Condensation in bullet cam while indoors

[aesterling]

Hello everyone, I just recently joined the forums after buying a house earlier this fall. I decided to buy a Hikvision DS-2CD2085FWD-I 8MP Bullet IP Camera from an eBay seller and I'm super happy with the quality. I picked up a TP‑Link TL‑POE150S PoE Injector to power it temporarily while I wait for the Hikviksion NVR to ship from China.

I hooked it all up in my basement to test (with IR on overnight) and was surprised the next morning to find condensation inside the camera behind the glass (see attached photo) even though my basement was about 65° F. The camera was warm to the touch and about 100° when I tested it with a thermometer.

I've read about IR reflection, especially with Hikvision's dome cameras (and while outside in cooler temperatures), but I'm wondering your thoughts on this camera since its brand new, a bullet cam rather than a dome, and it developed this condensation while inside in warm temps. I'm wondering if this is a common problem with Hikvision's domes?

Also, do these cameras typically get warm to the touch when powered on like mine is? I want to make sure the PoE injector I'm using isn't causing higher camera temps that might contribute to condensation forming?

Thanks in advance!

- Aaron

 

[mat200]

Hello everyone, I just recently joined the forums after buying a house earlier this fall. I decided to buy a Hikvision DS-2CD2085FWD-I 8MP Bullet IP Camera from an eBay seller and I'm super happy with the quality. I picked up a TP‑Link TL‑POE150S PoE Injector to power it temporarily while I wait for the Hikviksion NVR to ship from China.

I hooked it all up in my basement to test (with IR on overnight) and was surprised the next morning to find condensation behind the glass (see attached photo) even though my basement was about 65° F. The camera was warm to the touch and about 100° when I tested it with a thermometer.

I've read about IR reflection, especially with Hikvision's dome cameras, and outside in cooler temperatures, but I'm wondering your thoughts on this camera since its brand new, a bullet cam, and was inside in warm temps when it developed this condensation. I'd like to know this isn't going to be a problem if I order 5 or 6 more of the same camera.

Thanks in advance!

- Aaron

Welcome Aaron,

Condensation suspect you may have excessive humidity in your basement, something you want to address - saw this at my mother's home - she had closed the windows and a drier vent was blocked up.

It's easy to get swamped with information here, so I wanted to share some notes with you

Please check out @giomania 's notes:
Dahua Starlight Varifocal Turret (IPC-HDW5231R-Z)

I have also made notes which are a summary of a lot of the reading I've been doing here,:
Looking for some advice and direction!

Have fun joining us here.

 

[alastairstevenson]

Condensation suspect you may have excessive humidity in your basement, something you want to address

condensation behind the glass

The cameras are sealed - the condensation is internal to the camera.
This suggests the camera has been assembled in a high humidity environment, and the internal dessicant pack(s) have not (yet) absorbed the excess moisture from the air.
If it doesn't clear up by itself in a couple of days I'd contact the seller and ask for a replacement.
That level of condensation is a risk to the electronics, especially if powered by PoE.

 

[aesterling]

The cameras are sealed - the condensation is internal to the camera.
This suggests the camera has been assembled in a high humidity environment, and the internal desiccant pack(s) have not (yet) absorbed the excess moisture from the air.
If it doesn't clear up by itself in a couple of days I'd contact the seller and ask for a replacement.

@alastairstevenson Thanks for the help! I'll watch the condensation for a few more days to see if it clears up behind the glass. I hesitate to buy additional cameras (of this model) if they'll have the same problem. I don't see many other users complain about it though.

Condensation suspect you may have excessive humidity in your basement, something you want to address

@mat200 thanks for the info and links! The humidistat is the basement shows pretty low humidity (21%) so I'd be surprised if the condensation is the result of the environment. If the camera is fully sealed as @alastairstevenson mentioned, would environment humidity even make a difference? Also, prior to purchasing, I read both those posts that you linked to but just re-read them again so thanks for sharing!

The specs for the PoE injector says "Power output: 15.4W" but the specs for the camera says "Power consumption: 12 VDC ± 25%, 7W PoE(802.3af, class 3), 7.5W." Do you think that mismatch in wattage would cause the camera to heat up too much and contribute to the condensation forming?

 

[alastairstevenson]

Do you think that mismatch in wattage would cause the camera to heat up too much and contribute to the condensation forming?

No, the PoE injector spec is stating the maximum power it can supply, presumably at 12v
The camera spec is stating the maximum power it uses at the nominal 12v.
As long as the camera doesn't need more than the injector can supply, and it's getting the required 12v +- 25%, all will be fine.

It would be a different matter if, for example, you applied 24v to a camera that required to operate at 12v +- 25%, that would be potentially damaging as an overload.

 

[aesterling]

No, the PoE injector spec is stating the maximum power it can supply, presumably at 12v
The camera spec is stating the maximum power it uses at the nominal 12v.
As long as the camera doesn't need more than the injector can supply, and it's getting the required 12v +- 25%, all will be fine.

It would be a different matter if, for example, you applied 24v to a camera that required to operate at 12v +- 25%, that would be potentially damaging as an overload.

@alastairstevenson Got it, thanks for explaining!

I messaged the eBay seller about the condensation problem and like you, he suggested the condensation might clear up in a few days. I understand it's a little risky to buy from unvetted eBay sellers but he's been great so far, helpful, and fast to reply!

 

[mat200]

Hi Aesterling,

Condensation is on the inside of the camera! - ok when I looked at the picture I thought it was on the outside.

Alastair's advice then is spot on.

I would even consider opening up the camera and drying out the desiccant pack if the camera can not be easily returned / exchanged, and then reassemble the camera.