‎Problem with motion detectors | SimpliSafe Support Home
 
curt312000's profile

Tuesday, August 9th, 2022 11:10 PM

Problem with motion detectors

Keep getting false alarms off of one motion detector in the back of the house and I don't understand it there's no windows back there that essentials pointing towards there's no there's no heat right now I mean this is in the middle of summertime so I'm really confused The only complain I have with the system is false alarms  on that one motion detector could anybody offer any help or a possible or a solution Thanks Tom

Captain

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6K Messages

2 years ago

@curt312000  First, are there any hvac ducts in the room? Did the false alarms start recently? Try this step first: Swap your suspect motion sensor with one in another location from your house; does the issue continue in the same room? Then possibly an airflow issue. If the issue is in the other room with the original suspect sensor, it could be defective so call SS for a replacement.  Also, how old is the battery? Next try lowering the sensitivty switch from high to med or med to low.  (Test by pushing the test button and make sure the sensor still adequately covers the room.)

As always, you can call support to troubleshoot.

Please post here your outcome if you get a chance.

6 Messages

2 years ago

Say thanks a lot your suggestions were very helpful I was thinking about switching those motion detectors I got a I got a new one that they're sending so what I do is I put it in that room and put the one that was given me trouble upstairs and see if I still that problem in that location and if I do then there's something else going on so would you recommend that just go on in and switching the motion detector from that room and putting it in another that sounds like a good idea and seeing if the problem persists. The entire system is brand new hasn't been up but for maybe two months so I doubt it's the batteries plus I'm not getting any indication on the app or on the panel that there's a problem with the low battery hey thanks a lot sounds great I'll try your suggestions thank you Tom

(edited)

6 Messages

2 years ago

Last thing have you heard of people having a lot of problems with these motion detectors it seems like it might be a problem area but I'm not sure I've seen other people that say that they've had problems also Thanks again Tom

(edited)

Captain

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6K Messages

@curt312000​ I have 10 motion sensors in my home. Six on the first floor, 3 upstairs and one in my garage. ALL at this time work just fine with no false alarms in years. Note I had SS2 in 2012 and SS3 in late 2017.  Note that at first I did get false alarms.  I had to "stabalize" the system by working at each room and where the motion sensors were located. Example: I learned quickly you don't point a motion sensor at a east facing window. :-) Direct sun will set them off. Next, not over heating/cooling vents and, a more subtle one, not push the sensitivity higher than you need to cover the area you are targeting. For example (true story) my system would alarm sporadicallly when someone came through a kitchen door when the system was armed away and the door sensor was not on instant trigger. 3 calls later to SS support, and me scanning and emailing a layout of my house and location of the sensors, did an engineer finally hit the cause: a motion sensor 20 feet away in my kitchen eating area would sometimes pick up the person entering before the base would get the signal from the entry sensor and start the entry countdown. Moving the sensitivity switch from high to medium took care of the problem.

Overall, it took me about 2 weeks to finally get the system where my 10 motion sensors are "bulletproof". You can get yours that way too. Please note in 4 years one motion was returned and replaced at nc by SS.

Lastly, the garage motion sensor works well in an unheated area, but is on secret alert only. I have two entry sensors on my two garage doors that are armed in home mode, secret alert on away.  Yep, stop gap until SS hopefully comes out with official garage door sensors.

If you have more questions, post here. Hope this helps.

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31 Messages

@captain11​ Hm, interesting.  I had not thought of using a motion sensor in the garage.  I do have an entry sensor attached to a swinging gate style mount I found on etsy.  It works quite well and, like you, my garage entry sensor is armed in home mode and on secret alert in away mode.   Is your motion in your garage also armed on away, or just secret alert like the entry sensor?  

Captain

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6K Messages

@wareagleman As the motion sesnor operates in an enviroment in conditions beyond the recommended manufacture's specifications (temp range from 95 degrees warm to single digits - welcome to Chicagoland :-) I only have it armed in home mode only. Away, secret alert.   I have not had an alarm from that motion sensor ever over the past 3 years. 

31 Messages

Hm, way down here in Alabama, we'd also get way outside of the manufacturer's specs.  The temp in my garage can easily go over 100 in the summer.  Maybe a motion is overkill.  I have the overhead door protected and I have the man door protected.  I do have two windows in the garage, but they're high and hard to get to.  There's easier ways to try to break into my house.

1 Message

11 months ago

i think the battery is dead.  How do I open the unit to replace the battery

Community Admin

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3.1K Messages

@wclaffin​ If you slide the Motion Sensor up and off its bracket, it will reveal its battery. The video in this Help Center article provides a video with instructions on changing the Motion Sensor's battery. 

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