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RKI Instruments isn't a sexy company. They don't spend their money on fancy marketing handouts or ad campaigns, and they often name their instruments after the year they were launched. So why do so many companies prefer RKI gas detectors to all others? Maybe it's because their products flat-out work, and continue to work (properly cared for) for years and years. RKI Instruments has been in business for 20 years and produces some of the most sophisticated gas monitoring devices on the ma …

Ideal for real-time monitoring of hazardous gases in confined space work, BW Honeywell's GasAlert Quattro is a four-gas monitor that's easy to love. It's not apparent at first, but our five reasons will have you falling head over heels. Full-sized Sensors Generally speaking, full-size sensors last longer than their smaller counterparts. While the Quattro won't win prizes for its physical dimensions, it is packed with four sensors for full spectrum gas monitoring. Now think abou …

When considering which personal gas monitors to use for your facility the long-term cost of ownership is going to be at the top of your list. Replacing sensors and hardware over time can be expensive, but so can replacing entire monitors. The BW Quattro has a two-year sensor warranty which makes it a popular choice for companies who like to know when costs are likely to occur. When considering the right monitor for your operation, you need to take into account a few critical bits of …

Gas monitors need regular calibration and bump testing if you want to be sure they are working properly. Like a guitar, monitors can drift out of tune. You've got a couple of choices to get it working properly. And as everyone who owns a gas monitor knows - whether it's a multi-gas monitor like the GasAlert Micro Clip XT, or a single-gas monitor like the Gas Clip Technologies H2S Monitor - a quick bump test before using it to protect your life is an excellent, and highly recommen …

Before we upgraded our facilities, sent our tech guys to Level 3 BW Honeywell gas monitor training, and increased our factory-direct parts supply to become a BW Factory Authorized Service Center, these guys were already pretty unbearable. Sure it was handy to have someone around who could drill down to the smallest detail of monitor capabilities and explain error codes while grabbing their lunch from the company fridge. It's the calibration knowledge, the sensor life, the warranty informat …

The BW GasAlert Max XT II is a humdinger of a detector, both for its ease of usage and reasonable price. In my opinion, this is the best gas detector to buy if you’re entering a confined space or septic tank. This one button unit makes it perfect for both the glove crowd and the technologically challenged. Plus, its simple operation makes tampering with its functions nearly impossible (a helpful feature if you want to ensure that you crew doesn’t decide to change any o the setting without …

Gas detection is serious business no matter what type of work you do. Your company may not need the level of protection a petroleum production facility requires, but every company using gas detection technology wants to make a good investment in their monitors. Some work sites need to know if hydrogen sulfide levels change even a small percentage. Others are fine waiting for the alarm to sound. The differences in your gas monitoring needs will affect the type of gas monitor that's right for y …

Recently RKI Instruments sent out a notice explaining a change to their alarm settings on Eagle 2, GX-2009, and GX-2012 monitors. In order to comply with new industry standards developed by the fine folks at the American Conference of Governmental Industrial Hygienists (ACGIH), RKI Instruments is lowering their Hydrogen Sulfide (H2S) threshold limit values. These aren't the regular lower level alarms (like someone who writes blogs and has two thumbs first thought). These are the expo …

Draeger has created some of the most widely used and accurate industrial gas detection devices in history. But many of the single-gas units look exactly alike. What are the differences and why are they trying to confuse us? We've all heard it's what's on the inside that counts. That is especially true for the Draeger Pac 3500 and Pac 7000 single gas monitors. The housings are exactly the same, and at a glance you'd be hard pressed to tell the difference. But these two monitors var …

All gas monitors need to be bump tested, even if they don't require calibration. (Yes, that goes for you guys with single gas disposable monitors too.) To test your monitor you're going to need both calibration gas and a regulator. Your calibration gas mixture will be determined by the type of sensors in your gas monitor. Your regulator will have to fit your bottle of gas. Problem is there are a couple of different types of regulators, and it's not very intuitive figuring out which you'll …