The DIY intrusion alarm giant SimpliSafe tweeted this tip for pet-immune PIRs done cheap:
In the absence of a true pet-immune motion sensor, SimpliSafe is recommending to just flip their sensor and mount it upside down.
Sure enough, it won't alarm on pets, because the detection zone no longer drops beneath the sensor. We noted in our Simplisafe Tested report just how low they recommend mounting them:
But this also leaves a huge blind spot.
Is this a good tip? Do you do this with your sensors?
I think it's idiotic given the technology available today.
Before pet immune detectors, flipping a PIR upside down was a technique used when leaving pets in the home with the alarm armed in away. But that was a gamble, and detectors in this scenario were usually confined to corridors.
Today, with pet immune detectors and a home with pets, I confine my detector to corridors and I don't flip it upside down. If the home does not have a hallway or corridor, and there are pets, I discourage the installation of motion detectors and bug interior doors and/or install glass breaks.
Cats, usually the younger and more energetic ones, will trigger today's pet immune detectors, despite what the manufacturer claims.
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