Portable and fixed/mountable multi gas detectors are available.  If you need continuous testing for a space consider renting a fixed detector and if you would like a detector for personal safety consider a portable model.  Your KWIPPED network supplier can assist you in learning to properly calibrate and operate your multi gas detector.

Multi gas detectors will have input and output ports, multiple sensors to detect the variety of gases, and a digital screen.  By having multiple sensors the detectors can be calibrated to detect many different toxic gases.

In order to detect a harmful gas in the air the multi gas detector brings gas in, sends it through a process with a sensor, and computes the amount of toxic gas in the air.  The process and sensor vary depending on the type of detector and the gases being detected.  The following are a few of the many types of gas detectors.

• Electrochemical – a toxic gas diffuses into a chamber with 3 electrodes, the sensing electrode oxidizes the gas, the counter electrode reduces oxygen to water, and a current is produced, this is compared to the reading from the third reference electrode. The concentration of toxic chemicals in the air is calculated and readout is given in ppm.
• Catalytic combustion – a heated filament oxidizes the gas, a change in electrical resistance is created, and this change is proportional to the gas concentration in the air sample.  Readout is usually given as % of lower explosive limit (LEL).
• Infrared – radiation passed through the gas, the sensor on the other side of the gas detects energy change, and the difference in wavelengths caused by the radiation passing through the gas allows for calculation of the gas concentration.
• Ultrasonic – acoustic sensors detect changes in the sound of a work environment since high-pressure gas leaks generate sound in the ultrasonic range.

Multi gas detectors are used to ensure workplace safety where the creation of toxic gases is dangerous to the health and physical safety of the workers.  Detectors are available that can detect combustible, asphyxiating, and toxic gases as well as oxygen levels.  

• Workplace safety
• Industry
• Manufacturing
• Firefighting

• Rae Systems
• Oldham
• GrayWolf
• New Cosmos - BIE
• Link Instruments
• Sewerin
• Kanomax
• Industrial Scientific
• Drager