitors, sound recorders, and transmitters. To that effect, the CCTV surveillance camera comes in handy.

Here are twelve important tips for CCTV camera installation for the kitchen and the living room.

· Give value for privacy where it is due
In Singapore, cases have been reported where house helps have deliberately mistreated children when left to take care of them at home. In such cases, the child’s mother may have gone to work. Mothers have therefore developed caution when hiring maids to take care of their children. As a result, CCTV cameras have increasingly been installed in the kitchen specifically to monitor the maid as the mother is away. The point of concern, however, is the value of one’s privacy. While installing the CCTV camera to help keep watch on the maid is allowed, infringing on the maid’s privacy is unacceptable. CCTV cameras should not be installed in the house help’s private room, changing room, bathroom or toilet. They should be strategically placed in locations considered public, such as kitchen and living room.

· Proper information and sensitization as regards the purpose
The homeowner should make known because installing the CCTV security system to watch for anybody concerned. It would be very absurd to install a CCTV camera in a house in which someone else is left to perform certain chores, yet make it so secretive that the person being monitored is not made aware. This will prevent unnecessary tension and strain in the relationship between the homeowner and the employee.

· Have the young children in mind
When installing a CCTV surveillance system in the kitchen, always ensure that young children necessitate its installation. Children, who can speak, may not need CCTV cameras to watch them against a house help. They will speak out any violation of their rights.

· Location of the surveillance camera
When installing CCTV cameras in the kitchen, it should be placed at strategic points where it will cover a wide field of view. This may include the kitchen entrance, cooking area, and kitchen storage area. When installing the cctv surveillance camera in the living room, it should be placed at the most probable entry point, or location of vital living room appliances such as electronic items, fridges, and others.

· Number of CCTV surveillance cameras to install
Consider the size of the living room and the kitchen when installing a CCTV surveillance camera. The size of the kitchen or the living room will determine the number of cameras needed. The larger the kitchen and the living rooms, the more the number of surveillance cameras that will be required. The size of the rooms will also determine the size of the cameras required, and the lens specifications for each.

· Cost implication for the CCTV camera
CCTV camera installation will definitely attract the relevant cost implications. Highly sophisticated cctv surveillance cameras will be costly as compared to simple CCTV cameras. Wireless CCTV cameras are more expensive as compared to the wired designs. Cost implication must be considered. The cost should be affordable, while at the same time meeting the purpose intended.

· Night and day capabilities
CCTV cameras also vary in terms of day and night capabilities. Some cameras are capable of capturing images in the darkness, unlike other CCTV surveillance cameras meant for day observation only. One may opt to install a night vision CCTV camera for the living room, as the living room in most cases is the entry point of the house.

· Proper installation procedures
Installing the CCTV camera in the kitchen or living room may be an easy task, as well as one that has its own set of complications. Some CCTV cameras have a simple user manual for both installation and use. One may opt to carry out the installation on their own in such cases. Some CCTV cameras however, may require the expert knowledge of an electrical technician or a CCTV installation expert. Whatever method chosen, the CCTV camera should be installed correctly to provide the user with clear and well-captured images.

· Understanding security needs
While CCTV cameras perform the ultimate role of enhancing security in the house, it is important to note that security needs vary, depending on how valuable the room is. The bedroom may be critical as it may have the safe for keeping money, unlike the kitchen, which may only have the oven and utensils. Compared to the living room either, the kitchen may not require a highly enhanced security surveillance system. It calls for a careful evaluation of security needs between the kitchen and the living room.

· Consider strategic places
CCTV cameras can be installed in the living room, particularly at the entrance of the house, to capture intruders who may come when nobody is at home. Other places include back doors, front doors, staircases, hidden rooms and outside the house. Some are even installed at the main gate to observe oncoming visitors and strangers.

· Lens capability and image quality
The only way to interpret the information on the CCTV camera is to look at the images recorded or captured. Select the lens that will give clear, sharp images of whatever objects captured at all times.

· Be keen and observant
Be on the look out to monitor the CCTV camera. Events may unconsciously go unnoticed, despite having a CCTV surveillance installed in the house.

Some homeowners to this day do not appreciate the importance of CCTV cameras in the homes. Such gadgets however have the critical role of enhancing security in the home by recording and transmitting real time events of what happens in the house when homeowners are not present, particularly in the kitchen and the living room.