ESA Certified Alarm Technician Practice Exam

Which technique can be employed to ensure that pets do not cause false alarms in security systems?

1. Using complex wiring

2. Mounting the PIR sensor upside down

3. Increasing sensor sensitivity

4. Positioning cameras at low angles

The correct answer is: Mounting the PIR sensor upside down

Mounting the PIR (Passive Infrared) sensor upside down is a technique that can help reduce false alarms caused by pets because PIR sensors are designed to detect heat and motion. When mounted correctly, they can often be set to ignore smaller heat signatures that are typically associated with pets. By reversing the installation of the sensor, the coverage area may change, allowing it to better discriminate between human movement and the less significant movements of pets. This technique effectively minimizes false triggers, leading to a more reliable security system. In contrast, complex wiring does not inherently affect the performance of motion detection but rather pertains to the installation complexity. Increasing sensor sensitivity would likely cause more false alarms, as it would make the sensor more responsive to even the smallest movements, including those of a pet. Positioning cameras at low angles is unrelated to the capabilities of the PIR sensors and doesn't address false alarms caused by pets.