2 Messages
False Alarms - faulty motion sensors?
I'm posting this here because it appears from other forum topics that customer service may not respond. I installed the SS system 4 years ago at my home and business. At first, it was excellent and I was so happy. Over time, we've started to have intermittent issues with motion sensors creating false alarms and it is creating a lot of stress. We've tried testing them and moving them to other locations, but they have issues at random times of day or night and then sometimes weeks or months go with no problems.
The last time, the monitoring company told me they had motion in a 2nd room in my home, so I told them to call the police without checking the cameras....and it was a false alarm. At my business, they call my manager and he has gone down to our warehouse several times in the middle of the night to let the police in only to find out, yet again, that it's a false alarm.
Putting cameras for visual verification of all the rooms seems expensive and impractical (we don't have electrical outlets in the right locations, so I would need to hire an electrician to install outlets in the right places or run long, unsightly cords....but I thought I had a "wireless" system!). We do have one camera in each location, but they never seem to be in the place that the motion sensors go off, so it's helpful but not a solution.
I'm not sure what to do, it feels like without functioning motion sensors, I don't really have an alarm that will do the job. False alarms are stressful, annoying, embarrassing and a waste of time for the police who should be focused on better things....I also now have a $115 bill from local police department for the last home visit!
The last time, the monitoring company told me they had motion in a 2nd room in my home, so I told them to call the police without checking the cameras....and it was a false alarm. At my business, they call my manager and he has gone down to our warehouse several times in the middle of the night to let the police in only to find out, yet again, that it's a false alarm.
Putting cameras for visual verification of all the rooms seems expensive and impractical (we don't have electrical outlets in the right locations, so I would need to hire an electrician to install outlets in the right places or run long, unsightly cords....but I thought I had a "wireless" system!). We do have one camera in each location, but they never seem to be in the place that the motion sensors go off, so it's helpful but not a solution.
I'm not sure what to do, it feels like without functioning motion sensors, I don't really have an alarm that will do the job. False alarms are stressful, annoying, embarrassing and a waste of time for the police who should be focused on better things....I also now have a $115 bill from local police department for the last home visit!
coltmaster1
Advocate
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2.8K Messages
4 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
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2.2K Messages
4 years ago
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undeleted
1.2K Messages
4 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
4 years ago
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codewrite1
1 Message
9 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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