Took me 4 trips to figure out why a motion sensor kept tripping at 2am in a garage in Reno
Client called me back 3 times saying their garage motion kept setting off the alarm around 2am. I checked the panel, swapped the sensor, even replaced the battery twice thinking it was a dud. On the 4th trip I sat in the driveway at 1:45am and watched a stray cat walk across the hood of their truck parked inside. The sensor was aimed right at the windshield and the cat's reflection off the glass was what tripped it. Took me 4 visits and about 6 hours total to solve a problem that a 10 minute stakeout fixed. Now I always ask if there are pets or if anything reflective sits in the zone. What's the dumbest thing that's tripped a sensor on one of your jobs?
Funny how often the fix is something totally normal that we just overthink. Cars, windows, shiny floors, even a hanging balloon can mess with a sensor, and we go straight to the wiring instead. Same thing happens with phones and wifi, people blame the router when it's a fish tank or a mirror in the way. Cats are a whole category of their own though, they love warm hoods and they don't care about your schedule. Makes you wonder how many 2am alarms across the country are just animals living their best life.