Gas Leak Detectors

Gas leak detectors are designed to find leaks in natural gas lines also known as methane gas. Natural gas is commonly used as fuel in homes and businesses for heating and cooking. Primarily composed of methane this gas also happens to be flammable and can cause explosions when confined indefinitely. This is exactly why a natural gas leak is classified as being very dangerous but finding a leak can be easier said than done. The local gas company employs a number of different types of gas leak detectors to help find and patch up gas leaks before they become worse. However, finding gas leaks on resident land or private property is not easy unless the owner reports it to the gas company.

There are various types of gas leak detectors that the gas company uses in order to find and fix leaks which include:

Ultrasonic gas leak detectors – This works by using ultrasonic waves to find leaks.
Audio leak detectors – The gas company’s engineers will regularly listen for gas leaks using powerful microphones and headsets.
Sniffer dogs – While sniffer dogs are rarely used they are still a part of the detection process as it can help company engineers find leaking areas
Conventional gas leak detectors – These are usually installed by the gas company and work by monitoring the pressure of gas running though a pipeline, if this pressure falls they know there is a leak.

What to consider when purchasing natural gas leak detectors?

Detectors are available in a number of different prices, features and installation types. Some of these detectors are easy to install while others will require professional assistance and may be a part of your home security installation. There are some brands that also resemble smoke detectors and are very easy to install. However, when purchasing a detector you need to keep the following in mind:

The detector should sound an alarm
Should help to decrease explosive limit
Help to pinpoint the location of the leak

Natural gas leak detectors with location detectors

When you install a natural gas leak detector it should have some way of pinpointing the source of the leak. Gas detectors tend to be very similar to smoke detectors and so they need to be installed in a place where people can hear an audible warning, plus the proximity of the detector to the source of the leak should help to find the leak. If you are installing the leak detector yourself make sure that you follow the instructions given in the user manual of the detector. If your home has multiple natural gas sources you may want to consider installing more than one detector or probably dual sensor detectors.

Maintaining and using gas leak detectors

Many household gas leak detectors are battery operated or have a battery that backs them up in the event of a power failure. There may also be a test button on the detector which helps you to check if the alarm and its batteries are working as they should. Always check the batteries and press the ‘test’ button once a week in order to ensure it is working.