Swapping out Heater/Blower in camera enclosure

[cgcmgr 0]

Hey Guys,

 

I have read somewhere on this forum that a heater in an outdoor dome enclosure is basically there to prevent fog on the dome. If this is the case, would I be able to swap out my 20W heater/blower and replace it with a 10W heater/blower? Will it still get the job done? The enclosure is a 7" outdoor enclosure. I'm looking to lessen the power draw from my enclosure.

 

Chris

[camera-newbie 0]

I would think, after reading various threads about the need for heaters (or lack thereof), that you may be able to ditch the heater altogether unless you're in a very cold environment.. I've read a number of threads here where people are running unheated cameras outside in <0F (IIRC) and having no issues -- at least that's what I recall..

 

However, I guess we should start by asking where you are and can you even get a 10W heater applicable for your enclosure?

 

edit : I see you're in New York.. You might be able to ditch the heater but I'll let someone else chime in that knows better than I.. You might also want to indicate what sort of camera (analog, IP, mfg,etc)..

[survtech 0]

The heater should be hooked up through a thermostat (aka thermal switch), although the blower may not be. The blower also helps cool the camera in hot weather so it should be left in. The heater is another matter. In New York, the temperatures can get down below "0"; which is not good for many electronic parts, especially electrolytic capacitors. If the electrolyte freezes, say goodbye to the camera.

 

Your enclosure should have one in the heater circuit. Here's a picture of one:

 

[cgcmgr 0]

Thanks for the replies guys.

 

I was actually thinking of disconnecting the heater and running just the fans before I read these responses. My intentions were to use PoE to power the camera and the heater and blower with the use of a PoE splitter. The splitter puts out 12V 27W. The camera and heater/blower together is 12V 35.5W. Obviously I don't have enough power. Replacing the heater with a 10W heater brings down power consumption to 12V 24.5W which is doable. The camera is an Axis 215PTZ. It is not PoE capable, but it will work with the use of a PoE splitter. If I can't find a 10W heater that will fit my enclosure (Videoalarm FDW75C12N) I was thinking of disconnecting the heater (saving me 20W of power) and mounting the PoE splitter inside the enclosure. I was hoping the heat generated from the camera and the splitter together would be enough to keep the inside of the enclosure warm. I figure in the summer when it is hot, the fans will turn on and cool down the camera and the PoE splitter so nothing overheats. Any suggestions?

 

Where my cameras are, the weather can get down to the single digits on a really cold day. However, the norm would be no lower than the teens.

 

Chris