Six tips for prolonging the life of your camera head

As a drainage professional, your drain camera is almost certainly amongst your most used – and expensive – resources. Its camera head will also regularly be used in wet environments featuring debris and grease. Additionally, it can be subjected to impact when engaging in sharp turns. In short, this vital part of your inspection system is continually exposed to scenarios where it’s likely to suffer damage. Fortunately, by adopting a few straightforward habits and prioritising the care and maintenance of your camera head, you can dramatically improve its lifespan, as well as save on repairs!

Here are DCR’s top six tips for prolonging the life of your camera head:

1.       Clean after use

It may seem obvious but cleaning your camera head after each use is absolutely vital! By cleaning dirt, residue or any other deposits off your camera head after each use, you’ll prevent issues like erosion, rust, etc. You’ll also ensure that the lens remains free from dirt or anything else that could negatively impact your next inspection.

2.       Inspect regularly

As stated previously, inspection system’s camera heads are almost always deployed in environments where damage is likely. By inspecting your camera head after each use, you can quickly identify damage and get it repaired, preventing minor damage from turning into a major problem that is expensive to repair or, worse yet, replace.

3.       Use protective accessories

The vast majority of inspection systems will come with what are known as skids. These are essentially plastic tubes designed to centre the camera in pipes of different sizes, but they also provide protection. 

It’s possible to use an inspection camera without a skid, but we certainly wouldn’t recommend it; doing so will significantly raise the likelihood of the camera head sustaining damage. Instead, if you need to survey a small diameter pipe, we’d recommend you hire a specialised system.

4.       Handle with care during transport

Straightforward as it may seem, handling your system with care makes it far less likely it will be damaged. During transport, it’s highly advisable you secure your system. Failing to do so not only increases the risk of your system’s camera head suffering damage, but also the system’s frame, control unit, etc.

5.       Avoid forcing the camera through obstructions

Undoubtedly one of the worst things an operator can do, forcing a camera head past an obstruction or, worse yet, using it to clear one, is a surefire way to cause damage! Camera heads contain several delicate components that, if damaged, can negatively impact its performance or even render it unusable.

6.       Keep it pressurised

Not all camera heads can be pressurised, but some – like this Pan & Rotate model from Minicam – can. If your camera head is a model that can be pressurised, you should maintain pressure levels per the manufacturer’s instructions.

Camera heads that require pressurisation are susceptible to water ingress – something which can cause significant damage to electrical components.