Had a sensor faucet in my place when I moved in... seemed great at first, until it randomly started turning on at night. Ended up swapping it out—manual faucets might be less fancy, but they're definitely less hassle.
Sensor faucets can be pretty finicky, honestly. Installed one for a client last year—worked flawlessly until sunlight hit it at just the right angle through a bathroom window. Faucet kept turning itself on randomly... took us forever to figure out why. Manual's definitely simpler in the long run.
Had a similar issue once—turned out the sensor was picking up reflections from a mirror opposite the sink. Ended up repositioning the sensor slightly and adding a matte film to diffuse the reflection. Definitely agree though, manuals save headaches in the long run...
Had something similar happen in one of my rental units a while back. Tenant kept complaining the faucet was randomly turning on and off, thought they were exaggerating until I saw it myself... pretty spooky actually. Turned out the sensor was picking up reflections from shiny backsplash tiles behind the sink. Took me ages to figure out because I initially assumed it was faulty wiring or a defective sensor. Did you notice if your sensor had adjustable sensitivity settings? Mine did, and dialing it down helped a lot, along with adding a matte coating like you mentioned. Manuals definitely help, but sometimes they're frustratingly vague about these little quirks. Wonder if manufacturers test these things in real-world setups or just controlled labs?
Had a similar issue with mine too, but in my case it wasn't reflections. Turned out the sensor was overly sensitive to ambient light changes near the window... pretty weird when your faucet starts running every time clouds pass by, haha. I did check the manual, but like you said, they're not always helpful—mine barely mentioned sensitivity settings at all. Ended up finding a small screw hidden behind the sensor panel that adjusted sensitivity. Dialing it back definitely helped.
Makes you wonder if manufacturers ever test these things outside their perfectly lit labs. Real-world conditions are always messier—especially in kitchens with lots of shiny surfaces and shifting sunlight. Maybe they assume we all have perfectly matte countertops and no windows? 😂 Anyway, glad the matte coating worked out for you. Might try something similar next time mine acts possessed...