How to minimize motion sensor false alarms in your Oakland home

Motion sensors are critical components in a full-featured home security plan, as they’ll tell you if an uninvited guest is sneaking around your house. Unfortunately, they’re also prone to false alarms, causing irritation and a bad night’s sleep for Oakland homeowners. If you’re looking for solutions, explore our suggestions for cutting down on motion sensor false alarms.

What triggers motion detector false alarms?

Most household motion detectors employ passive infrared (PIR) technology to detect activity. They monitor fluctuations in infrared radiation inside their detection zone and can tell when something is moving by its heat signature. False alarms are frequently initiated by: 

• Pets climbing on couches or countertops
• Streams of intense light through a window
• Various heat sources, like ducts and fireplaces
• Sudden temperature or humidity changes, which cause equipment to be hypersensitive or unresponsive

Microwave motion sensors are another common option that detects movement by continually broadcasting and analyzing electromagnetic waves. These active motion sensors pinpoint movement due to changes in the returning signal. Any unforseen motion, like curtains moving when an HVAC fan turns on, can initiate an alarm.

Tips for reducing motion sensor false alarms at your Oakland home

Aside from losing sleep, motion sensor false alarms are increasingly problematic as they might numb you to genuine risks. Moreover, frequent false alarms can become a nuisance to emergency providers and may affect ensuing response times. Luckily, you can help circumvent them by implementing these suggestions:

• Investigate the sensitivity settings of your devices and modify to your pet’s behavior and size.
• Even when using animal-friendly motion detectors, it’s advisable not to aim them at busy areas like feeding stations.
• Avoid pointing motion sensors at windows exposed to bright sunlight.
• Ensure spaces are sufficiently insulated to prevent drastic temperature shifts.
• Dust and wipe off devices regularly to ensure proper function.
• Inspect batteries and change as needed. Certain devices will even tell you when batteries are getting low.
• Get them installed professionally to ensure proper placement.

You could also choose multi-function devices that utilize both passive and active sensors to detect motion, providing a higher degree of accuracy.

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

Installing motion sensors in a new smart home is a excellent way to improve your safety and convenience. You’ll be able to do the following:

• Get immediate alerts on your mobile device any time movement is spotted. You might program them to notify you when your little ones come home from school.
• Configure indoor cameras to record any time a motion sensor trips.
• Alter temperature settings or lighting in accordance with your home’s occupancy. This capability can help lower energy bills.

Leading smart home devices, like the models from Vivint, continue to harness artificial intelligence (AI) to better recognize real threats and reduce false alarms.

Create your Vivint smart home with dependable motion sensors

Get the top motion sensors in Oakland from Vivint when you plan your fully functional smart home. Our tools are pet-friendly and permit you to initiate numerous automation actions. You’ll also appreciate the five-year battery and automatic smartphone updates. Call (510) 281-3999 today to get started.