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Infiltration Forums > Rookie Forum > Do any of you use gas monitors?(Viewed 2825 times)
Evilbunny location:
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Do any of you use gas monitors?
< on 2/21/2016 7:25 PM >
Posted on Forum: UER ForumQuote
I recently got certified to work in confined spaces and now am rethinking draining and such without a gas monitor think i'll pick up one sometime soon does anyone else use one?



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blackhawk
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Re: Do any of you use gas monitors?
<Reply # 1 on 2/21/2016 7:53 PM >
Posted on Forum: UER ForumQuote
Some do. However O2 levels or lack of are as critical as the presence of H2S as you know. Most can tolerate a reduction of O2 to 16%, the lowest allowable limit.
H2S is an insidious poison. If present extreme care must be used. It is a proven killer! https://www.osha.g...lfide/hazards.html
Ammonia can be present. 1 hour: 400 ppm max.
Methane is more a flammability/explosion issue as long as O2 levels are good.
Carbon dioxide could also become a problem if levels reach 5% or greater.


[last edit 2/21/2016 8:05 PM by blackhawk - edited 1 times]

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Explorer Zero   |  |  | 
Re: Do any of you use gas monitors?
<Reply # 2 on 2/22/2016 1:52 AM >
Posted on Forum: UER ForumQuote
I carry a canary wherever I go

1.






jeepdave location:
Anderson, SC
 
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Re: Do any of you use gas monitors?
<Reply # 3 on 2/22/2016 12:51 PM >
Posted on Forum: UER ForumQuote
I had a H2S meter at all times in the oil fields. Shit ain't no joke.



Ezekiel 25:17
Keaven location:
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Re: Do any of you use gas monitors?
<Reply # 4 on 2/22/2016 2:50 PM >
Posted on Forum: UER ForumQuote
Has anyone researched this and have a specific recommendation of a reasonably priced monitor?

Explorers are in a different situation than most purchasers, as we would be using our monitors only occasionally.




blackhawk
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Re: Do any of you use gas monitors?
<Reply # 5 on 2/22/2016 3:23 PM >
Posted on Forum: UER ForumQuote
Posted by Keaven
Has anyone researched this and have a specific recommendation of a reasonably priced monitor?

Explorers are in a different situation than most purchasers, as we would be using our monitors only occasionally.



A canary. They succumb to toxic gases much faster than a human. Just don't tell your girlfriend why you want it for the day

Pretty much your life depends on the monitor's reliability and your knowledge to use it properly. They still need calibration at specified intervals as well. Unfortunately multi-gas monitors are the most expensive and many times what is needed for complete safety in areas without much fresh airflow.

H2S monitors can be had for about a $100, if this gas is present, it is a mandatory piece of gear to have. At that price it's a throwaway and rugged enough for most explorers.





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Keaven location:
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Re: Do any of you use gas monitors?
<Reply # 6 on 2/23/2016 4:41 AM >
Posted on Forum: UER ForumQuote
Posted by blackhawk

H2S monitors can be had for about a $100, if this gas is present, it is a mandatory piece of gear to have. At that price it's a throwaway and rugged enough for most explorers.



It looks like the $100 ones are good for 24 months after activation. That isn't too bad.

Is H2S the gas we are most likely to have a problem with in storm drains?




blackhawk
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Re: Do any of you use gas monitors?
<Reply # 7 on 2/23/2016 5:11 AM >
Posted on Forum: UER ForumQuote
Posted by Keaven


It looks like the $100 ones are good for 24 months after activation. That isn't too bad.

Is H2S the gas we are most likely to have a problem with in storm drains?



Probably. Your sense of smell is useless after exposure to it though. It can kill with one breathe in concentrations 1000 ppm and over. If your eyes or throat become irritated, get out ASAP.

Oxygen levels under 16% can also prove lethal. Confine spaces with no moving air have the potential to be extremely hazardous without SCBA. They really need to be tested for O2 before entry. If methane has displaced the O2, unconscious and death can be very rapid. Multiple EM personal have been killed like this at the same scene.



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Evilbunny location:
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Re: Do any of you use gas monitors?
<Reply # 8 on 2/23/2016 5:24 AM >
Posted on Forum: UER ForumQuote
If you can warrant the price for sure go for a standard 4 gas (o2,LEL,h2s,co) Otherwise I'd just go for an O2 sensor an if its below 19.5% something is displacing it and I probably would think twice about going in. Just drop the sensor down with a stick or something before you go in and wait a minute or two. Note that most have to be calibrated every few months at least. Ideally before every use but not really economical. Kinda pricey but worth it in my opinion Im thinking a storm drain CO (Carbon Monoxide) or something similar would be a bigger problem than H2S now if it was an emergency sewer overflow like alot of drains are H2S would be my main worry. Note that H2S gets absorbed by the skin as well. If you really want one my recommendation Is a RKI instruments GX-2009 Only because I like how easy it is to use and its what I personally was trained on. But the cheapest ive seen would be one of the many from BW Honeywell.


[last edit 2/23/2016 5:28 AM by Evilbunny - edited 2 times]

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Keaven location:
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Re: Do any of you use gas monitors?
<Reply # 9 on 2/23/2016 11:44 AM >
Posted on Forum: UER ForumQuote
Posted by Evilbunny
If you can warrant the price for sure go for a standard 4 gas (o2,LEL,h2s,co)...If you really want one my recommendation Is a RKI instruments GX-2009 Only because I like how easy it is to use and its what I personally was trained on. But the cheapest ive seen would be one of the many from BW Honeywell.


$700 is pretty pricey but probably doable for a group of explorers. The problem would be the recurring cost of keeping it calibrated.

Posted by Evilbunny
Otherwise I'd just go for an O2 sensor an if its below 19.5% something is displacing it and I probably would think twice about going in. Just drop the sensor down with a stick or something before you go in and wait a minute or two. Note that most have to be calibrated every few months at least. Ideally before every use but not really economical. Kinda pricey but worth it in my opinion


It looks like we would be at almost $300 for a devise to monitor just O2. Again, there is the cost of keeping it calibrated.

Posted by Evilbunny
Im thinking a storm drain CO (Carbon Monoxide) or something similar would be a bigger problem than H2S...


Now, it can get very affordable to monitor just CO. Perhaps "monitor" is too strong a word here, but one can buy consumer grade CO alarms for under $20 from home center stores. Let me stress that these are not certified or designed for people who go into confined spaces underground; these are for monitoring "indoor air quality". Seems to me that these beat having nothing and they are cheap.




Evilbunny location:
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Re: Do any of you use gas monitors?
<Reply # 10 on 2/23/2016 3:26 PM >
Posted on Forum: UER ForumQuote
Posted by Keaven


$700 is pretty pricey but probably doable for a group of explorers. The problem would be the recurring cost of keeping it calibrated.



It looks like we would be at almost $300 for a devise to monitor just O2. Again, there is the cost of keeping it calibrated.



Now, it can get very affordable to monitor just CO. Perhaps "monitor" is too strong a word here, but one can buy consumer grade CO alarms for under $20 from home center stores. Let me stress that these are not certified or designed for people who go into confined spaces underground; these are for monitoring "indoor air quality". Seems to me that these beat having nothing and they are cheap.



For the record A single gas one by BW Honeywell they are about $100-150 are good for two years on battery and dont have to be calibrated but they dont display realtime gas levels they just have a timer of how much life they have left and go off at the osha levels for their respected gases. Better than nothing though.



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Keaven location:
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Re: Do any of you use gas monitors?
<Reply # 11 on 2/23/2016 3:54 PM >
Posted on Forum: UER ForumQuote
Posted by Evilbunny


For the record A single gas one by BW Honeywell they are about $100-150 are good for two years on battery and dont have to be calibrated but they dont display realtime gas levels they just have a timer of how much life they have left and go off at the osha levels for their respected gases. Better than nothing though.


I wasn't finding any that affordable (for O2) until you posted that specific brand name. $100 isn't too bad, considering oxygen is kinda important!



blackhawk
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Re: Do any of you use gas monitors?
<Reply # 12 on 2/23/2016 4:44 PM >
Posted on Forum: UER ForumQuote
If money is an issue the canary idea wasn't a joke.
They are self calibrating and while they can't provide gas ppm info, they do drop dead if there are lethal gases present or lack of O2 long before you would succumb.
Best of all they provide companionship



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hugedickfellas location:
Atlanta, GA
 
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Re: Do any of you use gas monitors?
<Reply # 13 on 2/28/2016 9:56 PM >
Posted on Forum: UER ForumQuote
To be honest, never even thought of using one.



Infiltration Forums > Rookie Forum > Do any of you use gas monitors?(Viewed 2825 times)
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