Subscriber Discussion
How Can I Stop My Cameras From Freezing Over Like A Popsicle?
Take a look at this camera, frozen over:
Have been watching the security camera at work grow for several days. I'm impressed. pic.twitter.com/YyTFGSt8Ut
— Luke Blankenship (@Lazer_Falcon) February 11, 2014
What's the best way to stop this from happening?
That close to the wall, is there drip coming down on the camera from the roof? I have a hard time seeing how ice sickles that size could form otherwise. If that's what's causing this, putting some kind protective cover above the camera might do the trick.
Please show us a wider picture showing off the camera and the eave above it.
Location, location, location. Water is hitting that camera, or they are in a climate with a frequent thaw/freeze. And heater or not, in extreme cold the enclosure itself stays pretty chilly. The inside will be warm but the outside won't be.

I saw an engineered housing for a box camera at an agricultural site in Kansas that always fascinated me.
I never was able to find out who manufactured it, but the housing featured a small rubber bladder around the front pane and sunshield of the camera.
Overnight, if icicles formed (like in the picture above) an operator could trigger a small air pump using camera outputs to inflate the bladder. The expansion would break the ice loose from the front end of the camera.
It worked really well for 'deicing' the camera, and which in this case was mounted to always be near flowing water regardless of outside temperature (it was an agriculture irrigation manufacturer), and ice formed on the camera on many days during the winter.
Like I said, I never caught the manufacturer or model information for that housing. Does anyone have an idea?
Relocate or fabricate a roof over it somehow. Very unfortunate!
02/12/14 06:37am
I can relate. It's supposed to go down to 65 this weekend where I live....
I would relocate or extend out the camera from it's current location.

It is -8 right now here and we have never had this sort of issue. Bad location is the reason for this and it is easy to correct by extending the mount out and away from the dripping water.

02/12/14 03:48pm
Well, the Dotworkz Ring of Fire (and now that song is stuck in everyone's head) is designed to stop just this kind of thing from happening. Or you can not be an idiot and stick a camera right next to a leaky gutter. Either one works.
Another view provided:
@CarltonPurvis the camera in question is on the left side of the frame. The place its in is like a wind tunnel. pic.twitter.com/PRuqNXpcOy
— Luke Blankenship (@Lazer_Falcon) February 13, 2014
A better look here:
So obviously moving the camera would help in this case, but what about a camera you can't move?
Apparently this is a pretty common occurrence?
We have an icicle growing on our security camera! pic.twitter.com/7PjzNbO0pY
— NWS Lake Charles (@NWSLakeCharles) March 4, 2014
Talk about #NBC10Ice! Our camera atop @comcast Center is frozen! pic.twitter.com/9I2IclGQ0H
— Vince Lattanzio (@VinceLattanzio) February 5, 2014
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