How to reduce motion sensor false alarms in your Fort Collins home

Motion sensors are critical components in a full-featured home security strategy, as they’ll let you know if suspicious activity is occurring at your house. Unfortunately, they’re also vulnerable to false alarms, causing frustration and lost sleep for Fort Collins homeowners. If you’re searching for solutions, review our recommendations for reducing motion sensor false alarms.

What triggers motion detector false alarms?

Most household motion detectors utilize passive infrared (PIR) technology to detect movement. They sense shifts in infrared radiation in their field of view and can determine when something is in motion by its heat signature. False alarms are frequently caused by: 

• Pets climbing on tabletops or sofas
• Direct sunlight shining through a window
• Different heat sources, like ducts and fireplaces
• Drastic temperature or humidity fluctuations, which cause equipment to be too sensitive or unresponsive

Microwave motion sensors are another frequently used option that detects movement by constantly broadcasting and assessing electromagnetic waves. Called active motion detectors, they pinpoint movement via changes in the returning signal. Any unanticipated activity, like curtains shifting when your HVAC fan turns on, can initiate an alarm.

Tips for limiting motion sensor false alarms at your Fort Collins home

Aside from losing sleep, motion sensor false alarms can be increasingly disruptive as they can numb you to genuine dangers. Furthermore, recurring false alarms might become a nuisance to emergency providers and may affect ensuing response times. Luckily, you can help prevent them by adhering to these recommendations:

• Inspect the sensitivity settings of your sensors and change to your pet’s behavior and size.
• Avoid aiming them at high-traffic areas like food dispensers, even if you have animal-friendly sensors.
• Avoid aiming motion sensors at windows receiving intense sunlight.
• Make certain rooms are properly insulated to help prevent extreme temperature fluctuations.
• Dust and clean devices frequently to ensure proper function.
• Monitor batteries and replace as needed. Certain devices will even tell you when batteries are running out.
• Let a pro do the installation to ensure proper positioning.

You may also opt for multi-function devices that use both passive and active tools to sense movement, resulting in greater accuracy.

How to utilize motion sensors in your Fort Collins smart home?

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

• Receive automatic updates on your smartphone any time movement is found. You could also utilize them to alert you when your children get home from school.
• Program cameras to record any time a motion sensor triggers.
• Change thermostat settings or lighting according to whether people are home. This feature can help curb energy costs.

Top-tier smart home motion detectors, like the models installed by Vivint, continue to leverage artificial intelligence (AI) to more accurately detect real threats and decrease false alarms.

Design your Vivint smart home with dependable motion sensors

Get the best motion sensors in Fort Collins from Vivint when you plan your fully integrated smart home. Our sensors are pet-sensitive and permit you to configure various automation actions. You’ll also benefit from the five-year battery and automatic smartphone notifications. Reach out to (970) 703-0718 today to design your system.