How to cut down on motion sensor false alarms in your Charleston home
Motion sensors are critical components in a full-featured home security strategy, as they’ll alert you whenever an unwanted guest is moving through your house. Sadly, they’re also prone to false alarms, causing frustration and lost sleep for Charleston homeowners. If you’re searching for solutions, check out our recommendations for minimizing motion sensor false alarms.
What causes motion detector false alarms?
The majority of residential motion detectors employ passive infrared (PIR) technology to detect activity. They track shifts in infrared radiation in their field of view and can recognize when something is in motion by its heat signature. False alarms are frequently triggered by:
- Pets jumping on sofas or tabletops
- Intense sunlight shining through a window
- Different heat sources, like vents and fireplaces
- Drastic temperature or humidity shifts, which cause components to be too sensitive or non-functional
Microwave motion sensors are an additional widespread option that senses motion by constantly broadcasting and evaluating electromagnetic waves. These active motion detectors pinpoint movement via alterations in the returning signal. Any unanticipated motion, like curtains shifting when an HVAC fan kicks on, can initiate an alarm.
Suggestions for reducing motion sensor false alarms at your Charleston home
Beyond interrupted sleep, motion sensor false alarms can be increasingly problematic as they may numb you to real dangers. Moreover, frequent false alarms might become a nuisance to local law enforcement and may influence future response times. Thankfully, you can help prevent them by following these tips:
- Check the sensitivity parameters of your sensors and change to your animal’s size and behavior.
- Even when you have pet-friendly motion detectors, it’s advisable not to aim them at busy areas like food dispensers.
- Avoid aiming motion detectors at windows receiving heavy sunlight.
- Make sure areas are properly insulated to minimize temperature shifts.
- Frequently dust and wipe down components to ensure proper function.
- Monitor batteries and replace as needed. Certain devices will even tell you when batteries are low.
- Let a pro do the installation to ensure optimal positioning.
You could also choose hybrid devices that utilize both passive and active sensors to detect motion, leading to a higher degree of accuracy.
How should you use motion sensors in your Charleston smart home?
Integrating motion sensors into an automated smart home is a fantastic way to enhance your convenience and safety. You’ll have the ability to do the following:
- Get immediate notifications on your smartphone any time activity is detected. You might utilize them to notify you when your children get home from school.
- Program indoor cameras to record any time a motion sensor trips.
- Adjust temperature settings or lighting based on your home’s occupancy. This functionality can help curb utility costs.
Top-tier smart home motion sensors, like those from Vivint, continue to harness artificial intelligence (AI) to more effectively recognize real threats and minimize false alarms.
Build your Vivint smart home with dependable motion sensors
Get the top motion sensors in Charleston from Vivint when you customize your comprehensive smart home. Our tools are pet-sensitive and let you configure a variety of home automation actions. You’ll also benefit from the five-year battery life and automatic cell phone updates. Contact (304) 902-6244 today to get started.