Which Gas Detector Do You Use?

Dougal

Dougal

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I ask, as with my 'Pilot' unit, I'm fed up with having to replace the sensor units, and being told by the manufacturer that its because they're getting salt contamination. On one occasion, the boat hadn't even been anywhere near salt water in over two years!
 
Dougal said:
I ask, as with my 'Pilot' unit, I'm fed up with having to replace the sensor units, and being told by the manufacturer that its because they're getting salt contamination. On one occasion, the boat hadn't even been anywhere near salt water in over two years!
Click to expand...

My Pilot unit is the same (I guess). If I haven't used the boat for a while it fails to self check properly and after 30 seconds gives a continuous screech with the fault light on. After maybe 10-15 minutes, if I turn it off and on again it works. The time it takes to reset itself depends on how long it's been left switched off. It's not a problem when cruising when it's on most of the time. It's almost as though there is a rechargeable battery in the unit that goes flat but I don't think there is. Or else it needs to 'burn' off something from the sensors before they can operate. I've no idea if that is a valid explanation or not.

Mine's linked to a solenoid so if I can't get it to work, I can't get any gas.
 
Thats interesting.... maybe i should've tried that b4 heaving mine over the side;-)))) When I dared to suggest to the manufacturer that it wasn't salt, he got quite funny. I wasn't impressed.
 
Dougal said:
Thats interesting.... maybe i should've tried that b4 heaving mine over the side;-)))) When I dared to suggest to the manufacturer that it wasn't salt, he got quite funny. I wasn't impressed.
Click to expand...

I did change my sensors once and got the same message from the manufacturer. When the second set started playing up, I realised that by waiting I could get them to work. The gas sensor comes on as soon as the batteries are switched on so to make it easier for me, I installed a simple push button on/off switch which I press from time to time until the unit works. That's how I discovered that the longer the boat was left, the longer it took to reset. It's not a build-up of anything inside the boat because I accidentally left the battery on for a week with the boat closed up and the alarm set itself perfectly when I switched off and on again.

It's not very useful as a warning of gas inside the boat when I first open up!
 
LIDL. £11.99 Comes with a mains wall-cube but can be connected directly to 12v (AC or DC - it has a bridge rectifier inside !). Mine is 5 years old and still working perfectly. (test it with a whiff of butane from an unlit lighter). They work on the 'hot-wire' principle.

Haven't seen them recently in the shops, but quite likely will reappear.

Edit: Be aware that they do draw around 100mA continuously, so you probably would not want to leave it on when leaving the boat for any length of time.
 
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I have a Nereus which is fine after 5 years. 2 years ago I had a gas leak and it went off exactly as it should. They are the only ones that I know of where the sensor is waterproof so mine is very low, just above the floor in a shallow bilge boat. I haven't tested the waterproof bit and hope I won't but it is reassuring
 
Dougal said:
I ask, as with my 'Pilot' unit, I'm fed up with having to replace the sensor units, and being told by the manufacturer that its because they're getting salt contamination. On one occasion, the boat hadn't even been anywhere near salt water in over two years!
Click to expand...

+1 for the Lidl item. Also the test procedure.
 
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