Gas leak detector

kito

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Hi Was thinking on buying one of these hand held gas detectors to carry in the van they start from £20 upwards thought it would be quiet handy to have, I carry a aerosol spray leak detector but this would be a lot easier especially when you have to change the gas bottle in the dark. I was of the one below
The Question has of any members got one and if so witch one and how good is it.

CEM GD-3000 Flammable Gas Leak Detector Pen for LAG, LPG, CH4 & Butane

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/CEM-GD-3000-Flammable-Gas-Leak-Detector-Pen-for-LAG-LPG-CH4-Butane-/221990379538
 
I have always used a small brush and a bit of fairy liquid in a cup, brush the fluid all over the joints and if it bubbles you have a leak, it never fails to show any and very safe as it even cleans the joints up.
 
As a Gas Safe Engineer one of the golden rules is Not to use Fairy or any other washing up liquid, Washing up liquids have a very corrosive ingredient that erodes gas fittings, creating more leaks.
The correct leak detection fluid are the propitiatory leak detection fluids available on the market.
Suggested web site BES. then search CURA leak detection fluid.

Some ideas appear good but you will never know what harm you are doing
 
The previous posters are right dont use washing up liquid.
A far better buy is a Gaslow Gas Gauge fit this either to the bottle or regulator.
Turn gas on at the bottle then turn off if you have a lea the gauge will go down try this with each appliance isolator turned on onat a time and you test the full van.
You can test when you want or each time you use the van.


Alf


http://www.gaslowdirect.com/epages/...jectPath=/Shops/cyujrhdmmu67/Products/01-1610


kito said:
Hi Was thinking on buying one of these hand held gas detectors to carry in the van they start from £20 upwards thought it would be quiet handy to have, I carry a aerosol spray leak detector but this would be a lot easier especially when you have to change the gas bottle in the dark. I was of the one below
The Question has of any members got one and if so witch one and how good is it.

CEM GD-3000 Flammable Gas Leak Detector Pen for LAG, LPG, CH4 & Butane

CEM GD-3000 Flammable Gas Leak Detector Pen for LAG, LPG, CH4 & Butane | eBay
Click to expand...
 
Interesting info here, but anyone able to comment on the device the OP refers to?
Thanks
Al
 
Think I`ll order one of these Inline Propane Gas Hose Level Gauge: Amazon.co.uk: Car & Motorbike

Sounds like a good investment, easier than finding all the gas joints in the MH with a gas detector pen or fairy liquid, and monitors the bottle levels. And £9.00 cheaper. Although the pen sounds good to pinpoint it if you detect a problem with the Gaslow gauge.

Alf said:
The previous posters are right dont use washing up liquid.
A far better buy is a Gaslow Gas Gauge fit this either to the bottle or regulator.
Turn gas on at the bottle then turn off if you have a lea the gauge will go down try this with each appliance isolator turned on onat a time and you test the full van.
You can test when you want or each time you use the van.


Alf


http://www.gaslowdirect.com/epages/...jectPath=/Shops/cyujrhdmmu67/Products/01-1610
Click to expand...
 
Last edited by a moderator:
kito

Hi I have the light weight bottles which come with a built in gage, I was thinking the tester would be good to have in the van just do a random sweep of all the gas joints.
 
Just a Thought

mg21128324.000-3_300.jpg

How about one of these
 
kito said:
Hi I have the light weight bottles which come with a built in gage, I was thinking the tester would be good to have in the van just do a random sweep of all the gas joints.
Click to expand...

I don't think that you constantly need to monitor all the gas joints.
Once installed properly and tested leak free, an annual check is sufficient in my opinion.
The gauge seems a good idea, gives you the opportunity to check the basics whenever you like.
 
They are not worth the money I bought half a dozen a few years ago at a knock down price from a trader I know who buys end of line items I sold 4 on to forum members at the time I have a Regin Sniffa Plus a top end leak detector but I thought a smaller one in the van a good idea I kept it with a cigarette lighter for using as a gas test source they seem to last about a year before the sensor fails. I bought at £9 each so the price these are is quite high.
Items such as this need the batteries removing as lack of regular use you may find the battery corroded when you need it.
The GaSlow gauge in my previous post is a better option and this is easy moved on to your next van.
I must say in 45 years I have never had a gas leak in the van.

If these were any good all the gas engineers would be using instead of detectors running into hundreds os pounds.

A point to remember with any testing device wether gas or electric is not to trust them check them out on a known source before using ( hence the cig lighter for my gas tester ) a professional engineer knows thier devices are good as they use them regularly, when things are only used occasionally this is when they fail. Or misread



Alf


kito said:
Hi Was thinking on buying one of these hand held gas detectors to carry in the van they start from £20 upwards thought it would be quiet handy to have, I carry a aerosol spray leak detector but this would be a lot easier especially when you have to change the gas bottle in the dark. I was of the one below
The Question has of any members got one and if so witch one and how good is it.

CEM GD-3000 Flammable Gas Leak Detector Pen for LAG, LPG, CH4 & Butane

CEM GD-3000 Flammable Gas Leak Detector Pen for LAG, LPG, CH4 & Butane | eBay
Click to expand...
 
Last edited by a moderator:
Johnnygm7lsi said:
Think I`ll order one of these Inline Propane Gas Hose Level Gauge: Amazon.co.uk: Car & Motorbike

Sounds like a good investment, easier than finding all the gas joints in the MH with a gas detector pen or fairy liquid, and monitors the bottle levels. And £9.00 cheaper. Although the pen sounds good to pinpoint it if you detect a problem with the Gaslow gauge.
Click to expand...

They don't monitor gas liquid levels at all, just gas pressure and that stays the same whether the bottle is full of liquid or has just one drop left. Once all the liquid has gone, then yes the gauge will indicate but if you are using the furnace, it won't give you much warning.

As for using the sniff test - hopelessly insensitive and a bit hard to get your nose right into the back of a typical gas locker - and anyway, some people can't smell the mercaptan.
 
The suggestion is to use as a leak detector with the bottle turned off any leak the gauge goes to empty.

I have use one of these for about 12 years and I DO find it a good bottle conent indicator perhaps as I have always used on 6 or 3.9KG bottles on larger bottles I have no idea.
proof of the pudding is in long term use.

Alf
Tony Lee said:
They don't monitor gas liquid levels at all, just gas pressure and that stays the same whether the bottle is full of liquid or has just one drop left. Once all the liquid has gone, then yes the gauge will indicate but if you are using the furnace, it won't give you much warning.

As for using the sniff test - hopelessly insensitive and a bit hard to get your nose right into the back of a typical gas locker - and anyway, some people can't smell the mercaptan.
Click to expand...
 
I use a gaslow regulator on my home BBQ on a 13kg bottle, it gives me plenty of notice that it is running out, as soon as I see a bit of yellow I make sure my spare bottle is full but it is a long time before it becomes empty.
When I suspected I had a leak on the van (I have no sense of smell) I connected a bottle to the gas BBQ take off point with the bulk tank turned off, it confirmed I had a leak and once I found the leakwhich was an original compression joint where the nut had split the gaslow gauge then confirmed the leak was cured, I cannot get one to fit my tank or I would fit one permanently
 
Don't try this at home

My father in law was a plumber from the days before WW2.

He used to find gas leaks by going along the pipe with a blow touch.

When we moved into a house with lead pipes I watched him check our pipes out this way, and yes he did find a leak!

He had taught my wife how to wipes joints whilst she was at Junior school and to check she had't forgotten he got her to make the repair.

We've still got the wiping clothe somewhere in the garage.



The good old days .. we were poor but we were happy.
 
r4dent said:
My father in law was a plumber from the days before WW2.

He used to find gas leaks by going along the pipe with a blow touch.


When we moved into a house with lead pipes I watched him check our pipes out this way, and yes he did find a leak!

He had taught my wife how to wipes joints whilst she was at Junior school and to check she had't forgotten he got her to make the repair.

We've still got the wiping clothe somewhere in the garage.



The good old days .. we were poor but we were happy.
Click to expand...

Finding a gas leak with a naked flame is like looking for landmines with your foot tapping the ground in my opinion.
 
I have one of these Honeywell EzSense Flammable Gas Detector Works really well when i fitted my gas-it system it detected a small leak that the detector spray supplied with the gas-it kit did not pick up. Keep it in the van and check all connections when checking over the van.

Mike
 
I trust myself now for my gas pipes. I had a gas cert' issued and I thought everything was fine then a week later I was doing some work in my van at the back of a unit near the floor where there is a gas pipe, and there was a very faint smell of gas on a join, tightened up and all was okay but it goes to show because of the very nature of vans vibrating on the roads and the gas pipes vibrating in them it is good to check them yourself now and again. My nose was my best tool. But the only problem is it gives you a thumping headache if you breath in deep.
 
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