Can the sun trigger a PIR?

I an alarm trigger today while I was out of the house.  The sun was setting.  Looking at the OmniPro 2 event logs shows that one PIR was triggered.  This is the first time I have had a false trigger coming from a PIR.
 
Can the sun shining through glass trigger a PIR sensor?

Yes.

Enough of a contrast on the pyro, or going through the white light filter (assuming they're not extremely old, before those years) will cause a false alarm. Not as common in the last, say, 15 years, but cheap PIR's are notorious. If you can buy the unit for the same as a meal for 2 at a fast food restaurant, that should be a clue.

Purchased them around 12-13 years ago or so when I purchased the OmniPro 2 panel. 
 
Recall just getting what Worthington recommended.  None of the PIRs to date have ever false triggered.
 
The front door has two side glass panels and one glass door over a regular door.  Gets very hot between the glass and wondering if it was just the sun setting and the sunlight peeking between houses just hitting the PIR right?

pete_c said:

I an alarm trigger today while I was out of the house.  The sun was setting.  Looking at the OmniPro 2 event logs shows that one PIR was triggered.  This is the first time I have had a false trigger coming from a PIR.
 
Can the sun shining through glass trigger a PIR sensor?

Click to expand...

You betcha.  Sunset means fast changing light.  I've also had problems with the blinds going down. 
 
The answer is cross-zoning.  Keep those motion detectors priced similar to a Jumbo-Jack combo meal, just get enough of them so cross-zoning is effective.

pete_c said:

Purchased them around 12-13 years old or so when I purchased the OmniPro 2 panel. 
 
Recall just getting what Worthington recommended.  None of the PIRs to date have ever false triggered.
 
The front door has two side glass panels and one glass door over a regular door.  Gets very hot between the glass and wondering if it was just the sun setting and the sunlight peeking between houses just hitting the PIR right?

Click to expand...

Try not to place PIR detectors where the sun could shine on them, so put them on outside walls facing in.
 
About 30+ years ago I actually worked with the guy who invented PIR detectors. Back then they were susceptible to all different things like RF noise, changes in barometric pressure,  and yes, sunlight.

Heat from the sun could also have triggered the PIR circuit, not necessarily the light, which may explain why you've not had that happen before.  Age and heat don't go together well with electronics so the false trigger may simply be that.

Thank-you for your comments folks.  Will replace PIR.

I have a couple of inexpensive Foscam cameras in the garage that would trigger motion every time the sun went behind a cloud making the motion sensor useless.
 
EDIT
 
I added a Bosch sensor in the same location and it works perfectly.

Thank you Mike.
 
Yeah here removed my very first Foscam IP camera that was in the garage and replaced it with a Grandstream OS HD IP camera although the lens isn't wide enough today.  I have video motion analytics configured but do not really utilize it.     I did also install an outdoor style PIR in the garage which has been working fine over the last few years.  (Niteguard - UK sourced - oldie but goodie but ugly for indoor installation).  Also utilize Optex PIR outdoor stuff.
 

 
I don't remember what it is I installed in the front foyer today as it's been a few years now.  I also installed a few of the Rokonet ceiling PIR's all over. These were difficult to install on the main floor ceilings of the house.
 
Which specific Bosch sensor did you install? 
 
Thinking what I purchased originally from Worthington were DSC or Interlogix PIR's in bulk as I do have a few sitting around in boxes still.

I installed Bosch BDL2-WP12G Blue Line Pet friendly TriTech sensors.

Thanks Mike.

I'm pretty impressed with the Bosch. It has a blue light that you can set to illuminate on motion and it senses when I raise my arm at the work bench twenty five feet away and not a single false alarm.

ano said:

The answer is cross-zoning.  Keep those motion detectors priced similar to a Jumbo-Jack combo meal, just get enough of them so cross-zoning is effective.

Click to expand...

Either the pyro gets dazzled by white light or there's enough of a contrast in IR energy in a quick enough manner. Light isn't what generally is going to trip a PIR. Age of the detector also is a consideration. Cheap detectors don't have any intelligence built in either. A $10 PIR may work fine in many locations, but compare to one that costs twice or 3X as much (low end) to 6-7X, big differences.
 
Cross zoning is not the silver bullet. The answer if you have a sensor issue would be to add multi-criteria at the troublesome sensor, it's why they make dualtecs and quad element PIR's.
 
Cameras are a different beast, no discrimination, just a light/dark sensor based on the pixels and area being detected.
 
@ Pete- DSC have always been notorious false alarm devices in my area. So much so, when I was working for another company, myself and about 20 other techs refused to put them in no matter what was called on the contract; We had the discretionary choice between DSC and the Bosch DS835I's. Prior to that, we were using Interlogix/GE AP450's, which were a solid performer and could cover up to 50' (jumper) but still straight PIR, with a little intelligence on the back end (dual element). Even before that, it was C+K, Napco and Moose. Of course, that was during the 2nd generation of sensors....still not that great.

Thank you DEL.
 
Bulk purchased these early / middle 2000's or so with the purchase of an OP2 package from Worthington. 
 
Looked and it is marked Sentrol.  Inside the board says Interlogix PI6000 (small print).  It is covering a small area of the hallway.
 
First time one of these have false triggered (well with the alarm on).
 
I use the HAI cross zoning in second house with two PIRs.  Never have paid attention with this setup and it has never false triggered.
 
While I do have video analytic s enabled for the outdoor cameras; the Optex combos have built in PIRs and use those. Outside though it is a combination of multiple wired sensors used to trigger events.  (no single dependencies)

Pete- Those are a later version of the Sureshot detector. Same element, different lens. Basic PIR, low end.
 
You could try changing the pulse count, but if that's in a hallway, could lose capture performance