Motion Detectors
Add Extra Security Inside and Outside Your Home
Motion detectors come in a variety of shapes, sizes and price points. Interior and exterior motion detectors add an extra layer of security to the overall security plan you have for your home, family and personal property.
Exterior Motion Detectors
Exterior motion detectors can be as simple as those built into outdoor flood-lights. Plug them into an A/C outlet and set them to function between dusk and dawn, when you’re at home and when you’re away. You can buy these at your local hardware store and install them yourself. When movement is detected within a certain range—fixed or adjustable ranges-- the motion sensor triggers the flood light, which immediately and automatically illuminates dark areas of your property, discouraging possible intruders. You may choose to install similar motion detectors in various areas outside your home: near entryways, driveway and garage, dark corners of your home, and near trees and shrubs along the perimeter of your property. Generally you can buy these do-it-yourself motion detector light packages for under $20.
Interior Motion Sensors
When you’re shopping for interior motion detectors you’ll find a dizzying array of products, most of which have similar goals: make enough noise and light to discourage intruders. Common types of sensors include:
- Infrared motion sensors
- Microwave sensors
Most residential motion sensors are the infrared type, often called passive infrared or PIR motion detectors. Within their range they detect moving objects that radiate heat, characteristic of a human body.
In many cases a home security system will have a number of strategically placed motion sensors that may be wired into the main control panel or wirelessly configured to communicate with your system keypad. Should a moving intruder be detected most sensors immediately trigger loud sirens, horns and lights. A managed security system monitored by a security company receives the intruder alert transmitted by the device and they immediately alert the police. Motion detectors that function as components of a larger home security system provide an effective layer of protection. You’ll find a few brands of sensors on the market that can even be programmed to by-pass motion made by your pets.
Installation Systems that Support Motion Detection Devices
But you don’t necessarily need a full-blown security system to install motion detectors. Some products come in do-it-yourself packages that include a simple receiver and a series of wireless detectors you can mount in your home, including sensors that will detect a window or door breach. And if you already have a home security system you can supplement with additional wireless motion sensors.
Buying standalone motion sensors can cost you anywhere from $50 and up, depending upon the quality and type of system you buy. You should allow technicians to install those that come as part of a larger home security system. When you’re planning out your home safety and security plan, consider the value in adding interior and/or exterior motion sensors.