How to Maintain and Calibrate Your Portable Gas Detector

Whether you’re an industrial hygienist, fire safety manager, or work in emergency response, you know the importance of properly maintaining and calibrating your  portable gas analyzers. It’s vital for workers’ safety and keeping your customers safe.

The instrument’s reference point will shift without calibration, and the readings will become unreliable. Regular calibration with traceable test gas concentrations will prevent this from happening.

Calibration

Calibration determines signaling limits, or the concentration at which the detector’s alarm will be triggered. It’s important to calibrate your portable gas monitor on a regular basis, especially in areas where there may be hazardous or toxic gases present. This ensures that your detector will accurately detect any dangerous gases present and keep you safe.

During the calibration process, your device will be exposed to a specific concentration of test gas for a period of time. This will establish a reference value to compare against your detector’s other readings in the field. If you’re unsure how to calibrate your monitor, refer to the manufacturer’s instruction manual for guidance. Most manufacturers recommend re-calibration every month to maintain accurate sensor performance.

You should also be sure to conduct a bump test on your portable gas detector before each use. A bump test is a simple procedure that involves exposing your monitor to a known concentration of test gas for a few seconds to see if the sensors and alarms are working correctly. This can be performed by a certified service technician or, for larger fleets, a dedicated docking station that performs bump tests and calibrations.

You must use calibrated test gas for both your bump tests and full calibrations. Test gas that has expired will not produce an accurate result and could potentially lead to unsafe conditions while you are in the field. Additionally, if the tester gas has been contaminated with sensor poisons or inhibitors, it will affect how the monitor functions.

The industry has been confused about proper calibration procedures and frequency. However, ISEA states, “A bump test or full calibration of direct-reading portable gas monitors should be made before each day’s use, following the manufacturer’s instructions, using a new, fresh supply of test gas.

In addition to performing a bump test on your portable gas detector, you should be performing a full calibration on your device on a monthly basis. Full calibration adjusts the instrument to coincide with a known concentration of test gas and helps correct for natural degradation in the sensors and drift in electronic components.

Bump Test

Keeping a schedule to calibrate your portable gas detectors can help ensure that the device is properly functioning and that it is alerting employees and workers of hazardous gases or oxygen deficiencies in the work environment. It also helps avoid potential hazards and violations of regulations regarding the use of such equipment. However, the terminology used to describe calibration and bump testing can be confusing. Having an understanding of the difference between these two terms is important to the accurate maintenance of your monitors.

Calibration involves exposing the sensor or sensors in a detector to a known concentration of a calibration gas or test gas for a certain amount of time. This process establishes the reference value that is then used to compare against all other readings. The calibration procedure also clears the instrument’s peak reading, if applicable. In most cases, the manufacturer will recommend that a calibration be performed before each day’s use of the instrument to keep its accuracy high. This is particularly important if the instrument is exposed to environmental conditions that could affect its performance, such as sensor inhibitors or poisons.

A bump test is a quick and simple method for checking whether or not the device’s sensors are functioning properly. It is typically done by applying a small amount of the calibration gas or test gas to the face of the device while it is turned on and while its alarm is active. A first *beep* will then sound, followed by a second *beep*. The detector is then turned off, and the gas supply valve is closed to remove any residual gas in the device.

The advantage of a bump test is that it is far faster and less involved than a full calibration, although the results will not be as accurate. For this reason, a bump test should only be used to check the status of the detector and should not be relied upon as an indicator that it is ready for use. A full calibration should be done if the device fails the bump test or if it has been more than six months since the last full calibration.

Maintenance Log

A gas detector is a life-saving tool that alerts you to potentially deadly gases (or lack of oxygen) in homes, workplaces, schools, indoor swimming pools, ice arenas, and many other places people frequent. These devices monitor and measure the presence of gases and, once the concentration reaches a certain level, trigger other safety precautions like kicking on ventilation fans, releasing visual and audible alarms, shutting down equipment, or calling the fire department.

Detectors use ultra-sensitive sensors to respond to a specific gas. Because these sensors can be easily affected by contaminants, it is important that you clean your detector regularly. This is especially true of mobile units, which can be subjected to a variety of environmental conditions.

The best way to clean your gas detector is to wipe it down with a slightly damp cloth on a regular basis. It’s also recommended to avoid using cleaning solutions and products that could damage the sensor. The ideal cleaner for a portable gas detector is distilled water or a non-toxic, alcohol-based solution.

Calibration is the process of exposing a gas monitor to a known concentration of test or calibration gas and measuring its response. This calibration reading becomes the reference point for the device. This process must be performed often, usually once a month or more, as the calibration of your sensor can become unreliable over time due to temperature changes, humidity, and sensor poisons.

If your gas detector fails a bump test, it should be recalibrated immediately, and it is strongly recommended to perform a full calibration before each day of use. This can be done using a docking station that automatically bump tests your monitor for you or manually with a container of the calibration gas.

The minimum calibration interval depends on the type of detector and the manufacturer. The ISEA has published a position statement on instrument calibration that states, “A bump test or calibration check should be made before each day’s use in accordance with the manufacturer’s instructions, using an appropriate test gas.” If your instrument is not properly maintained, it can fail to protect you from dangerous gases and cause serious injury.

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Replacement Parts

A well-functioning gas detector is critical for maintaining worker safety in combustible and toxic gas environments. A functioning detector can alert workers to dangerous gas hazards and trigger other safety precautions like activating visual or audible alarms, starting ventilation fans, shutting down equipment, or even calling the fire department.

Regular maintenance and calibration procedures must be followed to ensure that a detector continues to function correctly. This includes calibration, bump tests, and keeping a maintenance log for every monitor. The details of these procedures will vary by manufacturer and company policy, but they should always conform to any regulatory guidelines that apply.

Calibration is all about checking an instrument’s measuring accuracy against a known concentration of test gas. In order to ensure this comparison is valid, it is important to calibrate the device in environmental conditions that mimic or closely match those of the workplace and only use non-expired certified traceable test gas. Once the instrument has been calibrated, its sensor response to the test gas serves as the reference point for future measurements.

While an instrument may appear to be functioning properly during a visual inspection, damage to the internal components can be difficult to detect. To avoid damage and unreliable readings, it is essential to perform a functional test before each use of the instrument. This is usually done by releasing a known quantity of sample gas through the hose. The resulting reading on the screen indicates whether the sensor is operating as expected.

It is also recommended that the protective dust filter be cleaned regularly. If left unclean, it can become clogged and reduce the life of the sensor. The protective cover and battery should also be checked to make sure they are still in good working condition.