Thanks for the useless help hopefully a guy that sits and makes 24,000 post on this forum can give help in one of them. YALSince you live in a warm state you can't experiment by having a new camera in the nice warmth of a house for a week and then go install it on a sub 32 degree day and watch condensation happen LOL (don't ask me how I know)
But you could put a new camera in the freezer for a few days and then go immediately install it on a 90 degree day in the blazing sun and tell us how long it took for condensation to form LOL.
Camera Water Issue
- Thread starter cdmixer
- Start date
I purchased ( 1 yr ago ) a product from Empiretech ( Andy ). I install the product. I have an issue with the product. I contact EmpireTech through the email address on my sales receipt to speak with him about this problem. I get NO response so I am forced to come back to this forum to look for help that's quality customer service I don't think so. I guess this is your version of bashing. I guess in your life when your not posting you have to defend the undefendable. Point proven the attack is obvious.Dude - your first post was this:
"Hello, I purchased several IPC-T5442T from Andy. They have been mounted under a over hang so they had not gotten wet. This past week we had a rain storm and they got wet. When I looked through the camera I could see through the photo that there was water in the lens see photo. Has this happened to anyone and if so is there a way to remove the front lens to get the water out. Thanks for the help."
The next two posts answered your question.
Your next post was this:
"Can anyone answer a question since Andy who I bought these from has not answered any of my emails. Are these water proof or water resistant I am not sure what to think this camera was mounted underneath an over hang which generally gets minimal water. I used the email on my receipt from the purchase of the camera to contact Andy does anyone have any way of contacting him I find it very disappointing that he has not responded to my email. Thank you for the help"
The next post answered your question and mentioned why maybe Andy didn't answer, and provided links showing hundreds of posts where people have asked the same thing.
Keep in mind, you got these cameras cheaper because 1-800 support lines and after sale support is not provided, although Andy usually does a decent job of providing some limited support after the initial purchase. Contact a Dahua authorized installer and you will pay 5 times what you paid for your 5442 camera and even then they won't cover condensation.
As pointed out, this is a simple condensation issue that can happen under certain conditions. Folks that have had it happen have more cameras than you and it only happened to one that just happened to meet all the criteria to allow condensation to form. So many factors come into play as to why one on this side of the house experienced it and one on the other side didn't.
So you have never had a house window condensate up under a certain condition? I have one that will do so once every 3-5 years. The air vent is directly below it and sometimes the atmospheric conditions cause just that window to get a little bit of condensate.
You have never got into a car and then the window steams up due to your body warmth and breath?
Condensation happens. It can happen to any camera under the right conditions.
You have a camera on 24/7 with electronics heating the thing up - some have shown with a temperature gun that these things can exceed 100 degrees F. It is totally possible that the right atmospheric conditions can happen to condensate up the moisture within the air inside the camera. Especially with a fully absorbed desiccant pack.
It's basic thermodynamics.
Here is a Google search of condensation inside camera and you will see just about EVERY manufacturer talks about it and how it happens and how to get rid of it (it is basically what was mentioned above).
Here is a representative article from one of the links in that search from a company that provides after sale support and service contracts and even they are like "not covered" and here is how to fix it:
.My camera is blurry or foggy due to moisture on or in the camera. What do I do?
Do you have moisture in your security camera? Check our free guide written by SCW's installation experts.www.getscw.com
You got your answers from members here on how to open it up and fix it, which was your request in your first post, and the response would be the same if it came from Andy, but it now seems you would rather bash a seller for after sales support that you didn't pay for....
Dude - you asked if anyone else has had this problem and how to fix it.
Folks replied with yes it is basic thermodynamics and how to fix it.
You got the answers to the questions you asked.
If you buy a new car and get a flat tire, do you call the salesguy that sold you the car? Andy is basically a small-shop one to a few people. That email you got when you purchased is for immediate support like the camera isn't working or there is a problem. 18 months later you didn't pay for that support. Hard concept to understand.
You got the answers you asked for, but yeah, lets attack the people that answered your questions....
Folks replied with yes it is basic thermodynamics and how to fix it.
You got the answers to the questions you asked.
If you buy a new car and get a flat tire, do you call the salesguy that sold you the car? Andy is basically a small-shop one to a few people. That email you got when you purchased is for immediate support like the camera isn't working or there is a problem. 18 months later you didn't pay for that support. Hard concept to understand.
You got the answers you asked for, but yeah, lets attack the people that answered your questions....
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I gave you help and answered your questions - and the post you quoted wasn't directed towards you as it was a reply to @bigredfish as I don't think anyone would classify Massachusetts as a warm state LOL , but regardless it was an example of basic thermodynamics. But you would rather spiel hate than accept the answers to your questions because you didn't like the answer and apparently expected Andy to fly from Hong Kong and personally fix your problem that EVERY camera regardless of manufacturer experiences because it is basic thermodynamics....
Go buy some arlos - they are easy to use and never experience this problem
And they have 1-800 number and will tell you to pound salt 18 months after purchase unless you are on their monthly subscription service.And I do not get compensation from this site or Andy either, so obviously you like to spout unfounded claims and resort to attacks when the truth hurts and you don't like the answers given...
You must not understand the concept of forums - to help people out. I have helped countless people out. Of course there are some that come here looking for validation for their misguided thoughts and well nobody can help them...
Many things purchased in life do not come with free life-time support and forums like this exist to help people fix issues that come up.
My dishwasher broke the other day. Guess what, I don't expect the sales guy at Home Depot to answer or address the issue even though he gave me his card and email address. That was for immediate, like within the return period timeframe issues, so I looked up what possible causes it could be and found out they were not issues that would be solved by a warranty so I found a forum that showed me how to fix it with a $30 part. Same with Andy and most stuff we buy. Unless it specifically states it comes with on going support long after the purchase, your support is during the return period.
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observant1
Getting comfortable
I have seen this exact problem. The camera had been dropped from a ladder onto a driveway during installation. It looked ok so we went ahead and mounted it under the eave. Had to come back rather quickly due to moisture inside camera.
observant1
Getting comfortable
We dropped two hard drives onto the pavement outside a Marathon gas station. (from about waist high, not from a ladder) After installation neither worked. (my boss has a good supplier but best they usually do in such circumstances is give you a discount)
Is this a race to see who can throw the most gas on the fire? The thread was fairly responsible for about 10 or so posts, then the mudslinging started. There's no reason for it by either side. To cdmixer I say, stuff happens. Even pretty good products sometimes have a lemon roll off the line. It's a bummer when it happens to you. You received some good feedback of the possibility you MIGHT have caused the problem opening up the camera, which I don't recall that you mentioned either way.
As far as contacting Andy goes, I don't recall you posting which email you used. I'm not in the information loop, but it looks to me that Andy has set up a USA satellite office and I wonder if your emails went to there, and maybe there could be some hiccups in how they are handled? I have sent a dozen or so messages to Andy and he has always answered. His responses have been so fast that I've accused him a few times of never sleeping. Besides email, a PM to Andy from the forum has always worked for me. Andy's business had grown past the one man show size, and I suspect he now has to rely on other people, communications, and procedures. Maybe there are some kinks to get worked out.
Addressing the claims that condensation is sometimes normal, to be expected, or anything similar, based on my own experience with about 25 cameras, I totally reject that. All of my cameras are out in the weather, temp range from -20F to over 100, and I've had exactly one condensation problem, which was with a 5231 that I opened to add a memory card. Even the low end chinese market cameras never presented a condensation problem for me.
As far as contacting Andy goes, I don't recall you posting which email you used. I'm not in the information loop, but it looks to me that Andy has set up a USA satellite office and I wonder if your emails went to there, and maybe there could be some hiccups in how they are handled? I have sent a dozen or so messages to Andy and he has always answered. His responses have been so fast that I've accused him a few times of never sleeping. Besides email, a PM to Andy from the forum has always worked for me. Andy's business had grown past the one man show size, and I suspect he now has to rely on other people, communications, and procedures. Maybe there are some kinks to get worked out.
Addressing the claims that condensation is sometimes normal, to be expected, or anything similar, based on my own experience with about 25 cameras, I totally reject that. All of my cameras are out in the weather, temp range from -20F to over 100, and I've had exactly one condensation problem, which was with a 5231 that I opened to add a memory card. Even the low end chinese market cameras never presented a condensation problem for me.
Keep in mind just because it hasn't happened to you doesn't mean it can't or doesn't happen.
If that were the case, we wouldn't haven hundreds of threads on the issue and just about EVERY manufacturer forums or their own website wouldn't have articles talking about it and how it happens and how to get rid of it.
The only time it happened to me was when I got antsy about wanting to get a camera up and mounted it in the freezing cold after the camera had been in the warm house for weeks. Basic thermodynamics in action.
And I agree with you that Andy has grown from a one-man shop and has expanded, so maybe it slipped thru the cracks. Or it is as I suggested that the support is over once the return period is up. As I mentioned, go buy anything that doesn't have ongoing support and try to get a response from the salesperson 18 months later. Go buy a TV at Best Buy and see if the sales guy will help you out - only if you are looking to buy a new TV lol. You didn't pay for ongoing support and any support given is a bonus.
bigredfish
Known around here
Thankfully because of this thread I’m getting closer to taking my thermodynamics test
Thankfully because of this thread I’m getting closer to taking my thermodynamics test
If you get stuck, here is a resource for you LOL
Condensation Review
Condensation is the change of the physical state of matter from gas phase into liquid phase , and is the reverse of evaporation . It can also be defined as the change in the state of water vapor to liquid water when in contact with any surface.
www.engineersedge.com
I pulled up a spec sheet and look at that it gives an operating humidity number...
And some of the newer ones are giving a range specifically stating non-condensing, so one could conclude outside of those ranges it could condense....
And some of the newer ones are giving a range specifically stating non-condensing, so one could conclude outside of those ranges it could condense....
I found Andy through reading about him here. A $2000 purchase about a year and a half ago should at least get some type of courtesy reply. The email he provided on my receipt is how I attempted to contact him. It's great some forum members here have all the excuses for his terrible customer service. I am sure he will take note on those that defended him. Keep up your 20,000 posts actually reply to this for an extra. I am done here to those who actually offered help thank you to the lack of a better word forum bully's go have your fun hiding behind those computers.
bigredfish
Known around here
Have you tried sending Andy a 2nd message? On this forum?
Is it possible your message failed to be delivered?
Is it possible Andy just missed it?
Did you send a message that was respectful or did you bash him immediately? Is it possible he is ignoring a nasty message?
I don’t have hundreds of posts, Andy has never failed to reply. EVER.
My bet is he missed your message OR it was rude.
Is it possible your message failed to be delivered?
Is it possible Andy just missed it?
Did you send a message that was respectful or did you bash him immediately? Is it possible he is ignoring a nasty message?
I don’t have hundreds of posts, Andy has never failed to reply. EVER.
My bet is he missed your message OR it was rude.
Are you going to share what email address you used for the attempted contact? Or does asking for this constitute an excuse?