Like any safety system, fixed gas detection systems need to be well maintained to ensure that in the event of a gas leak, they work as intended and to comply with local and /or international regulations. For the typical large gas detection systems that protect facilities in the OGP industry, this requires a large team to carry out inspections, bump tests, calibrations, sensor replacements and testing of the various sensors. As well as being one of the biggest consumers of manpower, it is also an expensive system to maintain due to the cost of calibration gases and the frequent replacement of the consumable sensors. 

Most traditional sensors are not fail-safe, so when they reach the end of their life and can no longer detect gas, the detector does not go into fault. This dangerous condition is only discovered the next time the sensor is calibrated. Therefore, sensors need frequent servicing, usually between 1 to 3 months for high-risk applications.

The latest sensor technology has dramatically improved the level of safety and performance, as these new revolutionary sensors:

• Go into fault if they fail or reach the end of their life, as they are now fail-safe.
• Perform a regular self-test and can also self-calibrate if they have drifted.
• Monitor its inlet for blockages and go into fault if gas cannot be detected.

The new technology also reduces the cost of ownership, as manual calibrations can be extended up to 2-years and the sensor also has a much longer operating life.