An Introduction to the Fault Causes and Solutions of Combustible Gas Detectors
The possible fault causes of combustible gas detectors include two aspects that cannot be ignored: non-standard construction processes and inadequate maintenance. Both of these factors have the potential to lead to malfunctions in combustible gas detectors.
Non-standard construction processes can cause detection failures in combustible gas detectors during operation. For example, if the combustible gas detector is not installed near the equipment where combustible gas is likely to leak, or if it is installed adjacent to an exhaust fan, the leaked combustible gas cannot fully diffuse to the vicinity of the detector. As a result, the detector will not be able to detect the leakage hazard in a timely manner.
In residential buildings, combustible gas detectors should be installed near the gas pipelines and stoves in the kitchen. When natural gas is used by residents, the gas detector should be installed on the ceiling within 300mm from the ceiling. When liquefied petroleum gas is used, the gas detector should be installed within 300mm from the ground. If the combustible gas detector is not reliably grounded, electromagnetic interference cannot be eliminated, which will definitely affect the voltage and lead to the failure of inaccurate detection data.
Therefore, during the construction of combustible gas detectors, reliable grounding is essential. If the combustible gas detector and its wiring terminals are installed in places vulnerable to collisions or water ingress, it may cause open circuits or short circuits in the electrical wiring. When soldering, non-corrosive flux must be used. Otherwise, the joints will corrode and come apart, or the resistance of the wiring will increase, affecting normal detection. The detector should not be dropped or thrown to the ground. After the construction is completed, debugging should be carried out to ensure that the combustible gas alarm is in normal working condition.
The maintenance of combustible gas detectors is also of great importance. Due to the harsh working environment of combustible gas detectors, many of which are installed outdoors, they are often attacked by various dusts and polluted gases. In order for the combustible gas detector to detect the information of combustible gas, the detector must communicate with the detection environment. Therefore, it is inevitable that various polluted gases and dusts in the environment will enter the detector, and the resulting damage to the working conditions of the detector is an objective reality. If maintenance is not emphasized, the detection of the combustible gas alarm will be hindered, resulting in errors or the failure to detect. Therefore, regularly cleaning and maintaining the combustible gas detector is an important task to prevent malfunctions.
In addition, it should be noted that the grounding should be regularly inspected. If the grounding fails to meet the standard requirements or there is no grounding at all, the combustible gas detector will be more vulnerable to electromagnetic interference, causing malfunctions. Attention should also be paid to preventing failures caused by component aging. From the perspective of reliability, and as practice has proven, the number of failures caused by component aging in combustible gas detector systems with a service life of more than 10 years tends to increase. Therefore, if the service life of a detector exceeds the specified period, it should be replaced in a timely manner.
