Why Is My Gas Leak Detector Beeping?

Gas is an integral part of the basic facilities for every home and commercial property. Generally, the use of gas is quite safe, but it does have some potential risks. Despite every possible precautionary measure, there’s always a chance of a gas leak at any time.

Gas leaks can prove fatal if left unattended. Hence detection of a gas leak is so important. Although natural gas is colorless and odorless, the one supplied at homes and industries does have a unique smell due to the addition of an odorant. That makes it somewhat detectable, but it’s not a reliable method most of the time.

The reason is the ability of natural gas to mix instantly in the air. Moreover, you cannot remain on the premises to detect the gas leak with its smell. So, what would happen if a gas leak happened in your absence? That’s why you need to install gas leak detectors for instant and reliable detection of any hazardous gases in your premises. These detectors are quite effective in detecting harmful gases, and additionally, they can generate warning and alert signs, such as blinking or beeping.

Harmful Gases in Homes and Industries

By definition, hazardous or harmful gases can harm living beings, like humans and animals. The harm caused by such gases may be in the shape of health and medical issues and even deaths in some cases. The flammable gases can also be placed on the list of hazardous gases, as they can cause huge damage to people and properties in case of a fire eruption. An uncontrolled fire may also result in fatalities.

• Natural Gas and Carbon Dioxide

While natural gas is harmful in the shape of causing a fire, its normal burning causes the generation of Carbon Dioxide, which is also harmful. Additionally prolonged exposure to natural gas may also result in various health issues. Another impact of burning natural gas is the consumption of oxygen, which is a natural burning process.      

If natural gas is burnt in a confined place, it may result in a decrease in oxygen levels and an increase in carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. Any such situation will be a serious health issue for humans. However, if there’s ample fresh air near the point of burning natural gas, the oxygen and carbon dioxide gas ratio is naturally maintained without causing any immediate danger.

• Natural Gas and Carbon Monoxide

On the other hand, carbon monoxide is a real danger when it comes to the harmful gases in a building, whether residential or non-residential. It is more commonly referred to as CO. Carbon monoxide is quite a dangerous, colorless and odorless gas. It is sometimes also referred to as a silent killer.

Like Carbon Dioxide, it is also associated with burning natural gas. It is generated due to incomplete or defective burning of natural gas, which may happen at any time due to a faulty gas burner in your kitchen. It can also be generated from water heaters, flues, and other gas or oil-operated appliances. Flameless chemical heaters, if used indoors, can also cause the generation of carbon monoxide. A blocked or choked flue is also a source of CO generation.

Carbon monoxide results in serious medical situations, mostly from carbon monoxide poisoning. The most common symptoms of CO poisoning may be headache, nausea, weakness, stomach disorder, dizziness, chest pain, and vomiting. It also causes shortness of breath, confusion, low blood pressure, impaired judgment and increased heartbeat. Prolonged exposure to CO may also result in death. This gas is equally harmful to the pets.

• Other Toxic Gases

Normally you come across natural gas and carbon monoxide hazards in residential properties. However some other hazardous gases can be found mainly in industrial and commercial units. These may include methane and hydrogen sulphide.

Methane is relatively less toxic but is quite dangerous due to its ability to cause a fire. Additionally, it replaces oxygen very quickly. It is normally produced in oil refineries and other petrochemical units. Hydrogen sulphide is highly toxic as well as flammable. Exposure to higher levels of this toxic gas results in quick death.

Some refrigerants used in cold storage often leak and may cause serious health issues in humans. It can also affect the environment. Redon is another harmful gas that may accumulate, mainly in basements and is one of the major causes of lung cancer. Gas leak detectors are the main gadgets normally used in homes and industrial units to detect these hazardous gases.

What Is a Gas Leak Detector?

Whether in isolation or as part of the safety system, gas leak detectors are gadgets capable of detecting the presence of various harmful gases in the premises where these are installed. Normally, they can detect ignitable, noxious and flammable gases in homes and commercial or industrial buildings. Some detectors can also detect a reduction of oxygen levels in the premises, which may prove lethal for human life if left unattended.

Gas leak detectors are equipped with sensors that can sense harmful gases when they come in contact with these sensors. When a hazardous gas leak occurs and the sensors of detectors sense its presence in the atmosphere, the alarm system is triggered, which normally produces a beep sound and blinking lights. The monitoring personnel is therefore alerted and can initiate the remedial process, which may also include evacuation of the occupants of that premises.

Type of Gas Leak Detectors

Gas leak detectors can be classified into various types based on their utility and operational processes:

Classification Based on Utility

We can differentiate gas leak detectors into two categories: portable and fixed gas leak detectors:

1. Portable gas leak detector – This type of detector is normally used in commercial or industrial units. These can be handheld or hooked on the belt or harness of the safety personnel. The safety and monitoring staff walks around the premises with this type of detector. When a hazardous gas is detected in the surroundings, the detector sounds a beep as well as flashes a red light. This type of gas leak detector is battery-operated; hence, recharging is necessary more often.
2. Fixed gas leak detectors – As the name reflects, these are the gas leak detectors that are required to be installed permanently at a pre-determined location in a residential or industrial building. These are generally installed in an area that needs to be protected from hazardous gases, such as the living area of your home or the processing units of a factory. This type of gas leak detectors are connected mostly with an uninterrupted power supply, whereas some can also be battery operated. They are capable of detecting more than one type of gas simultaneously and are usually connected to the main safety system of the building.

Classification Based on Operational Mechanism

Gas leak detectors are generally categorized on the basis of their operational mechanism in different types, based on the type of sensors used. Here are some of the most commonly used sensors for detection of hazardous gases:

• Electromechanical

In this type of gas leak detector, gases present nearby are diffused through the porous surface of the detectors onto an electrode. Here, the gases are chemically oxidized, producing current. The quantity of current generated indicates the amount of gas accumulated on the electrode.

These gas detectors are considered more reliable and durable, as they need less maintenance. However, the sensors have to be replaced after a certain period, ranging from one to two years. These are mostly used in chemical plants, refineries and gas turbines.

• Photoionization

High photon energy Ultra Violet lamps are used in this type of gas detector for ionization of the chemicals present in the gas that comes in contact with the sensors. This type of gas detector is mainly used in industries.

• Catalytic Beed

This type of gas leak detector is useful for the detection of ignitable gases. A combustible gas can cause an explosion if its level ranges between LEL (lower explosion limit) and UEL (upper explosion limit). The catalytic beed gas leak detector measures the presence of combustible gases that come in contact with its sensors and sounds an alarm or blinks a light, indicating the potential threat of accumulation of such gases.

• Semi-Conductor

Also known as metal oxide semiconductor. They detect the hazardous gases through a chemical reaction on the gases that touch the sensors. This type of detector is quite useful in the detection of carbon monoxide, hydrogen sulpher, ammonia and sulpher oxide. However, it can start malfunctioning at high humidity levels.

• Ultrasonic

This type of gas detector senses the leakage with the sound produced when pressurized gas gushes out of a small opening and produces a typical sound. Ultrasonic detectors cannot recognize the type of gas; they only detect something producing sound, which often is a gas leak.

• Other Types

Apart from the above, there are a few other useful gas sensors, such as Holographic sensors, Infrared point sensors and infrared imaging sensors.

Gas Leak Detectors Need Calibration

The most important aspect of the maintenance of gas leak detectors is their frequent calibration. They need to be adjusted regularly. The portable detectors need more frequent calibration due to the consistently changing environment compared to the fixed gas detectors. Portable gas leak detectors must be tuned on a daily basis. However, fixed units may be scheduled for calibration, preferably on a quarterly basis. Remember, periodic calibration of gas detectors ensures their accuracy level.

Where To Install a Gas Leak Detector in Homes?

Gas leak detectors can be useful only when placed at the appropriate location in your home. Let’s see how and where you need to place a gas leak detector for optimum performance.

• A gas leak detector has to be placed somewhere around the areas where leaks are more likely to happen.
• Natural gas is lighter than air. So, it tends to travel upwards and is mostly accumulated near the ceiling. It also accumulates in confined pockets such as under the staircase. Hence, ideally, a gas leak detector should be installed near the ceiling, preferably 6 to 8 inches below the ceiling.
• Carbon monoxide is mostly produced due to faulty burners. So consider installing a carbon monoxide detector somewhere around your kitchen.
• Based on various factors, such as the size of the building, you may need to install more than one gas leak detector at different locations.

The most important thing is that your gas detector has to be connected to the uninterrupted power supply. It also needs to be connected to the main safety hub so that you may receive the alerts.

Why Does Your Gas Leak Detector Beep?

The gas leak detectors are meant to alert you when they sense an accumulation of harmful gases in your home. Most of the detectors are programmed to alert you in two ways: as under

1. When they detect gas leakage that crosses the danger limits, a red light will start blinking or flashing. This is an indication that there’s a gas leakage somewhere in your building.
2. The second and most prominent alert from your gas leak detector is a beep sound produced when there is a gas leak in your home.

Hence it is very important for you to react instantly if a gas leak detector starts producing a beep sound. Most probably, it is an indication that the detector has sensed a gas leak in your home, but sometimes it may not be the case. Some detectors operating on pre-charged batteries may also produce this sound when the battery is low. In such an event, you must recharge or replace the batteries instantly to make the effectiveness of the gas leak detector.

Conclusion

Gas leak detectors are the tools at your disposal that protect your family and the property from possible gas leak hazards. Hence, you must understand how they work and what gases they can detect. It is equally important for you to know what type of gas detector suits best for your home or commercial property.

There are different types of gas leak detectors for specific use. Hence, the selection of the appropriate type is more important. Above all, you must be aware of the warnings and alert mechanism of the detector installed on your premises. So, if your gas detector is giving a beep sound, you must react instantly to protect yourself and your family from any possible mishap due to a gas leak in your home.