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We need a national combustible gas leak detection code


National Sales Director, Chris May, joined up with the plumbing engineer magazine to discuss the importance of gas safety.

American Gas Safety are solving the problems with gas safety in boiler rooms through two methods: adding combustible gas detection and gas detection interlocks. In many cases, a gas detection interlock can save lives.

‘With more than a decade of designing authority control and gas detection systems, it still astonishes me that we don’t have a national combustible gas leak detection code. Refrigerant detection, yes. Carbon monoxide (CO) detection, yes. Nitrogen dioxide and CO in enclosed parking structures, yes. We even have hydrogen detection codes for battery storage or battery charging rooms.

These codes all make sense as they add protection and life safety to our designs. But we still don’t have a national requirement to protect mechanical rooms, the facilities they serve or the people working in and around them from the dangers of combustible gas leaks.

Boiler or mechanical rooms are areas where we see the majority of a building’s gas use. Heaters, boilers and burners are all combusting gas. The location of the boiler or mechanical room should be taken into consideration as well; they are typically found in the lower levels or basements of buildings. An explosion event there could damage not only the room itself but the structure of the building, placing all the occupants in danger.’

Check out our article in Plumbing Engineer magazine to learn more about this.

https://www.phcppros.com/articles/15575-how-safe-is-your-mechanical-room

How Safe Is Your Boiler Room Design?

Contact American Gas Safety or your local representative for further information on how we can add safety to your design.