Gas detection tubes provide just one of the many ways workers check the concentration of gases at work. You might stick a tube into a barrel to see what gases have accumulated or use them to test a confined space before entering. Keep reading to learn what you should know about reading your gas detection tubes.

Gas Tubes Are Single Use

The most important thing to know about gas detection tubes is that they are single-use items. To take a reading, you must insert the glass tube into a pump and draw air into the tube. The compounds in the tube will change color in the presence of certain gases and create a stain, which you can measure. The stain is what makes gas tubes viable for only one use.

Tubes Test for One Gas

If you’re trying to determine what gases are inside an enclosed space, gas tubes are not the most efficient detection method. This is because you must use a new tube to test for every single gas that might be present. Only testing for one gas at a time can make using gas tubes tedious. However, if you only want to check for one gas, some of the gases you can detect with gas tubes include the following:

• Carbon monoxide
• Oxygen
• Hydrogen chloride
• Chloroform
• Formaldehyde
• Hydrogen sulfide

Tubes Test Specific Concentrations

The other thing you need to know about reading gas detection tubes is the concentration range you expect to find. Tubes only work within certain ranges, so they’re most useful when you already have an idea of the concentration to expect inside a certain space.

How To Read Gas Tubes

To use a gas tube, use the pump the number of times the tube manual specifies, as each chemical is different. Wait just a few minutes to see if the tube starts changing colors. If it does, look to see how long the stain reaches and take the measurement using the prewritten labels on the tube. For the most accurate reading, you should take more than one sample.

Alternatives to Gas Tubes

Gas tubes are best for workers who only need to take occasional readings of gases. If you need constant monitoring of gases in your workplace atmosphere, an electronic gas detector is a better option. TG Technical Services carries both handheld and fixed gas detection systems. Our gas detectors can read for one gas or several, depending on your needs.