July 10, 2017 by Anas Mustafa
When you go through the process of buying and installing a home security system, the last thing you want to deal with is the prospect of false alarms. Unfortunately, pets represent a potential cause of such problems. Leaving your four-legged family members to walk about your home when you’re not around can potentially trigger motion detection sensors that can then activate a false alarm.
If you have a monitored system, you might be on the receiving end of a bill from the local police if they are dispatched to your address only to discover that it was a false alarm. It helps to take measures to prevent your pets from setting off your burglar alarm. Read on for some tips on ensuring your home security system is pet-proof.
Get the Right Motion Sensors
The type of motion sensors you install, and where you place them, will determine whether or not you can pet-proof your home security system. There are two primary kinds of motion detectors, namely active (such as active infrared (IR)) and passive (such as passive infrared (PIR)). The former detect motion by emitting energy waves, while the latter, rather than emitting anything, simply seek to detect changes in the vicinity, such as the presence of body heat. IR sensors are usually used outside, whereas PIR sensors are usually used inside. As it turns out, a home security system with a good PIR motion detector is your best bet if you want to avoid false alarms caused by your pets. PIR motion detectors can tell the difference between a dog and a human moving throughout your home.
Watch Where You Place Them
While a PIR motion detector is better than an IR motion detector for avoiding false alarms caused by your pets, that doesn’t mean that you’ll be guaranteed 100% success. You’ll only greatly reduce the odds of a false alarm. Another way you can tilt the odds in your favour is to be mindful about where you place the motion sensors. For instance, if your pets favour a certain area, like the sofa in the living room, then it will make sense to point the motion sensor in another direction.
If your dogs or cats are simply all over the place, all the time, then you might need to confine your pets to a specific area where they won’t run the risk of triggering a false alarm. Also, installing motion sensors higher up on the wall, such as near the ceiling, will still provide enough coverage to catch the movement of humans.
Adjust Arming Mode
If you want to completely eliminate the chance that your pets will accidentally trigger your alarm, you should adjust your house security system arming mode. Some systems have, for instance, options where you can keep your door, window, and glass break sensors armed while disarming your motion detectors.This option could work for you.
It is definitely possible to make your house security system pet-proof, so that you can get the protection you need while allowing your pets to roam about unimpeded.
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