GAS DETECTION & MONITORING BESMART ABOUT SAFETY
Although refrigerant gas leaks are one of the most significant hazards in commercial and industrial buildings, it often goes undetected
because people cannot always
smell it, taste it, or otherwise discern its presence. In fact, it is estimated that 60% of gas escapes before anyone notices, with many toxic gas leaks going unnoticed until building occupants start to experience symptoms of distress.
If refrigerants leak, it can rapidly evaporate into a lethal gas which can cause frostbite, chemical burns, brain damage, and even asphyxiation. While such serious scenarios are thankfully rare, people are at risk of these and other symptoms, including eye, throat, and skin irritation, if refrigerant gases escape.
While the effect on people can range from mild to extremely serious, an undetected gas leak can also increase energy consumption. When a leak occurs, heating and cooling systems become inefficient and need to work harder to maintain capacity, driving operational costs higher. According to The Carbon Trust, the average leakage rate in UK systems is around 20% per year. This equates to a reduction in efficiency of around 11%, which directly translates into a significant increase in energy costs.
SMART SENSORS AND SYSTEMS While there are several things that can be done in the
case of a suspected leak – whether it results from poor maintenance, mechanical damage, or equipment failure – nothing can replace the accuracy and efficiency of using technology specially designed for this task.
Designers and manufacturers of electronic equipment for the refrigeration and heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) industries have worked diligently over the past few years to improve the effectiveness of refrigerant, toxic and combustible gas sensors, with modern sensors boasting greater intelligence and capabilities to combat risks posed by toxic and non- toxic gases.
Thanks to rapidly evolving technology, the latest generation of sensors and systems, such as those designed, developed and manufactured by Stonegate Instruments, are smart, self-contained single fixed gas sensors which are particularly suited to detecting refrigerant gases. Many of these sensors have a proven return on investment of just two years, and that is
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Making sure that all appropriate measures are in place to protect building occupants should be the top priority for any commercial or industrial operation. Shaun Evers, Managing Director of Stonegate Instruments, looks at how smart gas detection technology can ensure employee and site safety.
without taking into consideration the cost of repairs to an existing faulty system.
Smart sensor equipment with signalling alarms, LED lights that indicate the presence and status of each sensor, as well as audio/visual alarms to alert staff, are also available. These systems help ensure that leaks are quickly identified and repaired at the first opportunity, minimising the various associated risks.
UNBEATABLE BENEFITS It is clear that gas detection systems offer many
benefits – it alerts building occupants to the problem, enabling them to evacuate the area and thus minimising their risk of exposure; it ensures that proper procedures are activated so that timely corrective action can be taken; it minimises the risk of irreversible damage to equipment; and it prevents potentially harmful environmental impacts.
As such, investing in Stonegate Instruments’ safety and monitoring technology for commercial and industrial buildings is the smart choice: it will ensure that refrigerant gases operate at their most efficient level and, should a leak occur, it will sound the alarm.
www.stonegate-instruments.com
www.tomorrowshs.com
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