Gas Detectors Fast Becoming an International Industry Requirement

Gas leak detection systems meet three general requirements for industrial operators, installers and company owners. They help a company to comply with safety standards and legislation with special focus on industry related monitoring principles, they help reduce costs and, lastly, gas detectors help to protect the environment in general.

The most universal benefit of gas detectors is that of cost control and reduction. Gas leaks of all kinds can affect many aspects of a business negatively. Here are a few examples: Refrigerant leaks can increase heating and cooling costs while decreasing the efficiency of existing units. Stock and machinery can be damaged by exposure or fires resulting from combustible gases. A production run could be spoiled by material imbalances caused by leaks resulting in unsale-able products. And lastly toxic gases or the depletion in oxygen could seriously affect personnel health onsite.

Regardless of these risks many companies do not prioritise gas leak detection and this has resulted in the worldwide introduction of safety Legislation and Standards to force compliance. Safety and occupational legislation typically outlines the maximum exposure levels for gases to protect workers from adverse effects. The next most important legislation in practice in most regions would be the prohibition of refrigerant leaks. An alarming 70% of refrigerants are bought with the intension to 'top-up' the refrigerants in the system so refrigerant gas detection is still a major challenge for both regulators and industrial companies. HCFC's and CFC's are in the process of being phases out but many industries would still use them in some form or other. Environmentally speaking, there are very few people who are unaware of the ozone depleting properties of HCFC's and CFC's.

The basic worldwide Standard for refrigerant gas detectors is outlined by the ISO 5149 Safety requirements for Mechanical refrigerating systems used for cooling and heating. This standard should be operative in all member countries of the International Organisation for Standardisation Some countries have modified the ISO 5149 including the USA, Europe and CEN countries, Australia / New Zealand (AS/NZ 1677.2) and South Africa (SANS 10147)

What features to look out for when choosing Gas Detectors:

Make sure that monitoring is guaranteed to be reliable with real-time monitoring happening on a continuous monitoring. A gas leak detection system that is badly engineered can result in blocked filters, damaged tubes and delayed sample analysis. Ask for expert advice on the correct tailored gas detection system for your needs. Each gas detector should be individually specified to meet your requirements in terms of the type of gas to be detected, the range and alarm level.

Some gas detection systems have a fixed output and others can have the output tailored to meet your specific needs. For example you may wish to integrate the detection system into your building management system and may need a specific output to make this possible. Ideally you should try to deal with the manufacturer directly to find out if they can tailor these sorts of details to your needs from the very beginning.

Gas leak detection solutions such as quality gas detectors direct from the manufacturer, Murco Ltd to Europe and the USA http://www.murcogasdetection.com/