Boiler Room Gas Detection Gas Detector for Methane and Natural Gas Monitoring in Boiler and Mechanical Rooms

Experts in Boiler Room Gas Detection

Industrial buildings and facilities commonly use natural gas for heating. In these facilities an undetected gas leak could present an explosive hazard resulting in loss of life, structural damage, or expensive waste of fuel. Since the boiler is not frequently occupied, leaks often remain undetected. Continuous gas monitoring and detection system will provide early warning of a gas release and prevent potentially catastrophic events.

Potential Gas Build-up in Boiler Rooms:

Natural gas is nearly half the weight of air and rises to the ceiling or roof space of a boiler room. Natural gas is composed mainly of Methane – a combustible gas with a rapid expansion rate.

In gas detection it is necessary to be aware of the potential hazard’s LEL or LFL. LEL or LFL depending on your location stands for the Lower Explosion Level or Lower Flammable Limit. These values represent the minimum concentration required to generate an explosion when an ignition source is present. While there is a quantitative difference between flammability limits and explosive limits, in an explosive mixture the fuel oxidizer mixture is closer to stoichiometric proportion. This difference has no practical application in facility safety engineering as the flammable vapor cloud is turbulent and the exact mixture of fuel and oxidizer varies greatly. Therefore, many references use the term flammability limit(LFL, UFL) and explosive limit (LEL, UEL) interchangeably.

Boiler Room Gas Detection Systems:

In boiler rooms, gas detection systems consist of strategically installed fixed sensors wired to a gas detection controller. When gas is detected, alarm relay contacts within the control panel activate audible and visual alarms. If the gas concentration continues to reach a higher level, additional relays should cut power to electrically operated solenoid valve connected to the gas supply.

Common Sensor Placement:

• Gas Burner Assembly
• Gas Shutoff Valve
• Gas Meter
• Gas Train Assembly
• Pressure Booster

The LEL for Methane is 4.4 - 5% by volume.

In a boiler room, potential sources of ignition can include any uncertified electrical equipment from lights to control panel switches.