How well do PIR sensors work in warmer climates?

Infrared detectors use the difference between the ambient temperature and the moving object to detect intruders. With heatwaves all across Europe, one of the most frequently asked questions we receive is how well do PIRs perform in hot temperatures and if there are any sensing features which can make this possible

In low temperature environments, the detector can clearly sense a difference between the environment and the human body, which makes detection easy. Similarly, in very hot temperatures, PIRs will sense the difference between the environment and the human body, but will struggle when the temperature difference becomes small.

OPTEX PIR sensors include a number of features that help to ensure detection stability even when the environment temperature and human body temperature are similar. See an example of our VXI-CMOD working perfectly during the UK heatwave:

The Redwall SIP series features an intelligent detection system that uses ambient temperature and illuminance data to automatically adjust the sensitivity and minimize false alarms.

Useful settings to improve detector stability in high-temperature environments: