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Vent: Found out I was mounting motion sensors too low after a false alarm callout
Had a homeowner call me back after three false alarms in one week, and when I checked the manual for that DSC model, I realized I had been installing them at 5 feet instead of the recommended 7 feet for 18 months.
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thea7043mo ago
Man, "mounting motion sensors too low" - I felt that one in my bones. I once spent three hours troubleshooting a wireless alarm system only to realize the batteries were in backwards on two of the sensors. So your 5 foot mistake sounds like a classic case of "RTFM" not being followed, but hey, we've all been there. The good news is you caught it after 18 months, not 18 years, right? At least now you'll double check every install like it's a life or death scenario. How many of your previous customers are probably thinking their cat is a master criminal now?
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young.spencer3mo ago
Master criminal cat" got me good. I had a buddy whose alarm kept tripping at 3 AM and he swore someone was casing his house. Turns out his golden retriever learned to open the back door with its nose and would wander around downstairs looking for snacks. The motion sensor would catch it, dog would get scared, door would close, and he'd wake up to a "break in" with no one there. Took him like a month to figure it out because the dog was smart enough to not set it off while anyone was watching.
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