How to minimize motion sensor false alarms in your New Haven home
Motion sensors are critical components in a full-featured home security plan, as they’ll tell you if an unwanted guest is moving through your house. Sadly, they’re also prone to false alarms, causing irritation and a bad night’s sleep for New Haven homeowners. If you’re looking for solutions, check out our suggestions for cutting down on motion sensor false alarms.
What initiates motion detector false alarms?
The majority of home motion detectors use passive infrared (PIR) technology to detect movement. They monitor fluctuations in infrared radiation within their coverage zone and can recognize when something is in motion by its heat signature. False alarms are typically initiated by:
- Pets climbing on counters or sofas
- Intense sunlight streaming through a window
- A variety of heat sources, such as fireplaces and ducts
- Rapid humidity or temperature shifts, which cause equipment to be overly sensitive or non-functional
Microwave motion sensors are an additional widespread option that discovers motion by continually broadcasting and evaluating electromagnetic waves. These active motion detectors recognize movement due to modifications in the returning signal. Any unanticipated motion, like curtains shifting when an HVAC fan turns on, can initiate an alarm.
Tips for limiting motion sensor false alarms at your New Haven home
Beyond interrupted sleep, motion sensor false alarms can be even more troublesome as they can lower your sensitivity to actual dangers. Furthermore, frequent false alarms might become a nuisance to local law enforcement and may affect future response times. Luckily, you can help avoid them by implementing these suggestions:
- Check the sensitivity settings of your equipment and modify to your furry friend’s behavior and size.
- Avoid aiming them at high-activity areas like feeding stations, even when you have pet-sensitive detectors.
- Avoid aiming motion sensors at windows receiving bright sunlight.
- Make certain areas are sufficiently insulated to prevent extreme temperature changes.
- Regularly dust and wipe down devices to keep sensors working properly.
- Inspect batteries and change as needed. Many motion sensors will even tell you when batteries are getting low.
- Let a pro do the installation to ensure optimal placement.
You might also choose multi-function devices that use both passive and active sensors to detect motion, providing a higher degree of accuracy.
How to utilize motion sensors in your New Haven smart home?
Integrating motion sensors into a modern smart home is a fantastic way to boost your security and convenience. You’ll be able to do the following:
- Receive immediate notifications on your cell phone when movement is detected. You could also program them to alert you when your children get home from school.
- Have indoor cameras to record automatically whenever a motion sensor trips.
- Alter temperature levels or lighting based on your home’s occupancy. This feature can help reduce energy costs.
Leading smart home motion sensors, like the ones installed by Vivint, continue to harness artificial intelligence (AI) to better detect threats and reduce false alarms.
Build your Vivint smart home with reliable motion sensors
Get the best motion sensors in New Haven from Vivint when you design your fully integrated smart home. Our devices are animal-sensitive and allow you to initiate numerous home automation actions. You’ll also appreciate the five-year battery and automatic smartphone updates. Call (203) 625-1716 today to design your system.