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mdolfan's profile

Saturday, August 25th, 2018 12:46 PM

Glass Break Sensor - False Alarm - Why??

Last night our glass break sensor went off while set in away mode.  I was able to check the cameras while on the phone with the monitoring company and both our dogs were just laying down, looking around, listen to the siren and no glass was broken anywhere, so I had the alarm disregarded.  I double-checked the house when we got home and couldn't find anything that may have fallen to set the alarm off.  We've had the system for about a year and never had this happen before.  What could cause the sensor to just go off for no reason?  I'm trying to convince my wife to upgrade to the new system and this didn't help.

Official Solution

Former Community Admin

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5.7K Messages

7 years ago

@mdolfan

The Glassbreak Sensor works by listening for the very specific sound of a window being smashed - a low-pitched thud coupled with a high-pitched crash.  From what you've mentioned, it doesn't sound like any of that was going on.

It is rarely possible that one of your dogs might have triggered it from barking, since it's possible for certain dogs to replicate that low-high-pitched combination. But since you've had the system for a while and this has never happened before, that might be unlikely as well.

The only thing I can think of is that you might have left your TV on, and breaking glass might have happened in a show or commercial? That's happened before with one of our customers.

At the very least, I'm glad that you had the SimpliCam active as well, so you could check in and make sure that there was no intruder at home!

(edited)

1 Message

@davey_d​ apparently, that low-high-pitched combination occurs at the end of "Highway Star" on Deep Purple's Made in Japan, at least as it is recorded and played on this Youtube video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DyCyhaa5mck.

Captain

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6.4K Messages

7 years ago

@mdolfan, this is an example of why you should upgrade. Could just be a bad sensor and SS would send you a new one, but even my wife appreciates the features (and looks) of the new system.

Smaller sensors means less visual clutter for her (we now have 40 sensors) but the performance of SS3, in my opinion, makes it a no brainer to upgrade.  Distance is greatly improved and motion sensors are now in my garage and basement, where it was out of the question for SS2.

Also, the messaging on SS3 tells you when your smoke and co sensors need cleaning, batteries low etc.  Add the new lighted keypads, ability to update the software and, finally, light up, my wife was in full agreement to upgrade.

At least call SS to replace your glass break.

199 Messages

7 years ago

@Johnny

I'm also glad for the cameras.  It allowed us to confirm that there was no intruder in the house.  There was no television on, so it couldn't be that.  We do have birds, but we've always had them.  Maybe one of them hit the right "frequency?"  Who knows.  

@Captain

Thanks for the comments.  You mentioned cleaning the smoke and CO sensors.  Does the glass break need to be cleaned?

Thanks.

1 Message

2 years ago

This just happened to me twice in a 7 hour period when I was in bed. I have had this system for a few years now. Why is this happening?

Former Community Admin

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5.7K Messages

Hi @Lazimmerman ,

As I said above, the Glassbreak Sensor works by sensing the specific sound of a window breaking. So if you're getting false alarms, it's most likely from something that sounds like that.

You mentioned you were in bed at the time - were there any sounds happening in the same room as the Glassbreak that you were aware of? Maybe a barking dog, or a TV playing an action movie?

I would strongly suggest working with our Support team as well for further troubleshooting, and possibly even a replacement unit.

2 Messages

1 year ago

Our robot vacuum with self empty function located near the sensor will set off the glass break sensor when it empties.

2 Messages

6 days ago

It just happened to us this morning at 6:30 am, we've had the system for years and this is the first time it's happened. My sensor is in the basement and there was no one down there, no TV, no dog barking and no broken glass. Not sure what to do if it happens again.

(edited)

1 Message

A few weeks ago, we experienced an unusual incident while we were away for three weeks. Our indoor camera in the basement was activated, and while SimpliSafe was reviewing the footage, there were no visible intruders. However, the glass break sensor located upstairs was triggered, setting off the alarm at 5:00 AM. The police were dispatched to our home. Upon their arrival, they found no broken glass or signs of forced entry. Our security system is only about 60 days old. We have encountered several false alarms with the entry sensors, which falsely indicated that doors were opened when they were not. Additionally, we've had problems with the exterior camera not maintaining its charge, despite being fully charged and plugged into a working outlet. After three weeks, both cameras are now at a 50% charge. It's worth noting that neither camera is activated frequently, averaging only 2-6 activations per day.

Community Admin

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1.5K Messages

@pnazz33 and @jilltolbert58 If there was absolutely nothing around your Glassbreak Sensor to trigger that false alarm, we recommend contacting our Support team. They can take a deeper look into your account, and send you a replacement if needed.

 

And @jilltolbert58, regarding your Entry Sensor, what material is the sensor placed on? We don't recommend putting the Entry Sensor on a metal surface, as that can cause the system to read an incorrect open state. If the sensor is on metal, try adding a buffer between it and the surface - this can be anything like an additional layer of adhesive, thin cardboard, or even velcro. And if the Entry Sensor is on a recessed door or window, it might be that the two pieces of the device may not be close enough together. In instances like that, we recommend reaching out to our Support team so they can send you a slim magnet; that way, both pieces of the Entry Sensor can sit comfortably together. 

 

When it comes to your Outdoor Camera, any time the camera is activated will use up a bit of its battery. If you livestream the camera often, or trigger multiple Secret Alerts a day, that will impact the camera's battery life. To learn more, see the Maximizing the Battery Life of the Outdoor Security Camera Series 2 article in the Help Center.

2 Messages

I got a low battery warning this morning on the glass break sensor which I didn't have before the false alarm. I'll change the battery and monitor it. 

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