How to cut down on motion sensor false alarms in your Manhattan home

Motion sensors are crucial aspects in a full-featured home security strategy, as they’ll let you know if an uninvited guest is sneaking around your house. Sadly, they’re also prone to false alarms, causing Manhattan homeowners to lose sleep. If you’re searching for solutions, explore our recommendations for minimizing motion sensor false alarms.

What initiates motion detector false alarms?

Most household motion detectors employ passive infrared (PIR) technology to detect activity. They monitor changes in infrared radiation within their coverage zone and can determine when something is in motion by its heat signature. False alarms are typically initiated by: 

• Pets climbing on sofas or counters
• Flashes of direct daylight through a window
• Different heat sources, such as fireplaces and air ducts
• Drastic humidity or temperature fluctuations, 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. Referred to as active motion sensors, they recognize movement via modifications in the returning signal. Any unforseen motion, like curtains shifting when the HVAC fan starts up, can set off an alarm.

Suggestions for decreasing motion sensor false alarms at your Manhattan home

In addition to interrupted sleep, motion sensor false alarms are particularly disruptive as they may desensitize you to actual risks. Moreover, frequent false alarms might become an annoyance for emergency providers and may impact response times in the future. Luckily, you can help prevent them by implementing these suggestions:

• Check the sensitivity settings of your sensors and adjust to your pet’s behavior and size.
• Even if you have animal-friendly motion sensors, it’s wise not to direct them at high-activity places like feeding stations.
• Avoid directing motion sensors at windows that receive heavy sunlight.
• Ensure areas are sufficiently insulated to help prevent extreme temperature fluctuations.
• Dust and wipe off devices regularly to keep sensors working properly.
• Check batteries and change as needed. Some devices will even let you know when batteries are getting low.
• Let a pro do the installation to ensure correct placement.

You may also opt for hybrid devices that employ both passive and active means to identify motion, resulting in a higher degree of accuracy.

How should you incorporate motion sensors into your Manhattan smart home?

Integrating motion sensors into an automated smart home is a terrific way to boost your security and convenience. You’ll have the opportunity to do the following:

• Get immediate updates on your smartphone any time movement is found. You might utilize them to notify you when your little ones arrive home from school.
• Configure indoor cameras to record automatically whenever a motion sensor is tripped.
• Adjust lighting or thermostat settings according to whether people are home. This functionality can help lower utility bills.

Top smart home motion sensors, like the ones from Vivint, continue to employ artificial intelligence (AI) to more effectively recognize actual threats and reduce false alarms.

Design your Vivint smart home with dependable motion sensors

Get the top motion sensors in Manhattan from Vivint when you design your fully integrated smart home. Our tools are animal-sensitive and allow you to program a variety of home automation actions. You’ll also benefit from the five-year battery and instant cell phone notifications. Call (332) 208-9869 today to get started.