Natural Gas Detectors – Natural gas is a very popular energy source. Thousands of homes, businesses, and institutions use it as a source of heat. In addition, much of the electricity we use in the United States is generated with natural gas. The fuel is gaining popularity these days because it burns so much more cleanly than other fossil fuels, including coal, diesel fuel, heating oil, and gasoline.
Natural gas is even more environmentally friendly because it is so much cleaner to transport. Many fuels must be transported in diesel-burning trucks from their refineries to their points of final use, but natural gas is moved from place to place in pipelines that usually carry it right to the point where it will be burned. This process of distribution creates little additional energy consumption. Click here for the Best-Selling Fire Safety Products.
A home or other building that has access to a municipal natural gas line may be using it in many ways. The most common application for natural gas is for heating the home. Furnaces generate heat using natural gas for combustion. Two other common uses of natural gas are cooking and creating hot water. Stove-tops and ovens powered by natural gas are preferred by many cooks, and the rapid heating of water with gas makes it very popular for busy families with lots of laundry to do and lots of baths to supply.
With so much energy contained in natural gas, it’s no wonder that it also creates a certain amount of danger. Natural gas that leaks as it is piped into a building can explode if it is left undetected long enough to reach a critical concentration. With just a single spark to ignite it, this fuel can be deadly and destructive.
Fortunately, such leaks are rare, but not so far-fetched that you shouldn’t be alert to the danger. Each year roughly 286 natural gas explosions take place in homes, causing about 15 deaths. The very real danger of natural gas cannot be overstated. Even more importantly, leaks can also be detected before they pose such a serious hazard to life and property. A natural gas detector can provide early warning about the presence of unsafe levels of gas, allowing occupants to escape and take action to repair the leak and eliminate the hazard.
Another step to improve natural gas safety is the addition of mercaptan to natural gas. Mercaptan imparts the familiar “rotten eggs” odor that signals people to the presence of a leak. Without this material, natural gas would have no smell at all and could easily build up to explosive levels in a building without being detected.
Of course, the odor only helps if someone is around to constantly “sniff” for it. The more reliable and safer option is to install natural gas detectors.
Like smoke detectors, natural gas detectors operate around the clock, monitoring the air for any signs of a hazard. Unlike their cousins, gas detectors are on the lookout for the potential for a fire or explosion instead of the existence of one. Natural gas detectors monitor the air constantly so that the building is being protected consistently whether anyone is in it or not.
It’s important to know that natural gas detectors are designed to avoid false alarms. We all know that the occasional pilot light or stove burner must be lit and that this process will always release a tiny whiff of natural gas into the building. Will this activate the alarm?
The answer is no. Natural gas detectors allow for a certain amount of gas to get into the atmosphere. The key is for the level never to reach what is called the lower explosive limit, known as LEL for short.
The LEL is the lowest possible concentration of a flammable gas that could cause an explosion. Natural gas is primarily composed of methane, and if the atmosphere is 5% methane, an explosion can occur. Therefore, 5% is the LEL of natural gas. If the atmosphere is somewhere below 5%, it is described in terms of the percent of LEL. So an atmosphere that is 1% methane would be considered 20% of LEL because 1% is 20% of 5%.
Sound confusing? It can be. The important thing to understand is that the detector will not provide false alarms when an acceptable level of natural gas is present. At the same time, it won’t wait until it’s too late to take action. Detectors typically activate when a very low concentration of natural gas is present. This is because we can assume that a small concentration can quickly reach dangerous levels. The detector is designed to give occupants time to take action before the risk of explosion is too high.
If you have a natural gas detector in your home, what do you do when it goes off? There are several important steps.
The first is not to do anything to cause a spark. Not only does this mean refraining from smoking, but it also means even simple things like not flipping light switches and avoiding static shocks. The tiniest spark can trigger an explosion, so every potential ignition source must be avoided.
The second step is to evacuate everyone from the building. Children and those with limited mobility may need extra help, so be prepared to provide assistance.
Next you should turn off the gas, if you can do so safely. Many gas meters are clustered with others, so make sure you know which of those meters serves your home and turn it off.
Finally, call the fire department and your gas provider. Firefighters will be able to ventilate the home to release the gas, and the utility company will be able to determine the source. If turning off your meter stops the leak, it’s on your side of the meter and you’ll be responsible for repairs, but the utility company will still respond to make sure things are safe. Installing natural gas detectors and heeding their alerts is vital to keeping everyone safe in your home.