07. Jun 2023

How and where to install a smart motion sensor in your home

How and where to install a smart motion sensor in your home
How and where to install a smart motion sensor in your home

It’s almost impossible to envision a well-functioning smart home without the presence of smart motion sensors. As an extra set of eyes and ears, they keep close tabs on all the places and events you can’t. The right placement of these motion sensors is a crucial step in the process of setting up your smart home.

Smart motion sensors make your life a whole lot easier thanks and can be used in different ways inside and outside your smart home. 

For example, alerting you in case of an emergency, like a flood in your basement or unwanted guests arriving on your property. 

But smart sensors can also help you save energy around the house, turning off lights or heating in rooms where no presence has been detected. 

They can even notify you when a loved one comes home.

Where to place your smart motion sensors

When installing your smart motion sensors, choosing the right placement will allow you to cover a larger area of your home with fewer sensors, saving you time and money. Depending on the use you have in mind for the smart sensor, and in which room you’d like to place them, there are a few best practices to get the most out of each sensor.

High traffic areas

Hallways, living rooms, staircases, or just all rooms with a typically higher pass-through rate are great places to install your smart home sensors. Because if you have to walk past them, so do intruders.

Facing or over a doorway

Staying in the same mindset, doorways like your main entrance are a great place for motion sensors. 

Place your smart sensor directly facing the door so they can instantly detect unwelcome visitors entering your home.

Want to go in a more stealthy direction? Place the motion sensor right above your door facing down. The sensor will be able to detect the intruder instantly, but the burglar will only know it’s there until your alarm is already activated.

Corners

Want to get as much coverage as possible with your smart motion sensors? Corners are the perfect spot to get a full view of the room. Some motion sensors, like the Steinel IS 180-2, have an 180° detection angle and are even fitted with a mount that fits perfectly into any corner.

Six to eight feet up

Ofcourse, it’s important that your motion sensors get a birds-eye view of the room or space it’s installed in. Setting it up too high might create blind spots on the floor, while placing it too low can cause it getting blocked. Mounting it at about 2 to 2.5 meters of the floor should be the perfect height for most motion sensors.

Want to go higher? Gira’s motion detector Cube has a detection angle of 360° when it is mounted onto your ceiling. Giving you a complete overview of any room or space, inside and outside.

Where not to place motion sensors

Carefully placing your motion sensors can immensely boost the efficiency and safety of your smart home. But positioning them in the wrong location can cause blind spots and false alarms, and thus negatively impact your quality of life in your smart home.

For example, don’t place your motion sensors behind large furniture as these bulky items will block most infrared sensors.

If you use infrared sensors, which detect motion by monitoring changes in temperature, also avoid heat sources or rooms that heat up easily like attics or patios. Using contact sensors, like the door/window sensor SE KNX 003 from Dinuy, are a great solution for rooms with frequent temperature swings.

How do you install them?

Generally, these tips are applicable for all smart motion sensors, but keep in mind factors like the suggested mounting height and the area coverage of the motion sensors you have chosen for your smart home. On top of that, not every home and room is the same and your motion sensor needs might differ from those of your neighbor.

So always carefully consult your installer and the product manual of your motion sensors before you get to mounting for the ideal setup.

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