Wyze Cam Professional Install

The WYZE security camera is affordable, it works exceptionally well, and is very easy to setup and use. When comparing WYZE to other camera systems I have found WYZE to be easier to set up, is more user friendly, costs far less, and really has some nice features you will find from the top of the line models.

One of the draw backs from being so user friendly and accessible is most people don't know how to install these cameras professionally. They will set it up on a bookshelf, a counter, rest it on a window sill, or even worse, mount it to a wall with the wire exposed running straight to the outlet. The problem with this is it's easy to unplug the camera on accident or on purpose. Security cameras are meant to be just that, secure, and exposed wires are anything but that. Hiding those cords behind a wall makes for a professional look, and is actually simple to do with the right tools and knowledge. I'm going to show you how I did it myself and hopefully help you with your own setup along the way.

For this project you will need the following:

Supplies

1. WYZE Cam (comes with Camera, charging brick, power cord, and mounting hardware)
2. 10 ft/3 m Micro USB Extension Cable
3. Micro SD Card, up to 32 GB (Optional for continuous recording and review)
4. Electrical Box
5. Outlet
6. 3 - 14 Guage braided wire, 1 foot of each color green, white, black (Home Depot or Lowes sells by the foot)
7. Wire Connectors
8. Electrical Tape

Tools

1. Wire Cutters
2. Wire Strippers
3. Voltage Tester
4. Box Knife
5. Fish Tape Rod
6. Screw Drivers
7. Drill and appropriate Bit (wood, mason, metal, etc.)

First you will want to find the perfect spot for your camera. With your camera plugged in externally, and powered on, move the camera to a desirable location. Use the app to watch the live feed in order to zero into the perfect position. Mark the location once you are satisfied.

The camera comes with double sided tape, a mounting washer, anchors, and mounting screws. All of these are not necessary to mount the camera. I mounted two of my cameras to a 2x4 stud behind flashing. For these I used the double sided tape, the washer, and a wood screw. Another camera I have mounted to brick. For this I used an anchor and mounting screw.

Running wires behind walls is really easy to do if you have the right tools. For this, Fish Tape Rods are a must. First drill a hole big enough to run the wires behind the walls. Attach the female end of the 10 ft/3 m Micro USB Extension Cable to the rod with electric tape and run the fishing rod through the hole towards your power source. I prefer to power the camera in the attic because it's easy to add an outlet in this space. You may have a different setup so this may or may not be ideal for you. Remember, the female end goes toward the power source, the male end goes towards the camera.

In this step we will be adding an outlet to power your camera. This can be very dangerous so please pay attention to safety here. I am not a licensed electrician, and am not liable for any damage you may cause to yourself or your property. If you are unsure about what you are doing, please hire a professional.

First, a lesson on Residential Circuits. In your attic, it is likely you will have a lot of wires running throughout the house. Yellow, White, Blue, Black, and various other colors. The ones you want to pay attention, or look for are the white wires. These are 15 amp / 14 gauged wires that make up a majority of the circuits in your house. Each circuit, also called a loop, connects to outlets, lights, switches, fans, appliances, etc. At the breaker box, each circuit will be attached to their own breaker. Turning a breaker off will turn the respective circuit off. Common circuits in your breaker box include, living room, kitchen, dining room, laundry, etc.

Before we work on a wire we need to identify which circuit the wire you will be using is attached to. It's easy to do this with a partner. Go to the spot you want to add an outlet. Use the Voltage Tester to check if the wire is live (it's carrying a voltage) and therefore dangerous to cut open. Have your partner turn off one breaker at a time at the breaker box. Check the wire with each circuit being turned off until you have identified the circuit it's connected to. You want to be sure the wire is not live before proceeding, turn off every breaker if you feel you need to, just make sure you do not work on a live wire. Again, If you are unsure about what you are doing, please hire a professional.

Before you start with the Junction Box you will need to create some slack in the wire. I've found that the best places to do this are in locations where the wire makes a 90 degree turn. Electricians like to make straight lines; it's clean, nice, and safe; however, this makes the wires longer than they really need to be. Find a way to add slack to your wire, perhaps by removing a corner staple.

Double check that your wire is not live. If it is, turn off the circuit at the breaker box and check again until you know it is off.

Use your wire cutters to cut the wire at the location of the new junction box. Cut 2 inches down the side of the main wire with a box cutter as if you were gutting a snake. Do this to both ends of the cut wire and remove the excess sheath. This will expose three wires inside, one white, one black, and one completely naked copper wire.

A quick lesson on these wires:

Black - "Hot" wire. It carries voltage to the junction.

White - "Neutral" wire. It carries excess voltage back to the breaker box.

Copper - "Ground" wire. It provides electrical current a path to ground. This can also be green.

Push both ends of the wire through the junction box holes so that they are inside the open junction box. Deglove the black and white wires by half an inch. Do the same thing to your 1 foot of extra black and white wire on both sides.

Make a pig tail by connecting three wires of the same color together with twisty wire connectors. You need to make 3 pig tails, one for each color group. Each pig tail consists of two wires going into the connector, and one coming out. The wire coming out of each pig tail should have 1/2 inch of exposed wire.

Each pig tail in the junction box will connect to a specific screw on the outlet. See the photo for details on which screw you need to attach each pig tail to. Use the shaft of a screw driver to curl the exposed wire into the shape of a hook. Take the hook and wrap it around the correct screw on the outlet. Note the hook should curl around the screw in a clockwise direction. This helps keep the wire under the screw when it is tightened down. With the wire on the screw shaft, tighten the screw tightly onto each wire.

Note, there are two neutral screws, and two live screws. When you make pig tails you only need to attach the wires to one screw. Both outlets will be live.

With the wires connected make sure there are no exposed wires. Wrap electrical tape around the screws and wires for added safety (not essential). Push the wires and outlet into the junction box, and screw the outlet into the junction box. Finish it up by screwing the plate onto the outlet and junction box.

With the wires secured into a junction box you can safely turn the power back on at the breaker box. Finish this project by plugging your camera into the new outlet. Open the WYZE app to see the cameras live feed and adjust the camera angle as needed.