How to reduce motion sensor false alarms in your Long Island home
Motion sensors are essential components in a full-featured home security plan, as they’ll let you know if unexpected activity is transpiring at your house. Sadly, they’re also prone to false alarms, causing annoyance and a bad night’s sleep for Long Island homeowners. If you’re looking for solutions, review our suggestions for reducing motion sensor false alarms.
What triggers motion detector false alarms?
The bulk of home motion detectors utilize passive infrared (PIR) technology to identify activity. They monitor changes in infrared radiation in their field of view and can determine when someone is in motion by their heat signature. False alarms are frequently initiated by:
- Pets climbing on tabletops or furniture
- Flashes of bright daylight through a window
- Different heat sources, such as fireplaces and vents
- Sudden humidity or temperature fluctuations, which cause components to be hypersensitive or non-reactive
Microwave motion sensors are an additional common option that senses movement by continually emitting and analyzing electromagnetic waves. Called active motion detectors, they recognize movement due to modifications in the returning signal. Any unexpected activity, like curtains moving when the HVAC fan kicks on, can set off an alarm.
Ideas for reducing motion sensor false alarms at your Long Island home
Beyond interrupted sleep, motion sensor false alarms can be particularly problematic as they can lower your sensitivity to actual threats. Furthermore, frequent false alarms can become an annoyance for emergency providers and may impact future response times. Thankfully, you can help circumvent them by following these suggestions:
- Inspect the sensitivity settings of your equipment and modify to your animal’s size and behavior.
- Even when you have animal-friendly motion detectors, it’s wise not to aim them at busy areas like food bowls.
- Avoid aiming motion detectors at windows receiving bright sunlight.
- Make certain areas are properly insulated to minimize temperature shifts.
- Periodically dust and wipe off components to keep sensors working properly.
- Monitor batteries and change as needed. Certain motion sensors will even let you know when batteries are low.
- Consider a professional installation to ensure correct placement.
You could also invest in dual-technology devices that employ both active and passive means to identify activity, leading to greater accuracy.
How should you use motion sensors in your Long Island smart home?
Incorporating motion sensor into a modern smart home is a excellent way to enhance your convenience and security. You’ll have the opportunity to do the following:
- Obtain automatic updates on your smartphone whenever activity is detected. You might program them to alert you when your kids come home from school.
- Configure indoor cameras to record any time a motion sensor is tripped.
- Alter temperature levels or lighting based on your home’s occupancy. This capability can help curb energy expenses.
Top smart home motion sensors, like the ones from Vivint, continue to employ artificial intelligence (AI) to more effectively detect actual threats and decrease false alarms.
Design your Vivint smart home with dependable motion sensors
Get the best motion sensors in Long Island from Vivint when you design your fully integrated smart home. Our devices are pet-sensitive and let you program numerous home automation actions. You’ll also appreciate the five-year battery life and automatic cell phone alerts. Reach out to (631) 502-4004 today to design your system.