Tips to Get the Most of Your Motion Sensors
Sometime, motion sensors can feel like they never work correctly. False alarms, no alarm, or other mishaps with motions sensors give them a bad reputation in the home security world. But often, there are many things you can do to ensure they work appropriately.
Motion sensors come in many forms—lights, alarms, and cameras—and each of these has their own unique features to help guard your home. They are the do-it-all device that gives users the ultimate control over their property. You can make the most of your motion sensors by understanding how they work and where they can work in your own home.
How Motion Sensors Work
A motion sensor’s primary purpose is to detect when someone uninvited is around or in your home. A motion sensor sends a signal to your security system and if tripped, an alert is sent to you and your monitoring center.
There are two main types of motion sensors used in the home: active motion and passive motion.
- Active motion—works by using sound waves and is typically used in automatic doors, like your garage door.
- Passive motion—uses passive infrared to detect emitted infrared energy or heat. This is the most common type of motion sensor in residential homes.
The Ideal Placement
Placement is a large part of the successful application for motion sensors. They work best when placed high up to cover a large amount of area. It might seem obvious to place motion sensors near a door or window, but this placement can block their range, and any action in front of the sensor only shows slight alterations in infrared energy over time. They also function by detecting a fluctuation in heat, so a sunny window or near a heating element won’t make sense for their placement.
The best placement for a motion sensor is in a corner of the room that has a good viewpoint of your entryways and easily detect any changes in the room.
Preventing False Alarms
False alarms are one of the main drawbacks of motion sensors, but there are ways to prevent it. Preventing false alarms relies mostly on placement, but also upkeep. Most new systems ignore anything under 2.5 feet or 85 pounds. A few things to keep in mind when deciding on placement of motion sensors in your home:
- Pets
- Curtains or plants blown by air conditioning or heaters
- Low batteries
- Ceiling fans
- Objects moving near motion sensors
Best Uses for Motion Sensors
In addition to the obvious use for motion sensors, they also offer some other functions outside of detecting burglars:
- Alert you if your kids come home late
- Automatically ring the doorbell when someone approaches the front door
- Save energy by using motion sensor lighting in unoccupied spaces
- Notify you if pets get loose or are in rooms where they aren’t supposed to be
FAQs
The product will activate more reliably if a person walks past the sensor, intersecting several of these slivers, instead of walking straight at the sensor. To get the best results from a motion-activated product, mount it at 90 degrees to your walkway instead of pointing it directly at the flow of traffic.
What is the best way to use a motion sensor? ›
Best Uses for Motion Sensors
- Alert you if your kids come home late.
- Automatically ring the doorbell when someone approaches the front door.
- Save energy by using motion sensor lighting in unoccupied spaces.
- Notify you if pets get loose or are in rooms where they aren't supposed to be.
One of the quick tricks you can try is to quickly turn the motion sensor ON, OFF, ON to override the motion detection and make the light stay on. To go back to motion detection mode, turn the motion sensor off, wait for about 10 seconds, and then turn it on again.
How to beat motion sensors? ›
The easiest way to defeat them is to either turn up the heat in the facility or turn off the air conditioning or both. In many parts of the world, just opening the windows and allowing enough time for thermal equilibrium to be achieved with the environment is sufficient.
What sets off a motion sensor? ›
What Sets off a Motion Sensor. Motion sensors, particularly those utilizing Passive Infrared (PIR) technology, are triggered by the movement of objects that generate infrared light.
Where should you not place a motion sensor? ›
Don't place the motion sensor near heat sources:
Hot air vents, kerosene heaters, radiators or other portable heat sources can suddenly change the temperature of a room, setting off the alarm.
Can motion sensors be fooled? ›
Though motion sensors can be a useful part of a home alarm system, intruders may be able to fool them. By knowing the ways someone can do this ahead of time, you're better able to protect your home. Some ways to avoid tripping a motion sensor include: Moving extremely slowly.
How do you outsmart a motion sensor? ›
Move slowly along the walls in which the sensors are located, and as low as possible, while proceeding forward. Many motion sensors have blind spots that make it difficult to detect movement directly underneath them. Be aware that another sensor may be pointing in your direction from the other side of the room.
What will trigger a motion sensor? ›
Most motion detectors utilize Passive Infrared (PIR) technology to detect movement. As a result, they can track the activity of moving objects that generate infrared light. Anything that produces enough infrared energy and a temperature shift can trigger the motion detector.
How do you override a motion sensor light? ›
Normally the switch is kept on all the time. The motion detector monitors ambient light (daylight) and then activates when it's dark enough, and motion is detected. If you turn the switch off and on within a second or so, the light will stay on, and this overrides motion detection.
A few families of motion detectors can be reset by pointing a source of light of a certain wavelength — infrared or near infrared — at them. This blinds the sensors for as long as the light source is pointed at them plus an additional three seconds…
What can interfere with motion sensors? ›
What are some of the top causes of false alarms for motion sensors?
- Flying or crawling insects; spiders like to make homes in corners and anchor their webs to the sensors.
- Pets.
- Curtains or plants blown by air conditioning or heaters.
- Low batteries.
- Ceiling fans.
- Objects moving near motion sensors.
If you move slowly enough, you can cover sensors with paper or cardboard so they cannot “see” movement.
What can trip a motion sensor? ›
Other naturally occurring incidents that can set off your motion detectors are random patterns, such as sunlight through moving tree leaves, dust being caught in a sunbeam, or slow-moving light changes, such as the sun moving across the sky.
Why does my motion sensor go off for no reason? ›
A motion sensor may send a false alarm signal for multiple reasons. These include things like balloons, stray air drafts, direct sunlight, large insects, rapid temperature changes (caused by fireplaces or heating systems), small animals (such as mice, rats, birds, cats, etc.) or faulty equipment.
Can balloons set off motion sensors? ›
Ensure elements within your home won't accidentally set off Motion Detectors. This can include helium balloons, rotating fans, shiny objects, flickering lights, and curtains placed over an air vent.
What are the disadvantages of a motion sensor? ›
Cons
- Historically, they have more false positives than other sensor types.
- They are only active in intervals.
- Pets can trigger an alarm if not configured correctly.
Put a motion sensor in the corner of each room, aimed toward the doorway. That way no one can get in without setting off the alarm. Place motion sensors directly at your most valuable items. No one will be able to get close to them without you knowing.
How do you keep a motion sensor activated? ›
- Identify the motion sensor light switch or control panel. - Look for a switch or setting labeled "Always On" or "Constant On." - Activate this setting to keep the lights on permanently. - Keep in mind that this will consume more energy, so use it sparingly.
