Gas leak detectors

[mikekal]

What are you using to detect gas leaks?

We have inspectors finding gas leaks by boatload after our guys check the entire house. Our inspectors our using TIF's. I heard there junk and may be part of our problem. I have an EXTECH and like it just fine. Let me know what you think.

Thanks in advance.

Mike

[kap]

I'm assuming you mean Freon leaks and not Natural gas. Most of the electronic freon sniffers will go off some are so sensitive that you don't need a leak if your guys handle the fittings with a little freon oil left over the sniffer can pick up the freon that is in the oil. If you wash the fittings so there is no residue left and providing that there is in fact no leaks you should be all set. Usually I put the system in a deep vacuum and hold it there overnight if time allows or I pressurize the system and then go back to it and check my gauges or sometimes I just use the soap solution. It depends where I am and what I have for time.If I have a stubborn slow leak that's when I use the electronic sniffers , sometimes I even use the dyes and ultraviolet light , boy what a mess that makes.:)

[mikekal]

Im sorry, I did mean natural gas. I work for a weatherization program and testing for gas leaks and repairing them is part of the work we do. Ufortunatley the powers that be don't rely on bubbles as an accurate test.

[kap]

That is unusual. Natural gas pressure thru a house is usually well under 14" WC. In the Boston area it's more like 6" which is about 1/4 of 1 PSI.
Maybe something with the prep work on threads oil, dirt, grease etc.
I own a Tiff Freon sniffer and they are very sensitive as most are. I guess your going to have to take the fittings apart and redo them and retest. Eventually you'll find out if it's bad workmanship or a faulty leak tester.:scratchhead:

[mikekal]

Thats our problem. I will do a test before any work is done and not find anything with my Extech gas sniffer. Our contractors will come in change a furnace or water heater, do there own test(not sure which sniffer they are using), not find leak and then the final inspector comes in and finds a half dozen leaks all over the basement with his TIF. It's mind boggling. Every company involved with this program will be out of business by the end of the year if the powers that be keep up with this nonsense.

[breid1903]

i use a tif. it will pick up on pipe dope and oils on pipe. have fun. breid.............:party-on:

[plumberscrack]

I use the new TIF 8900 and it never picks up on pipe dope and oils but my 8800 did

[OkieBill]

An electronic detector can hit on alot of things gas, vapor or residue... Try some of these and see:)

Carbon Monoxide
PVC cement / primer vapors
Bad Breath
The instructions for the 8800 warn about false hits on pipe dope..

I remember years ago that it was recommended that we change the sensing elements on our tif sniffers every 2 years... I also noticed that all of Tif's detectors still have replacement elements listed in their repair parts list but I can not find a recommended replacement time for them...

Wanna bet that after x time the element needs to be replaced and that if you don't the amount of false positive readings goes up.

When is the last time you had your CO meter calibrated as well( I don't mean going out and letting it read your truck exhaust to make sure it is working either:p)

[PLUMBER RICK]

the tif will sense anything that is a flammable mixture. the oils in the dope will off gas and will show as a leak.

a soap test is 100% accurate. no bubbles, no leak.

time to teach the inspector a thing or 2:trash-him:

rick.

[OkieBill]

Just keep the soap off of the CSST unless it is made for your brand:D

The Chlorine in soap can cause pinhole leaks... so I hear

[mikekal]

Thanks guys. I'll have some work to do to get everyone on the same page.

I get my combustion analyzer calibrated about every 6 months and my digital manometer once year. The program I work for require it.

[RealLivePlumber]

I use Megabubble. http://www.herchem.com/specs/megabubb.pdf

If there is a leak, this WILL show it. You will get a honeycomb of pinhole sized bubbles.

Use this after one of them bozo's locates a leak. It will identify if you really have a leak or not.