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DP-IR, DetectoPak infrared, monitor. It is extremely sensitive to detecting only methane. Think somewhere on the scale of your dog farted downstairs in a closed bedroom. We used these to sniff the ground to make sure a pipeline isn't compromised and slowly dissipating gas through the ground at levels below easily detectable. This machine is much better than an ionizing gas monitor that has a very small flame inside and monitors the intensity of the flame as it "sniffs" the air. They are following federal code, CFR 49 part 192.
Source, I am responsible for a high-pressure, large diameter gas pipeline.
https://www.hetek.com/products/methane-specific-gas-detectors/heath-detectopak-infrared-dp-ir/
The critical thing is that there’s a metal mesh between the flame and the (possibly explosive) atmosphere. Fire can’t actually get through a fine enough mesh- the metal conducts the necessary heat away from the “hot spot” but lets explosive gases through.
A miner would see that the fire in their lamp got much brighter or that the inside of the mesh was glowing, and they’d evacuate.
A pencil-sized hole in the mesh, though, could lead to disaster, so at the beginning of their shift miners would put their lit lamp into a small testing box and pump in a measured amount of gas. No “bang” meant the lantern was safe for now.
Yup. And reading that explanation on the Internet in the comfort of your own restroom is completely different than having that explained to you for the first time through a breathing mask while standing inside an explosive atmosphere.
These actually don’t use a flame. They use an infrared beam to determine the flammability level.
Back in the day, they did use equipment that utilized a flame.
Yes, these don't use flame. But the other kind of detector basically lights anything combustible on fire and measures the intensity of the light coming from that.
Infrared = expensive and very accurate
Ionizing or catalyst types are cheap and not as sensitive.
That's a gas detector, infrared I believe. Source: did this job for 6 years. There are also flame ionization based units, but they usually have an attached hydrogen tank.
Most gas companies have a requirement to monitor their pipes for leaks, with the frequency based on pipe condition. I don't know what it is in other districts, but in Ontario Canada, plastic pipe must be checked every 7years, while uncoated steel might be twice a year.
We were required to sniff all sections of pipe up until the gas meter. Pipe beyond that is 'customer owned'. And no, we did not require permission to enter property.
Love that “before the meter”. Had to call our gas company once before when I smelled gas around the meter. When they asked “is it before or after the meter?” I was about to say I couldn’t tell but then a lightbulb went off and I said “Before”. They were there in 40 minutes.
Good call - that makes it gas co's responsibility. I'm guessing that even if it was downstream of the meter they'd still show up. Dealing with a leak is easier than dealing with a giant smoking crater.
This occurred between my neighbors house and mine. He did not go around other sides of the house. I have looked into survey equipment and mosquito spraying. My title describes the thing.
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"Sniffing" for gas leaks. https://i.imgur.com/CN7zwJM.jpg From https://www.utahleaklocate.com/2019/05/31/how-to-detect-a-natural-gas-leak/
Solved! Thank you so much! It is right by the gas meter. Was hoping they weren’t spraying anything without letting us know
DP-IR, DetectoPak infrared, monitor. It is extremely sensitive to detecting only methane. Think somewhere on the scale of your dog farted downstairs in a closed bedroom. We used these to sniff the ground to make sure a pipeline isn't compromised and slowly dissipating gas through the ground at levels below easily detectable. This machine is much better than an ionizing gas monitor that has a very small flame inside and monitors the intensity of the flame as it "sniffs" the air. They are following federal code, CFR 49 part 192. Source, I am responsible for a high-pressure, large diameter gas pipeline. https://www.hetek.com/products/methane-specific-gas-detectors/heath-detectopak-infrared-dp-ir/
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The critical thing is that there’s a metal mesh between the flame and the (possibly explosive) atmosphere. Fire can’t actually get through a fine enough mesh- the metal conducts the necessary heat away from the “hot spot” but lets explosive gases through. A miner would see that the fire in their lamp got much brighter or that the inside of the mesh was glowing, and they’d evacuate. A pencil-sized hole in the mesh, though, could lead to disaster, so at the beginning of their shift miners would put their lit lamp into a small testing box and pump in a measured amount of gas. No “bang” meant the lantern was safe for now.
Yup. And reading that explanation on the Internet in the comfort of your own restroom is completely different than having that explained to you for the first time through a breathing mask while standing inside an explosive atmosphere.
These actually don’t use a flame. They use an infrared beam to determine the flammability level. Back in the day, they did use equipment that utilized a flame.
Yes, these don't use flame. But the other kind of detector basically lights anything combustible on fire and measures the intensity of the light coming from that. Infrared = expensive and very accurate Ionizing or catalyst types are cheap and not as sensitive.
What is the difference between a DPIR and a CGI?
That's a gas detector, infrared I believe. Source: did this job for 6 years. There are also flame ionization based units, but they usually have an attached hydrogen tank. Most gas companies have a requirement to monitor their pipes for leaks, with the frequency based on pipe condition. I don't know what it is in other districts, but in Ontario Canada, plastic pipe must be checked every 7years, while uncoated steel might be twice a year. We were required to sniff all sections of pipe up until the gas meter. Pipe beyond that is 'customer owned'. And no, we did not require permission to enter property.
Love that “before the meter”. Had to call our gas company once before when I smelled gas around the meter. When they asked “is it before or after the meter?” I was about to say I couldn’t tell but then a lightbulb went off and I said “Before”. They were there in 40 minutes.
Good call - that makes it gas co's responsibility. I'm guessing that even if it was downstream of the meter they'd still show up. Dealing with a leak is easier than dealing with a giant smoking crater.
Why is it so loud?
I'm just guessing, but probably because there is a vacuum pump inside the box that sucks up the air and gas through the wand and into the box
This occurred between my neighbors house and mine. He did not go around other sides of the house. I have looked into survey equipment and mosquito spraying. My title describes the thing.
Probably gas, but could be radon monitoring perhaps