How to minimize motion sensor false alarms in your Wichita home

Motion sensors are crucial elements in a multi-layered home security plan, as they’ll let you know if suspicious activity is transpiring at your house. Sadly, they’re also prone to false alarms, causing frustration and a bad night’s sleep for Wichita homeowners. If you’re trying to find solutions, review our tips on cutting down on motion sensor false alarms.

What causes motion detector false alarms?

The bulk of household motion detectors use passive infrared (PIR) technology to identify activity. They track fluctuations in infrared radiation within their coverage zone and can tell when someone is in motion by their heat signature. False alarms are frequently caused by: 

• Pets leaping on furniture or counters
• Flashes of direct sunlight through a window
• A variety of heat sources, like fireplaces and ducts
• Sudden humidity or temperature shifts, which cause equipment to be too sensitive or unresponsive

Microwave motion sensors are an additional widespread option that detects activity by constantly emitting and evaluating electromagnetic waves. These active motion detectors spot movement through modifications in the returning signal. Any unexpected movement, like curtains moving when your HVAC fan turns on, can set off an alarm.

Tips for decreasing motion sensor false alarms at your Wichita home

Beyond losing sleep, motion sensor false alarms can be increasingly troublesome as they might desensitize you to genuine dangers. Additionally, repeated false alarms can become a frustration for emergency providers and may impact future response times. Thankfully, you can help prevent them by adhering to these suggestions:

• Investigate the sensitivity settings of your devices and adjust to your furry friend’s size and behavior.
• Avoid aiming them at busy places like feeding stations, even if you have pet-friendly detectors.
• Avoid aiming motion detectors at windows that receive bright sunlight.
• Ensure rooms are adequately insulated to help prevent temperature shifts.
• Frequently dust and clean equipment to keep sensors working properly.
• Monitor batteries and swap out as needed. Some devices will even let you know when batteries are getting low.
• Let a pro do the installation to ensure correct positioning.

You might also invest in dual-technology devices that utilize both passive and active tools to identify activity, providing improved accuracy.

How can you utilize motion sensors in your Wichita smart home?

Integrating motion sensors into a new smart home is a terrific way to enhance your convenience and security. You’ll have the ability to do the following:

• Receive instant alerts on your mobile device whenever motion is spotted. You could also use them to notify you when your children come home from school.
• Configure indoor cameras to record any time a motion sensor is tripped.
• Alter thermostat settings or lighting in accordance with your home’s occupancy. This capability can help reduce utility costs.

Top smart home devices, like the ones offered by Vivint, continue to employ artificial intelligence (AI) to more accurately identify actual threats and reduce false alarms.

Build your Vivint smart home with dependable motion sensors

Get the top motion sensors in Wichita from Vivint when you design your comprehensive smart home. Our devices are pet-friendly and let you initiate a variety of home automation actions. You’ll also benefit from the five-year battery and automatic mobile alerts. Reach out to (316) 844-6283 today to get started.