What is Ammonia Gas?

As one of the most commonly produced industrial chemicals in the United States, ammonia gas is often used in agriculture and manufacturing as a crucial part of making an array of products. Chemically, it is a colorless gas with a pungent, suffocating odor that is highly corrosive. While it isn’t flammable, containers of ammonia gas can explode in high concentrations. Ammonia gas is essential for many biological processes and is also produced naturally from the decomposition of plants or animals.

Gas Detector Features

To keep employees safe from these hazards, many industrial facilities and laboratories rely on advanced ammonia detection systems to monitor the vapors in the air. Learn more about the various aspects of ammonia detection by understanding the five most important features.

1. Alarm integration
2. Pipe and equipment leak detection
3. Custom installation

1) Alarm Integration

In many industrial buildings and laboratories, ammonia leaks often take place in confined spaces where equipment breakdowns or malfunctions occur. Unfortunately, since these areas are difficult to monitor, many of these leaks go undetected until they become very dangerous. With alarm integration, ammonia detectors  can be part of a network of detectors connected to a common system. This system would monitor each detector and could activate audible/visual devices, turn off valves, and/or notify emergency personnel remotely.

2) Pipe and Equipment Leak Detection

When ammonia leaks occur, they are often due to pipes and equipment that have suffered from corrosion. Not only can this lead to dangerous situations for workers, but it can also result in companies having to spend thousands of dollars on repairs that may have been preventable. Since it is very difficult to guess the location of any future ammonia leaks, open-path detectors are preferred to monitor this gas at long distances.

3) Custom Installation

To the surprise of many people, ammonia leaks are some of the fastest-spreading leaks in industrial settings. According to experts, these leaks can increase in size by as much as 850 percent in only a matter of minutes, giving nearby personnel little time to evacuate. In addition, ammonia gas is lighter than air, which means it will rise and accumulate at the top of your building. An ammonia gas detector can be installed at any height on the wall and customized to your facility’s layout, giving you the ability to keep safe breathing zones at all times.

Reliable Ammonia Gas Detection Systems

Having an ammonia sensor installed in your gas detection system is the first step in keeping your employees safe from harm. Our gas detectors are built to withstand the toughest conditions so that you can focus on keeping your operations up and running.

Get in touch with our team for a customized quote for your facility.

The first step of proper gas detection placement is to identify the areas where natural gas is most present. Because natural gas is void of both color and odor, uncontrolled concentrations in the air can become very dangerous fairly quickly. For many facilities, enclosed areas or poorly ventilated areas near industrial equipment should be the first points of concern when installing gas detection systems. If gases can leak from anywhere in the room, then it’s necessary for you to monitor the whole room with multiple gas detectors.

Know the Density

When monitoring combustible gases, it’s important to know the density of the gases in question. Propane and gasoline gases have a higher density and are heavier than air, which means having a gas detection near the floor is most beneficial. Lower-density gases such as natural gas are lighter than air and are known to collect near the ceiling of a building. With that in mind, it would be best to install your fixed gas detector within inches of the ceiling.

Consider Ventilation Areas

Does your building have open windows or exhaust ducts? While good ventilation is necessary to lower the concentration of gases in your building, airflow can affect the performance of gas sensors. When you’re installing your gas detector, be sure to place it away from air ducts blowing fresh air or the opening of doors and windows. 

Determine Your Monitoring Limits

Fixed gas detectors are designed with a sensor that measures gas concentration on a continuous basis. Much like your nose, these sensors can only detect what’s within its coverage limit. If you can determine where leaks are most likely to occur, your gas detectors should be placed strategically to cover your entire area. When detecting gases, there are several things to keep in mind such as density of the gas, expected sources of leaks, i.e. seals, valves, etc., airflow, and expected sources of ignition.

Guard Against Natural Gas Leaks

Installing proper gas leak detection starts with knowing your working conditions and the properties of the dangerous gases in your vicinity. By identifying the leak sources and physical characteristics of your building, you can invest in a gas detection system that will meet your needs. 

Not sure where to start? Get in touch with our team for a one-on-one consultation to determine what kind of gas detector would protect you and your employees.

Gas detection systems that are designed to alarm when combustible gas is present use LEL Detectors based on catalytic bead or infrared absorption technology. These measure the amount of combustible gas on a scale of zero to one hundred percent (100%) of the Lower Explosive Limit, or “LEL” of the target gas. 

Combustible Gas Sensing

Often there is a choice of sensors that can be used to detect combustible gases. The two most common are Catalytic Beads and Infrared. Catalytic bead sensors detect the presence of any combustible gas by safely burning a small amount of the gas on a hot ceramic bead coated with a special catalyst. These sensors will detect any combustible gas, including hydrogen, but are subject to drift and poisoning. Poisoning can occur if certain substances containing silicon or similar compounds come in contact with the bead; if this happens, the compounds can coat the bead with an insulation layer that can keep the Catalytic Bead sensor from responding to a combustible gas. The only sure way to ensure the operation of a catalytic bead sensor is periodic calibration or bump tests where sensor response is measured when actual gas is applied to the sensor.

Infrared sensors use a completely different technique. These sensors measure the absorption of infrared light by hydrocarbon gases. Since they are microprocessor-based, they perform multiple self-checks to ensure correct operation without the need for bump tests. As with all sensors, they should be calibrated periodically to make sure they generate accurate readings. 

Multi-Alarm Capability

In sophisticated gas detection systems, the output of LEL detectors is generally combined into a single combustible gas alarm, either a strobe or horn, or both. This is very important in situations where the environment is noisy and where a simple display output is insufficient. In smaller systems, alarm horns and strobes can be directly attached to each gas detector to provide instant local warnings of hazardous conditions. 

Expandable Wireless Networks

With most facilities now adopting multiple wireless networks, today’s gas detection systems can be equipped with wireless LEL detection technology using ultra-low-power infrared sensors. Battery-powered wireless LEL detectors can be deployed around hot work sites, temporary buildings, and other areas where the installation of permanent detectors is unwarranted. 

State-of-the-Art Calibration

As part of normal maintenance, periodic calibration is extremely important in making sure your combustible gas detection system is fully functional and ready to provide that all-important early warning should hazardous conditions exist. Calibration procedures should be easy to follow and as automated as possible to eliminate human error. GDS Corp gas detectors include a user-prompted two-point calibration procedure that reduces errors and ensures that all calibration upper and lower performance limits are met. 

If you choose the proper sensor, keep up regular maintenance and perform periodic calibrations, you can be sure that your combustible gas detection system will be ready to protect your equipment and keep your employees safe when hazardous conditions occur. 

Ready to equip your worksite with reliable combustible gas detectors and improve your safety rating? Connect with us to get started.

Ultimately, no, a carbon monoxide detector cannot detect a natural gas leak. Carbon monoxide (CO) is a toxic gas created when fuel is burned in the presence of low levels of oxygen. Carbon monoxide is very different from methane and cannot be detected with the same sensor. Carbon monoxide might appear during a gas leak, but a carbon monoxide detector is not normally capable of detecting natural gas.

Carbon Monoxide or Natural Gas?

Carbon monoxide is difficult to detect by the human nose but is known to cause rapid loss of consciousness. Similarly, natural gas is normally odorless but gas companies add mercaptan to make it smell like sulfur or rotten eggs. What’s more, natural gas leaks can usually be identified by a hissing sound or visible damage to a gas line.

That being said, not having a complete gas detection system could cause disastrous results. Along with the high flammability of natural gas, carbon monoxide can be fatal under certain conditions. Without proper warning, you could be at risk for sudden fire, explosion or toxic gas. To protect your environment, install a reliable gas detection system to detect dangerous levels of carbon monoxide and methane.

Pro Tip: Does your gas alarm configured to detect carbon monoxide? Install a high-performance sensor in your detection system to combat the poisonous health effects of carbon monoxide.

Types of Natural Gas Detectors

Monitoring unsafe levels of methane in natural gas is crucial to combat natural gas poisoning and combustion. GDS Corp offers a number of gas detection solutions to monitor your gas lines.

• GASMAX CX Gas Monitor – Single or dual channel gas monitor certified for hazardous areas where gas readings need to be transmitted in real-time.
• GASMAX II Gas Monitor – Single or dual channel gas monitor of any combination of one toxic and one combustible (bridge-type) sensor.
• GDS-50 Gas Sensor – DC-powered infrared gas sensor of any toxic or combustible gas in Class I Div 1 hazardous areas.
• GDS-IR Gas Sensor – Infrared gas sensor used to detect carbon dioxide or explosive levels of methane or propane in harsh environments.

Choosing the Best Gas Leak Detectors

Whether you’re protecting against natural gas leaks or the presence of carbon monoxide in your manufacturing or industrial process, finding the right gas monitor is important. In addition to carbon monoxide alarms and smoke detectors, a complete detection system can be customized for you. Be sure to protect your health and working environments from the many dangers of natural gas.

Do you need an accurate and trusted detection system? Connect with our professional technicians to help you choose the best gas leak detector.

0.00011 to 0.00033 ppm
This is a typical background concentration of the gas and does not cause harm.

0.01 to 1.5 ppm
At this level, some people will notice a rotten egg odor, which becomes stronger at 3 to 5 ppm. Once the exposure threshold reaches 30 ppm, the smell becomes very sweet and sickening.

2 to 5 ppm
Prolonged exposure at this level will result in headaches, watery eyes, nausea and sleep problems. Those with asthma will experience airway constriction.

20 ppm
Severe headaches, dizziness, memory loss, irritability and fatigue occur at 20 ppm exposure.

50 to 100 ppm
When hydrogen sulfide gas becomes this concentrated, it will cause lung and eye irritation after one hour of exposure. There may also be a loss of appetite along with an upset stomach.

100 ppm
After two to 15 minutes of exposure, eye irritation, coughing and a complete loss of smell will occur. This is followed by tiredness and changed breathing with extended exposure. Symptoms will continue to worsen, and death may occur within 48 hours.

100 to 150 ppm
This level results in a complete loss of smell. This is very dangerous as it leaves a person with no way to judge the severity of the gas concentration.

200 to 300 ppm
One hour of this exposure will bring marked breathing problems and eye irritation. The lungs will start filling with fluid if the exposure is prolonged.

500 to 700 ppm
A person will stagger, collapse and die within one hour.

700 to 1000 ppm
This level will cause a person to collapse and die within a few minutes.

1,000 to 2,000 ppm
It is not possible to survive a concentration of hydrogen sulfide gas at this level. Death will occur almost instantly.

A hydrogen sulfide gas detector will save lives and prevent possible long-term health effects from exposure such as motor function problems, memory gaps, chronic headaches and attention-deficit issues.

Advantages

Wireless gas detection systems are a great way to spend less time setting up and more time on the job. Many factories are required by law to have a gas detection system in place before work can begin. This is also true of drilling rigs. Hardwired gas detectors can take up to two weeks to implement and calibrate before any money can be made on the project. This is because wires have to be trenched in the ground and buried. Conversely, wireless detectors usually only take a few days at the most to set up. Wireless systems are also made to withstand a wider range of temperatures and weather changes. Hardwired systems sometimes tend to fail in particularly harsh winter climates; wireless detectors can withstand temperatures all the way down to -40 degrees Fahrenheit.

Wireless systems can also be connected to the Internet for available readings at any given time. This allows all safety managers to view gas levels at all points of the project. Systems of this nature are especially beneficial on work sites in which there have been previous accidents and leaks. It is also a great way to closely monitor confined spaces in which higher gas levels can nearly instantly turn the air into poison.

Disadvantages

As for disadvantages to the wireless gas detection system, there don’t seem to be many. Most users are perfectly happy with the service provided by their wireless system. Some complain that they need to be calibrated more often. This can add up if you are continually buying gas calibration kits. Additionally, the wireless system is not cheap. Anyone looking for an inexpensive detector to do the bare minimum of what is necessary under the law will not be happy with a wireless system. Safety is one of the most important aspects of running a business, especially one that encounters these types of dangers on a regular basis. If you are concerned about budget, a hardwired system will still get the job done.

All things considered, the reliability and real-time level monitoring provided by wireless gas detection systems makes them the top-of-the-line solution for gas leaks. The initial cost may be enough to deter you from pursuing this option, but consider what type of business you run. If you have a small confined space prone to frequent accidents, you will be glad you went with the wireless system. However, if your building is large and open-air, wired systems may be the better solution.