You check your CCTV after a break-in or incident — and find a gap in the footage right when the power was out. It’s one of the most common (and frustrating) CCTV problems in India, and the fix is simple and affordable. Here’s what’s happening and how to solve it for good.
Your CCTV system runs on mains electricity — the cameras, the DVR/NVR, and the router all need power. When the mains goes out, everything switches off instantly, recording stops, and remote viewing drops. The moment power returns, the system reboots and starts recording again — but you’ve lost the footage during the outage. In areas with frequent cuts, those gaps add up, and they always seem to happen at the worst time.
The fix: a UPS for your recorder
The solution is a small UPS (uninterruptible power supply) — a battery backup that sits between the mains and your equipment. When the power cuts, the UPS instantly takes over and keeps your DVR/NVR and router running, so recording and remote viewing continue without a gap. When mains returns, it switches back seamlessly and recharges. Browse a suitable CCTV UPS here.
What a UPS keeps running — and for how long
A UPS is sized by the load it carries and how long you need backup. For a typical home system — a DVR plus a router — a small line-interactive UPS bridges short cuts and gives you time for an inverter or generator to take over on longer outages. Crucially, it also protects your equipment from voltage spikes and low-voltage common on Indian mains, extending its life. For bigger systems, size the UPS to the full load — we’re happy to help you calculate it.
Don’t forget the cameras
One subtlety: keeping the DVR alive records what the cameras send — but the cameras also need power. In many setups the cameras are powered from the DVR/PoE switch that’s on the UPS, so they stay up too. In others, cameras have separate power that also needs backing up. We’ll check your wiring so there are no surprises.
A neat, protected setup
For shops and offices, house the recorder, switch and UPS together in a lockable wall-mount rack — it keeps everything secure, cool and tidy behind the counter. If you’re setting up a home system from scratch, our home CCTV guide includes power backup in the checklist.
Frequently asked questions
Won’t my inverter already cover the CCTV? Only if the CCTV is wired to the inverter circuit and the inverter switches over fast enough. A dedicated UPS is instant and protects against voltage issues too — many people use both.
How long will a UPS run my CCTV? It depends on the load and battery. A small UPS covers short cuts; for long outages, pair it with an inverter or generator. Tell us your setup and we’ll size it.
Does a UPS protect against voltage fluctuation? Yes — a line-interactive UPS with AVR corrects high and low voltage, which also protects your DVR and cameras from damage.
Message us your system details and we’ll recommend the right UPS, or browse power backup and racks in our store.
