Have you kept a log of the times the motion sensors produced false alarms? So that you could determine what might be setting them off? As you probably already know, they detect heat - so depending on your location (colder winter in some areas), are your furnaces coming on more often, for example? Have you replaced their batteries? Have you adjusted the sensitivity levels in the sensors?
Unfortunately, if you got them 4 years ago, they're no longer under warranty, so if you need them, you'd need to replace them with new purchases. But, they may be defective and may need replaced.
If you have the interactive monitoring plan for the home and the business, you won't pay more for the camera subscriptions if you bought more cameras (you can have up to 10 cameras on one account/location, but be mindful each one uses 1-2 MB upload speed from your internet). You can keep an eye on Best Buy for sales on the cams (they had them for half-off from Nov through the holidays, not sure if they will continue to have some of those sales, but worth watching - SS will honor the 3-year warranty from products bought from their "partner" retailers; Best Buy, Target, Walmart, Amazon, QVC, Sam's Club, Costco and Woot).
With new motion sensors combined with the cameras, you could use the 'secret alert' setting for the motion sensors, where it only sends you an SMS text message or the phone app sends a push notification - it won't result in the alarm sounding, it won't result in a call from monitoring, and no dispatch will be sent - if a motion sensor triggered, you'd log in to your phone app to view your cameras, and make the determination if you'd need to call dispatch on your own.
Your suggestion of the secret alert option is an excellent solution. I wish it wasn't necessary, but it will definitely work to eliminate false alarms.
I'm embarrassed that I didn't know that the motion sensors pick up heat, I thought it was actual movement. We live in a place that is warm year round, so we have large windows try to leave some open so the house isn't an oven when we return. Your comment also explains the motion sensor issues because as the sun moves or clouds go over head and a breeze comes through, it would make sense that a small "cloud" of heat could move across the room and trip a sensor....and it would be totally at random depending on the weather that particular day.
They are only required to replace them for 3 years. If you report them as defective, they may not replace them, but if you don't ask, they will not replace them.
The sensors are looking for heat changes. Slow moving heat like the sun casting shadows in the room is not going to set them off. My house is full of windows and we don't have false alarms. Quicker changes, like being to close to a heat vent can set them off tho.
Use of the secret alert is temporary. Gets you through the troubleshooting phase. Once enough time has gone by that you are confident false alarms have ceased, change them back to alarm mode.
I have the new system and my 2 dogs kept setting my kitchen motion detector off. My dogs are 20lbs each. I've lowered it, turned it upside down, etc. Now we only use them in away mode. Home mode we've disabled them. Hope this helps.
This morning, 3:30ish, Christmas Eve, 2022. Alarm went off. Checked home for intruders. All was well. The message on the keypad said that the kitchen window was opened ten minutes prior (Why a ten minute lag?). The window was closed and still locked as it should be as were all the other sensor/entry points. This sensor is only a few months old. The alarm was in the "Home" mode. This was the first time this happened during the several years that I have had the system. I checked the keypad again about an hour ago and it said that there was an update available. I updated the base; will that help? I have had to change batteries in several new sensors, but it doesn't appear that this is a battery issue this time.
@codewrite1 It sounds like the sensor may have malfunctioned in this scenario. If you have already changed the battery in it and updated your system, the best option would be to monitor it. If the issue occurs again, please let me know and I can get you in touch with a specialist who can troubleshoot your system in real-time.
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coltmaster1
Advocate
•
2.8K Messages
3 years ago
Unfortunately, if you got them 4 years ago, they're no longer under warranty, so if you need them, you'd need to replace them with new purchases. But, they may be defective and may need replaced.
If you have the interactive monitoring plan for the home and the business, you won't pay more for the camera subscriptions if you bought more cameras (you can have up to 10 cameras on one account/location, but be mindful each one uses 1-2 MB upload speed from your internet). You can keep an eye on Best Buy for sales on the cams (they had them for half-off from Nov through the holidays, not sure if they will continue to have some of those sales, but worth watching - SS will honor the 3-year warranty from products bought from their "partner" retailers; Best Buy, Target, Walmart, Amazon, QVC, Sam's Club, Costco and Woot).
With new motion sensors combined with the cameras, you could use the 'secret alert' setting for the motion sensors, where it only sends you an SMS text message or the phone app sends a push notification - it won't result in the alarm sounding, it won't result in a call from monitoring, and no dispatch will be sent - if a motion sensor triggered, you'd log in to your phone app to view your cameras, and make the determination if you'd need to call dispatch on your own.
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sevensiamesecats
Advocate
•
2.2K Messages
3 years ago
0
0
undeleted
1.2K Messages
3 years ago
Use of the secret alert is temporary. Gets you through the troubleshooting phase. Once enough time has gone by that you are confident false alarms have ceased, change them back to alarm mode.
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babyrocko1908
24 Messages
3 years ago
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codewrite1
1 Message
3 months ago
This morning, 3:30ish, Christmas Eve, 2022. Alarm went off. Checked home for intruders. All was well. The message on the keypad said that the kitchen window was opened ten minutes prior (Why a ten minute lag?). The window was closed and still locked as it should be as were all the other sensor/entry points. This sensor is only a few months old. The alarm was in the "Home" mode. This was the first time this happened during the several years that I have had the system. I checked the keypad again about an hour ago and it said that there was an update available. I updated the base; will that help? I have had to change batteries in several new sensors, but it doesn't appear that this is a battery issue this time.
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