Keep your cameras recording when the power goes out.

Why this matters in Los Angeles

Power outages happen here for ordinary reasons — a storm, a car hitting a pole, work on the street — and for reasons that are more specific to Southern California.

During dangerous fire weather, Southern California Edison may temporarily turn off power to reduce the risk of its equipment starting a fire. SCE calls this a Public Safety Power Shutoff, and the company says these events may last over 24 hours. If the recorder and the switch that powers your cameras also go dark, those cameras stop recording for the whole outage.

There is another, quieter reason to plan for this. Someone who wants to avoid being seen on camera may try to cut power to the house first. A backup at the recorder and switch does not solve every risk, but it does mean the system can keep recording after the lights go out.

What we back up

The goal is not to power the whole house. It is to keep the small group of devices that make your cameras and network work. In a typical closet or rack, that usually includes:

• The camera recorder (often called an NVR or console), so footage is still saved in your home. See how recording is planned on our equipment page and in the sample written plan.
• The PoE switch that sends power and data to wired cameras and, often, to ceiling Wi-Fi access points. If the switch goes off, those cameras go off with it.
• The router, modem, and any mesh Wi-Fi units that need outlet power, so phones and computers on the home network can still reach the recorder while the backup is running.
• Optionally, an alarm panel or a smart-lock hub, if you want those to stay up too. We will talk through that with you.

One limit is important to know: your internet provider’s own equipment farther up the line may still go down in a wider outage. In that case you may not be able to view cameras from your phone away from home, even if everything in your closet is still on. That is why local recording on the recorder in your home matters. Watching live video from elsewhere during an internet outage is a separate, optional step — see cellular backup below.

How a battery backup works

The usual device is a UPS, or uninterruptible power supply: a battery backup that sits between the wall outlet and your equipment. When power is present, it keeps the battery charged and protects against brief flickers. When power fails, it switches over automatically, usually in a way you will not notice and without a loud generator sound.

• We size the unit to the equipment it will support and to how long you would like things to stay up. Runtime depends on how much power those devices draw and on the condition of the battery, so we discuss a realistic range with you rather than promising a set number of hours.
• For sensitive electronics, we typically use a pure sine wave backup. That is the cleaner form of power many equipment makers recommend, especially for computers and networking gear.
• Many units can send a simple alert — a beep, an app notice, or an email — so you know the house has lost power. We set this up when the hardware supports it and you want it.
• The battery inside a typical backup unit usually needs to be replaced every few years. Manufacturers such as APC and CyberPower often describe a service life of about three to five years, though heat, frequent outages, and the unit itself can shorten or lengthen that. We can check the battery with you as part of later support.

What we do

If you want this included with a new camera or network job, or added to a system already in place, here is how we handle it:

• We look at the equipment you have, how it is powered, and where it lives in the rack or closet.
• We size a backup that fits that load and the amount of time you would like to stay up.
• We install it neatly, with clear cable dressing, so the closet stays tidy and serviceable.
• We run a simulated outage with you — unplugging the wall power so you can see the cameras and network stay up.
• We label the backup and the outlets it feeds, and we include it in the handoff so you know how to read its lights and when to call us.

Optional cellular backup. If you also want to check cameras from your phone while your internet service is down, we can talk about an optional cellular path for that remote view. Local recording on the recorder still works without it. This is a choice, not a requirement.

A few common questions