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

Motion sensors are crucial elements in a multi-layered home security plan, as they’ll let you know if unexpected activity is transpiring at your house. Regrettably, they’re also prone to false alarms, causing Las Vegas homeowners to lose sleep. If you’re looking for solutions, check out our suggestions for minimizing motion sensor false alarms.

What causes motion detector false alarms?

Most residential motion detectors use passive infrared (PIR) technology to identify movement. They track shifts in infrared radiation in their coverage zone and can tell when something is in motion by its heat signature. False alarms are frequently triggered by: 

• Pets jumping on countertops or sofas
• Intense sunlight streaming through a window
• A variety of heat sources, like fireplaces and ducts
• Drastic humidity or temperature shifts, which cause equipment to be overly sensitive or unresponsive

Microwave motion sensors are an additional widespread option that detects motion by continually sending out and assessing electromagnetic waves. These active motion sensors pinpoint movement through changes in the reflected signal. Any unanticipated activity, like curtains moving when your HVAC fan starts up, can set off an alarm.

Suggestions for reducing motion sensor false alarms at your Las Vegas home

Beyond losing sleep, motion sensor false alarms can be even more disruptive as they may desensitize you to genuine dangers. Moreover, repeated false alarms can become an annoyance for emergency providers and may influence response times in the future. Thankfully, you can help avoid them by following these suggestions:

• Inspect the sensitivity parameters of your devices and adjust to your animal’s size and behavior.
• Avoid pointing them at busy spots like food bowls, even when using pet-sensitive detectors.
• Avoid pointing motion sensors at windows exposed to intense sunlight.
• Make sure rooms are sufficiently insulated to help prevent extreme temperature shifts.
• Dust and wipe off equipment regularly to keep sensors working properly.
• Check batteries and change as needed. Many motion detectors will even let you know when batteries are running out.
• Let a pro do the installation to ensure correct positioning.

You may also opt for dual-technology devices that employ both active and passive tools to identify motion, providing greater accuracy.

How can you utilize motion sensors in your Las Vegas smart home?

Integrating motion sensors into a modern smart home is a fantastic way to enhance your convenience and safety. You’ll be able to do the following:

• Receive instant notifications on your mobile device when activity is spotted. You might program them to notify you when your children arrive home from school.
• Program interior cameras to record automatically whenever a motion sensor triggers.
• Adjust lighting or temperature levels in accordance with your home’s occupancy. This functionality can help curb energy expenses.

Leading smart home motion detectors, like those installed by Vivint, continue to leverage artificial intelligence (AI) to more effectively identify real threats and minimize false alarms.

Create your Vivint smart home with reliable motion sensors

Get the best motion sensors in Las Vegas from Vivint when you plan your fully functional smart home. Our devices are pet-sensitive and let you initiate numerous home automation actions. You’ll also appreciate the five-year battery and instant cell phone alerts. Call (725) 444-7026 today to get started.