Why Natural Gas Detectors Are Important to Your Home Safety
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- on Mar 26, 2023
Natural gas is one of the most popular sources of energy for homes and it is wildly used especially in well-developed countries that have laid out the proper infrastructure for it. Natural gas is distributed through gas pipes that usually run underground and into your house. And while it is a rare event, gas leaks do happen and can cause damage to people’s property or worse, could hurt those inhabiting the affected house.
Natural gas is composed methane which is a highly combustible gas and is odorless which increases its hazardous nature. However, gas companies came up with a solution by including an additive “warning” smell into the gas. The smell was created to be too strong that it will easily noticed by most people. However, there is a possibility that people with reduced Bug Detector ability to smell will not respond to this method of alerting people of possible leaks.
This is a situation where electronic gas detectors will come in handy. Natural gas detectors are devices that analyze the air for this combustible gas and make audible and/or visible alarm to alert the people within the vicinity of potentially dangerous gas leaks. This is an important safety precaution most especially if your house is hooked up to gas distribution lines.
There are gas detectors that you can install by yourself the way you install smoke detectors. But there may be other models or brands that must be installed professionally. Either way, what is important is actually where you install the gas detectors. It is advised that it is best to install the devices near the location where potential leaks may occur or where you use the natural gas.
Other considerations when choosing a safety gas detector:
Sensitivity – false positives or false alarms are always an annoyance. Choose a good model that will not be set off by smoke or will not be screwed up by high humidity levels. It is also worth noting the Lower Explosive Limit (LEL) used by the detector. LEL is the lowest amount of gas that will cause an explosion. These devices vary in their sensitivity settings as some are set to set off a warning alarm from 15% of LEL and above. Devices that sense lower levels of LEL will set off a warning quicker than those that can sense higher levels of LEL.
Alarm method – some devices may set off an audible alarm or something visible like flashing lights. It might be best to get a model that does both.
Maintenance – these devices usually run on battery so it is important to have them checked and cleaned regularly to keep it at its most optimum and sensitive level.