A builder in Dayton changed how I wire motion sensors

I was on a retrofit job last week and this old builder walks by, watches me run a wire through a stud, and just goes 'you know those sensors give you false alarms when they're pointed at a vent, right?' I laughed it off but sure enough, the one I'd just mounted was aimed straight at an HVAC register. He said he sees installers make that mistake every summer, heat kicks on, air moves, customer calls at 2am. I've been doing this for 12 years and never once thought about airflow. Has anyone else had a weird tip from a general contractor that saved you a callback?

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riverdavis26d ago

Did the builder mention anything about aiming sensors away from windows or big metal surfaces too? I had a similar wakeup call when a homeowner complained about flickering lights and it turned out the sensor was catching reflections off a stainless fridge. Curious if he had a whole list of these traps or if that vent thing was just the one that bit you hardest.

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