Took me 6 months to realize I was mounting motion sensors too high

I was putting them at 8 feet like the manual said, but kept getting false alarms from HVAC vents. A senior installer walked by my site in Phoenix last Tuesday and asked if I ever read the actual pattern diagram on the box. Anyone else make this dumb mistake or just me?

2 comments

Log in to join the discussion

Log In

2 Comments

caseywest2mo ago

Did you catch that bit in the NTSB report about the Phoenix airport false alarm that grounded three flights? Turns out the sensors were mounted at 7 feet over a supply register, which is exactly what the pattern diagram warns against. I read that whole thing last month and it stuck with me because it's such a dumb easy fix. The diagrams show this little cone shape that spreads way more than you'd think at 8 feet, so vents will absolutely trip them.

6

the_logan2mo ago

Ha! Yeah that pattern diagram is gold. I bet half of us just toss the box without even looking at it.

3