How to minimize motion sensor false alarms in your Tuscaloosa home
Motion sensors are critical components in a full-featured home security installation, as they’ll let you know if an unwanted guest is moving through your house. Sadly, they’re also vulnerable to false alarms, causing Tuscaloosa homeowners to lose sleep. If you’re searching for solutions, review our suggestions for cutting down on motion sensor false alarms.
What causes motion detector false alarms?
Most residential motion detectors utilize passive infrared (PIR) technology to detect movement. They track fluctuations in infrared radiation inside their field of view and can recognize when someone is in motion by their heat signature. False alarms are often caused by:
- Pets jumping on countertops or furniture
- Intense sunlight coming through a window
- Different heat sources, like air ducts and fireplaces
- Rapid temperature or humidity shifts, which cause components to be too sensitive or unresponsive
Microwave motion sensors are another widespread option that senses motion by constantly emitting and analyzing electromagnetic waves. These active motion detectors spot movement due to changes in the returning signal. Any unforseen activity, like curtains shifting when an HVAC fan turns on, can set off an alarm.
Ideas for reducing motion sensor false alarms at your Tuscaloosa home
In addition to a lack of sleep, motion sensor false alarms are particularly troublesome as they may desensitize you to real threats. Moreover, repeated false alarms may become a frustration for local law enforcement and may impact ensuing response times. Thankfully, you can help prevent them by following these tips:
- Inspect the sensitivity levels of your devices and change to your animal’s behavior and size.
- Avoid directing them at high-traffic spots like food bowls, even when you have animal-friendly sensors.
- Avoid directing motion detectors at windows that receive bright sunlight.
- Ensure areas are sufficiently insulated to help prevent drastic temperature shifts.
- Dust and wipe down components regularly to keep sensors clear.
- Check batteries and swap out as needed. Many motion sensors will even inform you when batteries are running out.
- Let a pro do the installation to ensure proper positioning.
You could also invest in dual-technology devices that employ both passive and active means to sense movement, leading to a higher degree of accuracy.
How can you incorporate motion sensors into your Tuscaloosa smart home?
Integrating motion sensors into a new smart home is a fantastic way to enhance your security and convenience. You’ll be able to do the following:
- Receive automatic updates on your smartphone when movement is found. You might also use them to update you when your children get home from school.
- Program cameras to record automatically whenever a motion sensor trips.
- Alter lighting or temperature settings in accordance with your home’s occupancy. This capability can help lower energy bills.
Top smart home motion detectors, like those from Vivint, continue to harness artificial intelligence (AI) to more accurately recognize threats and decrease false alarms.
Build your Vivint smart home with dependable motion sensors
Get the top motion sensors in Tuscaloosa from Vivint when you plan your fully integrated smart home. Our tools are animal-sensitive and permit you to initiate numerous home automation actions. You’ll also benefit from the five-year battery and immediate cell phone alerts. Reach out to (205) 964-9849 today to design your system.