Now that the awaited monsoons have finally arrived, we would like you to get ready for both the weather and its impact on your AV equipment. We are quite confident that you can single-handedly deal with the nature of this weather. However, it looks like you need some help with the latter one.
At Ooberpad, our team consists of AV experts who deal with active electronics, especially for commercial spaces (you can say, they literally breathe the AV air). Over the years, they have encountered and were able to successfully troubleshoot many instances of electronic equipment failure, especially during monsoon. We asked them to share not only the top 5 monsoon problems but also 6 preventive measures to ensure the perfect working of your equipment during and after the monsoon season.
Here’s what could go wrong with your AV equipment in monsoon
6 easy tips to protect Audio Visual equipment during monsoon
1. Take some help from dehumidifiers and silica gel packs
Either welcome a dehumidifier to ensure optimum moisture levels or make way for fresh packs of silica gel near the ventilation inlets on all equipment. Do this for all the equipment that you possibly own during monsoon. Installing a humidity sensor to maintain humidity levels is also a very good idea.
2. Eliminate dust and moisture in all ways you can
Maintain it as a practice to install dust covers on all the unused ports, cables and outlets. Also, try to frequently wipe down your electronic equipment with a soft and dry cloth (we repeat, DRY cloth) to get rid of the moisture and dust, if any. If you care a lot about your equipment as we do, you can also place your electronics in dust-resistant rack mounts.
3. Prefer effective grounding
Monsoon is repeatedly known for causing high-power static currents. Proper grounding can prevent your electronic equipment against that and other severe damages. A solid and effective grounding creates an electrical environment that results in low levels of electrical noise and enhances the safety and performance of sensitive electronic equipment.
4. Press the power button every fortnight
We know how tempting the rainy windows look and you just feel like never losing that sight. However, leaving electronic equipment unused for days impacts its longevity and also makes it prone to functional errors. Instead, having a fortnightly routine to wake the systems up is a recommended practice during the monsoon.
5. Insurance is better than replacements
Take it from us, replacing existing AV equipment is a tough deal. Not only does it make a hole in your pocket but also makes you search half the world for spare parts. Get your sensitive and expensive equipment insured before the rains and serviced after. Eventually, you can also opt for an Annual Maintenance Contract (AMC) or extended warranty from AV vendor or AV integrator for added protection.
6. Let humidity sensors, controllers and centralised HVAC systems dominate the rainy season
Ensure that your critical and expensive equipment is kept in an air-conditioned environment. This also lowers humidity and creates a dust-free environment for your equipment, which is what they need in this season. Try maintaining consistency in the temperature as sudden cooling or warming can cause condensation further damaging your equipment.
Now that you know how your Audio Visual equipment might be impacted by the monsoon as well as its preventive measures, we hope you try implementing these tips for a damage-free and fun monsoon.