How to reduce motion sensor false alarms in your College Station home
Motion sensors are crucial aspects in a comprehensive home security plan, as they’ll tell you if an unwanted guest is moving through your house. Regrettably, they’re also susceptible to false alarms, causing irritation and lost sleep for College Station homeowners. If you’re trying to find solutions, check out our tips on reducing motion sensor false alarms.
What causes motion detector false alarms?
The bulk of residential motion detectors utilize passive infrared (PIR) technology to find activity. They sense shifts in infrared radiation inside their field of view and can tell when something is moving by its heat signature. False alarms are frequently initiated by:
- Pets leaping on counters or sofas
- Direct sunlight streaming through a window
- Different heat sources, such as fireplaces and ducts
- Sudden temperature or humidity shifts, which cause components to be overly sensitive or unresponsive
Microwave motion sensors are an additional common option that detects movement by continuously broadcasting and assessing electromagnetic waves. Known as active motion detectors, they recognize movement via alterations in the returning signal. Any unanticipated movement, like curtains moving when the HVAC fan turns on, can set off an alarm.
Ideas for decreasing motion sensor false alarms at your College Station home
Aside from losing sleep, motion sensor false alarms can be increasingly troublesome as they may numb you to genuine threats. Additionally, repeated false alarms may become an annoyance for emergency providers and may affect response times in the future. Fortunately, you can help prevent them by implementing these suggestions:
- Investigate the sensitivity levels of your devices and modify to your animal’s behavior and size.
- Avoid directing them at high-activity spots like feeding stations, even if you have animal-friendly sensors.
- Avoid directing motion sensors at windows receiving bright sunlight.
- Ensure spaces are properly insulated to minimize temperature changes.
- Regularly dust and wipe down equipment to ensure proper function.
- Check batteries and swap out as needed. Many motion sensors will even inform you when batteries are getting low.
- Let a pro do the installation to ensure correct placement.
You may also opt for multi-function devices that use both active and passive sensors to sense motion, providing a higher degree of accuracy.
How should you utilize motion sensors in your College Station smart home?
Integrating motion sensors into a new smart home is a excellent way to enhance your convenience and security. You’ll have the opportunity to do the following:
- Receive instant alerts on your smartphone any time motion is detected. You might also use them to update you when your children arrive home from school.
- Program cameras to record when a motion sensor is tripped.
- Adjust temperature levels or lighting according to whether people are home. This capability can help curb utility expenses.
Top smart home motion detectors, like the models offered by Vivint, continue to harness artificial intelligence (AI) to more effectively identify actual threats and decrease false alarms.
Design your Vivint smart home with advanced motion sensors
Get leading motion sensors in College Station from Vivint when you plan your comprehensive smart home. Our tools are animal-sensitive and let you program various home automation actions. You’ll also appreciate the five-year battery and immediate smartphone notifications. Contact (979) 356-2138 today to get started.