Best natural gas detector 2018 – [Buyer’s Guide]

Best natural gas detector of 2018

Come with me. Customers need to be careful on how they spend their money on these products.

Many models on the market may be confusing to a person who is shopping for their first time. Here we have compiled a detailed list of some of the best natural gas detector of the 2018.

Test Results and Ratings

Rank	№1	№2	№3
Product
Total	4.8	4.5	4.3
Ease of use	5 points	5 points	4 points
Size	5 points	4 points	4 points
Durability	4 points	4 points	5 points
Quality	5 points	5 points	4 points
Awards

Check Price!

№1 – Natural Gas Detector /Home Gas Leak Alarm /Tester Sensor Combustible Gases: Propane

Pros

1.INTELLIGENT: Real Human Voice Alarm,Sound and Light Alarm Keep Safety Prevent Fire Explosions,Portable LPG LNG Gas Leak Sensor.

2.DATA ACCURATE: Digital Display for Gas Concentration Easy to Read Percentage from 0% to 20% LEL,Combustible Natural Gas Detector alarm.

Cons

Not found yet.

Why did this natural gas detector win the first place?

I am very happy with the purchase. It is definitely worth its money. The product is top-notch! I also liked the delivery service that was fast and quick to react. It was delivered on the third day. I really enjoy the design. It is compact, comfortable and reliable. And it looks amazing! The product is very strong. Its material is stable and doesn’t crack.

Check Price!

№2 – CHUDONG Plug-In Natural Gas Detector Portable Device Able to Detect LPG LNG and Coal Gas Avoid Gas Leak Sensor Detector with Voice Warning and Digital Display

Pros

✅SMART COMBUSTIBLE GAS DETECTOR–When the Petroleum Natural Combustible (methane) leak occurs in kitchen, it will automatically alarm, makeing a 80dB real human voice and flashing light, to protect your family’s life and keep your property safety.

✅HIGH SENSITIVITY SENSOR–This product uses high-precision gas-sensing electrode, Alarm density is 2500PPM(±1500PPM). It will immediately alarm when the concentration of leakage gas higher than 2500PPM, at the same time high-sensitivity electrode will reduce the false alarm rate, avoid the threats of combustible gas（such as liquefied petroleum gas, natural gas, methane, etc.）

Cons

Borderline outdated technology.

A little bit heavy.

Why did this natural gas detector come in second place?

Managers explained me all the details about the product range, price, and delivery. Seems that the material is good. It has a very beautiful color but I don’t really like the texture. This is a pretty decent product that perfectly fitted the interior of our office. I like this product. For such a low price, I didn’t even hope it to be any better. It’s decently made.

Check Price!

№3 – ZANBO Combustible Natural Gas Detector Alarm for Home with Standard US Plug Gas Detector Sensor

Pros

HOW DOES IT WORK: When you first time to use our gas detector, there is 10-15 seconds for preheating. During the preheating time, all the 3 LEDS is blinking for 10-15 seconds. Then the LED turns to GREEN, it also blinks when it is working. When the gas concentration gets to 6% LEL, the derector will send you alarm and LED turns to RED. Our gas detector alarm ONLY uses for detecting NATURAL GAS, METHANE(CH4). If you use it to detector other type gas leaking, this alarm may not work.

Cons

Extremely expensive.

The clamp could be of better quality.

Why did this natural gas detector take third place?

It doesn’t squeaks nor bents. Looks great in my apartment. This price is appropriate since the product is very well built. I hope that the good reputation of the manufacturer will guarantee a long-term work. I liked the design. We’ve been using it for 2 months and it still looks like brand new.

natural gas detector Buyer’s Guide

Device categories

The similarities between the following smoke safety devices start and end with one main function — when your smoke alarm sounds, you’ll get a push notification to your phone, whether you’re home or away. How they do this, what else they do, how much they cost and how many smoke alarms you can cover with a single device vary widely from category to category, and even within the categories themselves.

Here are the different types of devices you can use to alert you from afar when your smoke detector sounds.

Nest Protect, your choices include models from First Alert, Halo Smart Labs and Roost. More options are on the way from Birdi and Netatmo.

Since none of these devices talk directly to your smoke detectors, you won’t get any help mitigating annoyances like false alarms or low battery chirps. You’ll start to see the cost advantages of a listener if you have a big home and you want complete connected coverage, as a single device can cover upwards of a floor of your home. So instead of having to replace the smoke detector in every bedroom, you can put one listener in the hallway and be done with it.

The Roost seems like a less permanent solution than the other two categories, but most smoke detectors are only rated to last for years. You’ll have to put a Roost into every smoke detector for complete coverage, so it’s not as efficient at comprehensive smarts as a listener, but it’s a more cost-effective route than wholesale replacement and neutralizes more inconveniences than listeners.

Maintenance

It is important for the refrigerant leak detector to be well-maintained to be guaranteed that it will work at its best even through the years. As you try to narrow down the possibilities, choose one that will require minimal effort to maintain. In most cases, regular calibration will be enough to maintain the product.

The Good

There are many reasons why this is a well-loved option in the market. Aside from having multiple leak detection settings, a lot also revealed that it is user-friendly. There are lots of features that make it user-friendly. It is also a good thing that it has a long lifespan.

The Bad

There are some who noted that it is not the most accurate within the product category. Also, some people were annoyed that it keeps on beeping, even with the slightest movement that they make. To add, this may not be a good choice for budget-conscious buyers.

To wrap up things….

You need to stay safe and to enjoy the quality gas leak detector, to acquire the one that is reliable, accurate, and trustworthy. In addition to that, you need to find the one that gives you the capacity to know when things are going wrong. In this guide, you will find all the best varieties that come with different prices and is you to choose the one that is appropriate for your budget.

Indicator Alarm

My advice is that you have the detector that comes with the ability to portray all the features. That means the detector should give the audio, vibration, and light indicators at the same time.

Sensor adjustment

This feature is essential and crucial to consider. Sensor adjustment is the capacity of the sensor to detect the gas leaks and to be extended to suit the different needs. Therefore, you need to consider this factor when you are looking for the best gas leak detector to ensure that it fits the needs of your usage. Some of the products that we have on this list come with the same feature, and you can check to ensure that you have the right one for your purpose.

Length of the probe

The length of the probe is significant, and you need to identify the product that can achieve the function that you intend to do with it. The probe is simply to reach the areas that are hard to access. Here, when you are checking for this feature, you need to look at the length regarding inches since different types of products that we have under this category come with different probe measurements. Therefore, having your needs at hand, you can match the item that is best and available with the needs that you have. Detectors meant for different purposes comes with different probe lengths.

Battery indicator

You will not want to be caught by surprise, and therefore, you need to have the best gas leak detector that comes with the capacity to indicate the battery. That means you are not going to be surprised by what happens when you have the same feature. Therefore, the battery indicator is essential and tells you when to charge or to replace the battery. This feature ensures the reliability of the sensor or detector making it worth its function.

Radon gas

Radon is a cancer causing, radioactive gas which you cannot even see, smell or either taste. When you breathe the air containing radon, you increase the risk of lung cancer even if you are a non smoker.

Radon gas naturally moves up to the air above the ground/soil and into your home through cracks and other holes in the foundation. This gas can also enter your house through well water.

Hence, testing is the only way to find out your home’s radon levels. There also are certain ways to fix the high level radon issues. But firstly, you need to be sure whether testing your home can be done by yourself or you need a professional for the same.

We would suggest you to test the radon levels by your own self as it’s not at all a difficult task, not time consuming and is absolutely affordable. Even if you are still confused as to how to go about, you’ve landed at the right place.

ACCUSTAR ALPHA TRACK TEST KIT AT

100 – We rate this passive kit as the most reasonably priced and successful radon detection kit. It makes use of electrochemical etching for better radon tracking.

FIRST ALERT RDRADON GAS TEST KIT – This kit is the simplest one where you just need to expose the kit to the environment for a period of – days. It’s a short term detection kit.

CORENTIUM HOME 22RADON GAS DETECTOR

Corentium Home 22Radon Detector is a compact and powerful solution for testing the radon levels. It provides accurate levels and adapts easily to the home environment. The batteries provided with the device keeps it working for the next two years to display exact readings.

It’s a high quality European design device allowing you to take the readings of radon levels in your home. These readings maybe displayed on long term and/or short term concentration levels. It’s unaffected by other external factors like humidity, dust or any kind of electromagnetic interferences.

ACCUSTAR ALPHA TRACK TEST KIT AT 100

Alpha Track Test Kit AT–100 is a diffusion-based radon track detection kit. This is an electro chemical system which is superior to chemically etched alpha track radon detectors.

The radon exposure time to the Alpha Track device is typically between to 1months and this kit is a small packet big bang kind of a device.

It’s a passive detection device wherein you need to seal it in a pre paid shipping envelop and send it back to the laboratory to get the accurate test results.

FIRST ALERT RDRADON GAS TEST KIT

First Alert RDRadon Gas Test Kit helps in radon testing for home owners and is a DIY (Do–It–Yourself) kind of a test kit.

This kit is designed for short term radon testing. It needs to be exposed to the home environment for a period of 2-days after which you will have to ship the device back to the laboratory for getting the results.

Maintenance

It is important for the refrigerant leak detector to be well-maintained to be guaranteed that it will work at its best even through the years. As you try to narrow down the possibilities, choose one that will require minimal effort to maintain. In most cases, regular calibration will be enough to maintain the product.

Fibaro Flood Sensor

The Fibaro Flood Sensor is a strong performer that works with Z-Wave and a smart-home hub. It’s small, with a built-in audible alarm, a temperature sensor, and a tamper alarm.

The Fibaro Flood Sensor features an audible alarm that also triggers when someone tilts or tampers with the device in any way. It has a temperature sensor and a visual “drop” display that can change color based on if there’s water, weird temperatures, or bad network connections. As an added bonus, this little circular device can actually float—which can end up being a huge bonus if a leak turns into a flood. However, unlike the D-Link, it requires a smart hub, which kept it from our top spot.

Why you should trust me

I’ve written about consumer electronics for over 1years and have tested smart-home products from remotes and security cameras to AV receivers and speakers. As an editor for Electronic House and Big Picture Big Sound, I’ve written buyer’s guides for multiple consumer-electronics products. I’ve even done tech-related work for Wired, Woman’s Day, GeekMom, Men’s Health, and others. I also live in an area where my backyard completely disappears underwater multiple times a year.

Who should get this

Water sensors are probably the least “sexy” smart devices you can own. These are small devices that can alert you whenever water is present around the refrigerator, the washing machine, sinks, and toilets. It can even let you know when water is threatening all of the precious memories you’ve stuffed into the basement. If you’ve got a leaky basement or appliances of a certain age, a smart water sensor makes for a smart addition to your home.

Some smart water sensors work alone via Wi-Fi, and others connect to a smart-home hub using wireless technologies such as Z-Wave or ZigBee. When wetness occurs, both types can send a message to your phone so you can respond with a towel or a plumber. You’ll have to act fast if you want to save those baby pictures from getting waterlogged, though, because the units we’re talking about here can’t actually shut off the water.

However, there are smart-home systems that can turn off the water once danger is detected. But these systems are more complicated, can cost hundreds of dollars, and typically require a visit from a professional installer and/or plumber. The smart water sensors we’re talking about here simply alert you to the danger. If you’re upstairs or have a neighbor with a key, one of these detectors should be all you need to save your home and its contents from financial and emotional disaster.

How we picked

We tested a variety of smart water sensors, including Wi-Fi models and those that work with Z-Wave smart-home hubs.

During our research, we found a million different leak sensors. However, most of those didn’t have “smart” features. A good smart water sensor is compact and will alert your smartphone or tablet whenever water is present. And it delivers those mobile alerts regardless of if you’re inside the house or on the other side of the world. When you factor in the smart aspects, the list of what’s out there is much smaller—but still too lengthy for our mission. So we narrowed the list using price, features, and availability. Also, we were specifically looking for smart leak sensors that you could easily install yourself. That narrowed our list down to seven products to submit to our water-torture tests.

We focused on models that connect to a smart-home hub (although two will work alone via Wi-Fi), but we avoided those that were proprietary to one specific platform. For instance, the Insteon Leak Sensor works only with the Insteon Hub—which made it ineligible for our list. In addition, each of our choices is easy to set up, works with an app, and can be used almost anywhere you expect water to make an appearance.

How we tested

Once a smart water sensor has power, it should be easy to connect, whether you opt to make that connection via a smart-home hub or direct to your home’s existing Wi-Fi. If you’re using a hub, the water detector will deliver alerts and monitoring through that hub’s app, which may require some configuration within the app.

At bare minimum, you should be able to peek at the app and determine if the sensor is wet or dry. It should also alert you to when wetness is present. For our testing, anything beyond those basic features were considered bonuses, especially if they proved useful. For instance, quite a few of the devices on our list allowed you to check on room temperature and even battery life.

For each of our tests, we used apps on an iPhone 5, an iPad, and a Samsung Galaxy SAs mentioned, most of the devices used either the SmartThings or Wink hub, so we used the applicable app; when the device connected via Wi-Fi, we used that device’s specific app. We did most of the testing in our kitchen, because testing with water can be a messy business. When dousing each smart water sensor, we used four different amounts of water to see if it would react—and how quickly. We used measuring cups to douse each sensor with one-quarter cup of water, as well as a full cup. We also measured sensitivity using a spray bottle and finished things up by completely submerging each unit in a bowl of water.

We used a spray bottle to determine how little water would trigger an alert.

Also, the main purpose of these devices is to alert you to water—most likely, you’re not going to be home when that happens. We made sure each detector delivered those alerts to a mobile device from afar.

D-Link DCH-S160 Wi-Fi Water Sensor

This device works with your home’s Wi-Fi; you don’t need a hub. It even integrates with other D-Link devices, as well as IFTTT.

The D-Link DCH-S160 Wi-Fi Water Sensor is a reliable smart water sensor that’s also affordable. It’s actually the least expensive option we tested. That’s because it’s one of the few models that doesn’t need a smart-home hub. Instead, it uses Wi-Fi to deliver water alerts and integrate with other smart devices in the home. It’s also the only model on our list that relies on power from the wall rather than a battery.

Left: The long sensor cord on the D-Link can snake around things like pipes to reach a likely leaky spot. Right: The mydlink Home app allows you to customize your notification settings.

Not everyone has a smart-home hub, so the D-Link DCH-S160 Wi-Fi Water Sensor uses your home’s existing Wi-Fi to deliver alerts through the mydlink Home app, which is available for iOS and Android devices. On the other hand, if you want to integrate the sensor with devices from other manufacturers you’ll have to do it via IFTTT (“if this, then that”) because it isn’t compatible with any available hub.

The D-Link device performed well throughout our testing, sending out alerts about six to seconds after the sensors first touched water. It also features an audible alarm that can be heard about 3feet away. However, that sound doesn’t travel as well through floors, so you might not be able to hear it from a basement.

Like most water sensors, the app associated with the D-Link DCH-S160 Wi-Fi Water Sensor—mydlink Home—is pretty basic. Other than a record of when water was present, it doesn’t offer a whole lot to look at. But it does offer options to change the device’s name, add in a personal photo (a neat feature, and perhaps useful if you have a lot of sensors you want to keep track of at a glance, but beyond that we weren’t clear on the utility), and create rules. For instance, we set the device to send both push notifications as well as email whenever water was present. Texting is not an option with this device (we were able to set up text alerts with the SmartThings app using the Fibaro sensor).

For a stand-alone device, the D-Link Wi-Fi Water Sensor does offer a few integration options as well. If you search the D-Link Water Sensor channel on IFTTT, there are ways to get phone calls, post to Slack, trigger the Nest thermostat, and more. It also works with other D-Link Connected Home devices, which you can control and set up integrations for from the same app. We tested this out by rigging the sensor so that when water was present it would trigger the D-Link Smart Plug to turn on a light.

Flaws but not dealbreakers

The D-Link DCH-S160 Wi-Fi Water Sensor is the only model on our list that doesn’t use batteries, which is a good and bad thing. Unlike every other model we tested, this unit plugs right into the wall. It’s nice that you won’t ever have to worry about changing dead batteries, but the fact that it needs an outlet could limit where you can place it. To combat some of those limitations, D-Link includes a pretty sensitive 1.6-foot water-sensor cable, as well as a 3.3-foot extension cable.

The D-Link DCH-S160 Wi-Fi Water Sensor needs an electrical outlet, so if you don’t have one near your leaky place, pick a different sensor.

Also, even though the audible alarm is a bonus, it would be nice if it were a little louder. Its sound traveled as far as 3feet indoors, but we had problems hearing it in the room right above, which was only about 1feet away. If you’re upstairs and this thing starts squealing in the basement, you may have problems hearing it.

The Fibaro sensor easily passed our submersion test.

Because the Fibaro Flood Sensor works with a smart-home hub, it means you can integrate it with other smart-home devices. For instance, we linked the sensor to a pair of Belkin’s WeMo switches so that lights would turn on whenever water was present. The Fibaro Flood Sensor even has an input terminal for connecting an external probe or connecting it to a wired alarm system.

Also worth mentioning is that the Fibaro Flood Sensor does have a temperature sensor that can trigger custom alerts within the SmartThings app. We set up a rule that when the temperature dropped below 40 degrees, the system would send a text. Then, we threw the device into the freezer. Sure enough, the temperature on the device dropped pretty quickly and we got our message.

The Fibaro includes a tilt sensor, so if someone moves it out of place, you’ll know.

Aeon Labs Aeotec Z-Wave Water Sensor

The Aeotec performed very well throughout our testing, routinely triggering alerts within seven seconds or less. However, this compact model isn’t as sturdy or feature-rich as the other devices we tested. The battery compartment didn’t seem too reliable and even fell open once or twice while we were handling it. Luckily, that portion doesn’t come anywhere near water because the device has a permanent cable that measures a little over feet. It doesn’t have an audible alarm or other extras. Also worth mentioning is that the receiver portion uses two AAA batteries, which lost about percent of juice during our testing period.

The Factory-Outlet MS63Digital Detector Tester

The Factory Outlet MS63is a pretty simple gas leak detector capable of quickly identifying and pinpointing gas leaks.

The Factory Outlet MS63comes with a comprehensive user manual and free shipping. If you’re low on budget and looking for a temporary solution for home use, this cheap gas leak detector is the one for you.

Training opportunities at Ion Science

A short video about the wide range of training opportunities offered to the team at Ion Science.

A short video about what our team like about working for Ion Science.

A short video to give insight into what its like working for Ion Science.

Ion Science demonstrate how to use GasCheck leak detectors.

CMI Fuel Systems

We needed a instrument to verify that there is no presence of helium on the hydrostatic test made in the casing and tubing which is installed on the oil well. We chose the GasCheck G because we liked it’s versatility, it’s light and it’s accurate detection. Ion Science as a company to deal with have been excellent. They were fast to respond to my concerns regarding technical support and the instrument warranty.

Stanre Internation Limited

We have had helium leaks in our laboratory and so needed an instrument to detects the sources so that we can rectify the issue. We got in contact with Sintrol, Ion Science’s Finnish distributor. We went ahead and purchased the GasCheck G, as this was the instrument our gas cylinder supplier recommended to us.

MAP Medical Technologies

We found out about Ion Science by doing a search on ‘Google’ for ‘sfgas leak detector’. This is where we came across the GasChack G and which led us to their South African Distributor, Impact Instruments. We chose to go ahead and purchase this instrument as our customer evaluated it to have the best price vs performance ratio compared to other competitor products we offered them that performs the same function. The device will be used at a substation switchgear for gas leak detection.

Central Technical Supplies

We bought the GasCheck G from Shawcity Ltd after researching on the internet for a ‘Portable Leak Detector’. The instrument will primarily be used for checking lines and components for helium leaks. This piece of equipment was chosen as a more effective alternative to traditional methods.

Dominion Gas

We have bought several GasCheck Gunits from Ion Science and are really happy with how reliable the ppm readings are – customers find the instrument easy to use. The customer service received from Ion Science is excellent, and so is the company overall. We chose to stay with Ion Science due to the years of good service and how reliable their instrument range is.

LACO Technologies

We recently purchased an Ion Science GasCheck Gthrough their UK distributor Shawcity Ltd. The product is to be used for leak detection on pressurised sealed enclosures, as well as during installation of various gas cylinders to ensure that there are no leaks around the regulator fittings. The gases being detected include argon, helium and nitrogen. We chose to purchase this product as the instrument performs to the high levels of sensitivity our applications demand. Furthermore, the instrument is extremely simple and intuitive to use, so training is not required to understand the results. We found out about the GasCheck Gby searching on Google ‘Argon leak detection equipment.

I have found the GasCheck G to be simple and intuitive to use. The pre-sales service received was excellent and so was the company overall. I was provided with detailed, technical information when I first contacted Ion Science and was then passed to a local distributor. We were then able to demonstrate how the instrument performed in our application, which led to us making the purchase.

Extinguish any and all flames.

Open your windows and doors but do not place electric fans in the home because that could cause a spark and ignition.

Try to detect the general area of the gas odor. Is it coming from your kitchen, basement, gas fireplace or other location.

If possible turn your gas service off where it enters your home. It is important to ask your Gas Service Professional how to do this at your meter which is usually located outside of your home. This may require use of tools. If so ask a neighbor for help.

This list of things to do should never supersede the instructions of your gas company, fire marshal or any other official ALWAYS DEFER TO OFFICIALS.

Meets the performance requirements of

I assumed command and crews began to investigate. The gas company representative advised that he had tracked the leak to the residence and had readings on the exterior and underground. The leak was underground and could not be controlled with the valve at the meter. He advised that the neighbors had not seen the elderly female resident that morning and no one answered the door. There was a newspaper in the driveway and a car in the attached garage. The decision was made to search for the resident.

The crew forced the interior garage door and entered the residence. As they searched, they opened windows and the front door. The gas monitor was now in an over-range condition. A second meter was obtained from the Rescue. The engine was moved from a staging position to the closest hydrant.

The two most severely injured firefighters were not wearing their gloves and attempted to cover their exposed skin. They were closest to the stairwell.

On scene, crews and additional units assisted with extinguishing the remaining fire, caring for the injured firefighters and performing the secondary search.

The home suffered extensive damage. The path of fire up the basement steps and through the kitchen was evident from the scorched ceiling, walls and the floor. While most of the fire burned out after the initial flash, overhaul revealed smoldering fire and burned materials from the basement to roof trusses.

Atwood Gas Detector

This particular monitor features a microprocessor sensor combination that records low level concentrations of gas. Should the alarm be triggered, it has the UL approved feature that allows the consumer to silence the unit. If the level of gas has not gone down after minutes, the alarm sounds again. The alarm may be reset an unlimited number of times and each time is refreshed, to allow full sensing capabilities in less than minutes.

Importantly, it has minimal power consumption at only 120mA at 1volts DC. The detector will continue to operate down to volts DC, when virtually all systems on your RV will have shut down due to low power.

Lifespan

Most LPG detectors use crystals to detect gas. They progressively oxidise over a 5-year period and become less effective. It is now recommended that all new installations have an expiry date noted on the unit for future reference. The Atwood unit has an ‘End of Life Mode’. After years +/- 12days of continuous operation, a flashing Yellow LED with alarm will chirp every 30 seconds, indicating the sensor is no longer reliable and must be replaced. Once end-of-life mode is activated, it is permanent and the alarm cannot be reset. We think this is a great safety feature.

Installing

This unit has the advantage of being flush or surface mounted. When surface mounting, it requires a hole of about 25mm in diameter, which accommodates the power supply connecting wires.

If you are replacing an existing detector, you may find the existing hole cut out in the wall is a lot larger than required for the Atwood model. As technology has advanced, the alarm size has decreased quite significantly. You may need to blank the original hole with a panel (e.g. piece of timber).

A amp fused power supply is recommended. Before running the power supply wires to the sensor, disconnect the 12v supply to eliminate a possible short. The unit has a wide operating voltage range of between 8-1volts DC.

False Alarms

LPG detectors merely sense hydrocarbons and these are found in many aerosol products. For example, some hairsprays include butane as the propellant (butane, like propane is heavier than air and will settle on the floor). It is not uncommon for detectors to ‘false alarm’ when aerosols are sprayed in the immediate vicinity.

The Atwood detector featured here is reported to offer the best discrimination against false alarms.

Playing With Fire

The legislation requires there to be a smoke alarm fitted on each story in a property that contains a habitable room (living room, bedroom etc.). This, in isolation, is straightforward enough, however – the requirement extends to ensuring that the smoke alarms are working on the day the tenancy starts.

The requirements don’t specifically state what type of alarm should be fitted (e.g., mains-wired or battery), but keep in mind that separate legislation may apply to your property. For example, if the property has been built since 1991, building regulations will require mains-wired smoke alarms be fitted. If your property has a loft conversion, the same may also apply and if the property is an HMO requiring a mandatory licence this will have placed its own specific requirements over the types of alarm to be fitted and their locations.

The legislation also does not specify where the alarms should be fitted (e.g., on a wall or ceiling). Separate recommendations have been issued by the government over this and can be found here. Best practice is to follow the manufacturer’s guidelines and always fit on the ceiling, rather than a wall.

Testing

The main part of the legislation, aside from ensuring the correct number and types of detectors are fitted, is to ensure that they are working on the day that the tenancy starts. Once this has been done it can then be the tenant’s responsibility to test at regular intervals during the tenancy and to notify you if any detector is not working. If they are battery operated then it will be the tenant’s responsibility to replace, but if mains-wired it would be the landlord’s responsibility to fix.

Who this is for

Among all the smart-home devices available today, a smart smoke alarm is probably the most important and the one that even smart-home skeptics should consider. The primary task of any smoke alarm, smart or not, is alerting you to potential danger. A smart alarm will do so even when you’re not home, and for most people, that should make such an alarm worth the price. Whether you’re across the street or across the country, a smart alarm will let you know (via your smartphone) when it detects smoke in your home.

Pull Quote

Among all the smart-home devices available today, a smart smoke alarm is probably the most important and the one that even smart-home skeptics should consider.

Another benefit of smart smoke alarms over standard ones is that you can more easily tell when they’re not working. Manufacturers and fire-safety experts say you should manually test your alarms once a month and replace the batteries twice a year (at the same time you change your clocks). Smoke alarms are either battery-powered or hardwired (meaning you can install that kind only where the house has wiring to support it), but even hardwired alarms have batteries in them in case the power goes out. Smart alarms can periodically test themselves or allow you to test them remotely through their companion app, and some have batteries that last five to years, helping to make sure you have working alarms in your home.

If you already need to replace your smoke alarms anyway—fire-safety experts recommend doing so every years because sensors wear out—we think the price premium for going smart, while not insignificant, is a small one to pay for added peace of mind. This is especially true if you already have other smart-home equipment such as cameras, which allow you to confirm whether something has actually gone awry in your home when an alarm goes off.

Who else likes our pick

If notifications when you are away from home are your main priority, a Roost Smart Battery is an excellent, inexpensive choice. This 9-volt smart battery is not a smoke alarm itself, but thanks to its built-in microphone and Wi-Fi chip, it can turn any smoke alarm powered by a 9-volt battery or hardwired with a 9-volt backup into a smart one. Roost’s smart functions are also available in two hardwired alarm models, one for smoke only and another for smoke and CO, both with the Roost battery included.

Once connected with the Roost app, the battery will send you alerts when the alarm goes off. Since you tell the battery upon installation where it’s located, it can tell you where the danger is, and it will send you an alert when the alarm stops, so you know whether the danger has passed (the Nest Protect also does this). You can silence any battery-only alarm from your phone (though you can’t do the same with hardwired alarms), and you have no need to worry about a.m. battery chirps—you’ll get a notification long before the battery runs out.

Once you sync the Roost battery with the app and install it in an alarm, you’ll receive alerts when an alarm goes off, as well as another alert when it stops. The Nest Protect and the Roost are the only two alarms we tested that also follow up to let you know if the danger has passed.

The Roost battery doesn’t offer any other smart features, apart from some basic IFTTT recipes, and it doesn’t integrate with other connected devices in your home, but we think Roost’s lack of extensive smart-home features is actually a plus for people who are confused or concerned about having too many IoT devices in their homes. This simplicity makes Roost a good choice for any homeowner who isn’t interested in the home-automation aspect of smart-home technology and doesn’t want to pay for such features.

In October 2016, Roost introduced its own line of smoke alarms, developed in partnership with Universal Security Instruments, the number three fire-safety manufacturer in the US. The Roost alarms are actually just standard alarms, but each comes with a Roost battery to add the smarts. This addition to Roost’s offerings gives you two more budget-friendly options for outfitting your home with smart smoke alarms. So, on top of retrofitting old alarms, you can buy a Roost Smart Smoke Alarm that can detect CO, all types of smoke (Roost uses a modified ionization sensor, called IoPhic, made by Universal Security Instruments), and natural gas, or you can get a cheaper smoke-only alarm. Note, however, that we don’t recommend IoPhic-based alarms due to their poor customer reviews.

The Roost-branded alarms are slightly more stylish than the standard Kidde and First Alert devices you might be used to, although not as attractive as the Nest Protect. They are designed to last approximately seven years (the Protect promises to last 10), while the included battery should last five years.

The competition

Seemingly cut from the same cloth as Nest’s Protect, the First Alert Onelink has the same ring of LED lamps to alert you to danger (red) or malfunctions (yellow), offers both voice and location alerts, and lets you silence alarms through its dedicated app. However, many of the Onelink’s features are just pale imitations of the Protect’s offerings, and we were particularly unimpressed with the full two minutes it took to push alerts to our phone and allow us to silence the alarm. The Protect took well under 30 seconds.

Like the Protect, the Onelink has a wireless interconnectivity feature. Unlike the Protect, however, it also offers the option of a wired interconnect system and will work with some existing wired systems, so depending on what you have installed you may be able to buy a single Onelink and give all your existing hardwired alarms some smarts. This feature could be crucial if your home is already equipped with wired First Alert detectors. We weren’t able to test this feature, but CNET notes in its review that while the alerts from a single Onelink alarm transmitted to the “dumb” ones dependably, signals going the other way were very slow, with alerts sometimes taking up to two minutes.

The Onelink is the only Apple HomeKit–certified smart smoke alarm available now, but due to a firmware issue it doesn’t currently work with HomeKit under iOS The alarm is still fully functional, it just doesn’t support control via HomeKit, so we couldn’t test those features. (See What to look forward to for more on this topic).

The other two currently available smart smoke alarms, the First Alert Z-Wave Smoke/CO Alarm and the Kidde Wireless Interconnected Combination Smoke and Carbon Monoxide Alarm, are “smart” only when you use them with a smart-home hub such as Wink or SmartThings. If you already have one of those two systems in your home (or plan to put together a system using one of them), these alarms could be a good option.

The First Alert Z-Wave Smoke/CO Alarm (ZCOMBO) was our favorite of the two alarms that work with a smart-home hub. We tested it with SmartThings, but it’s compatible with other Z-Wave systems apart from Wink. The SmartThings app interface is a lot more intuitive than the Wink/Kidde version, offering a useful alert screen when the alarm goes off, where you can interact with all your connected smart devices activated by the alarm (as opposed to just getting a notification from Wink). You can also silence the alarm from there, which you can’t do with Wink.

On the positive side, if you have compatible cameras, lights, locks, and a sound system, you can set up automatic routines to record footage, turn your lights red, unlock your doors (so that the fire department doesn’t break them down), and have your compatible sound system say “Fire alarm” if triggered. Without any of those devices in your home, however, you will merely receive a push notification that an alarm has gone off.

Because it’s often offered at a discount in multi-packs, the Kidde Wireless Interconnected Combination Smoke and Carbon Monoxide Alarm is the least expensive smart smoke alarm, albeit with the least flexibility and features. It is nicer looking than the First Alert Z-Wave model, with smooth corners and an elegant rounded shape, but it doesn’t come in a wired version, it has only an ionization sensor, and it operates on three standard AA batteries, meaning low-battery chirps are still a possibility. It also works as a smart alarm only if you connect it to the Wink smart-home hub.

Once you connect it to Wink, you can set up Robots to trigger other smart-home devices to act if an alarm is activated, but the Wink app integration is limited—you can set up low-battery alerts and receive notifications if your alarms are activated, but that’s pretty much it. You can’t silence the alarm from the app, and many customer reviews complain that Wink didn’t always trigger their Robots when an alarm went off, rendering the smart-home integration useless.

What to look forward to

In its guide to smoke and CO alarms, Consumer Reports issues a challenge to all smoke alarm manufacturers to create “a single device that senses both kinds of fire and CO.” The Nest Protect’s Split-Spectrum Sensor purports to cut down nuisance alarms by including a type of ionization sensor, but it isn’t a dual detector. However, two smart smoke alarms coming soon promise to offer true dual-sensing smoke detection, with both photoelectric and ionization sensors.

Halo Smart Labs’s Halo incorporates sensors that detect all types of fires, as well as CO. It also offers voice alerts and a glowing red ring to indicate danger, plus a 10-year battery. A second unit, the Halo +, incorporates weather and disaster alerts, covering tornadoes, floods, and hurricanes. Halo Smart Labs told us that the devices will be shipping in December.

Birdi distinguishes itself by offering air-quality and weather monitoring in addition to providing dual smoke sensing and CO detection. According to its website, Birdi tracks dust, VOCs, temperature, and humidity, as well as how stale the air is inside your home. Outside, it tracks pollution, pollen, and particulates, and provides weather tips. According to the Birdi blog, it will be shipping in late November, and it is an Apple HomeKit partner.

Speaking of HomeKit, as we mention above, First Alert’s Onelink is technically HomeKit compatible, meaning you should be able to set up automations to trigger when your alarm detects smoke or CO. However, due to a firmware issue this functionality isn’t currently available with iOS and the Home app. A fix is coming soon, according to the makers of the Onelink, and once it arrives we’ll update our review. In the meantime, you can still use Siri to ask questions such as “Is there smoke upstairs?” or “How is the carbon monoxide alarm?” But we imagine the usefulness of this function is pretty limited.

Sources

Keison Products is the world’s leading supplier of safety equipment, gas detection and scientific products.

We specialise in product solutions for BA equipment, chemical oxygen, safety masks and gas detectors for all types of safety applications. With over twenty six years of experience, we have the necessary know-how and ability to deliver the right product to the right application.

We also supply detection products for indoor air quality, dust and particles, flue and landfill, along with laboratory equipment including furnaces, spectrophotometers and rotary evaporators.

Most CO alarms currently last between and years. Quite a lot of CO alarms also do not warn you when they reach the end of their life, which means that they could be entirely useless while giving the impression of protection. Safelincs offers a FireAngel CO alarm that has a sensor life of ten years, a battery life of ten years and a ten year guarantee! The alarm also gives a warning when it reaches the end of its useful life.

If you wish to not only receive a warning in case of excessive carbon monoxide but an actual readout, even at low CO levels, choose a digital CO alarm such as the Fire Angel 9D pictured here.

Application

Consider what you will be using the Gas Detector for, is it to feel safer in your home or for work? If you are working it is more likely you will use a portable Gas Detector such as our BW Gas Alert Detector! If you are looking to use it in the home you are more likely to use a fixed gas detector.

Gas Detection

What gas do you want your Gas Detector to be able to detect? Some detectors are able to detect multiple gases whilst others aren’t. If you’re in need of a product that can detect a specific gas, make sure that the one you are buying is able to detect it.

Crowcon

BW Technologies

The aim is to create excellent, low maintenance and compact gas detectors such as the BW Gas Microclip XT. The Gas Alert MicroClip XT provides affordable protection from atmospheric hazards. Its slim and compact design makes it easy to wear, allowing workers to focus on the job at hand without feeling weighed down.

The First Alert CO61is an effective and easy-to-use carbon monoxide detector. AC powered with a battery backup, it can plug directly into any outlet, though a better choice is using the included 6-foot power cord to mount it high on a wall per expert recommendations. It’s excellent at detecting high and low CO levels and the large LCD readout is a plus.

Kidde KN-COB-B-LPM

The Kidde KN-COB-B-LPM is a basic, battery-operated carbon monoxide detector that’s easy to install and use. There are no fancy features, just a test/reset button and a pair of LEDs to indicate that the unit is operating correctly or if an alarm has sounded. It meets UL standards regarding sensitivity, with a loud alarm that’s rated at 8dB at a distance of feet.

First Alert CO511B

For maximum protection, experts recommend interconnected CO detectors such as the First Alert CO511B. This CO alarm is completely battery powered and uses secure radio links to communicate with other First Alert wireless alarms. It’s judged to be excellent in detecting dangerous carbon monoxide levels. When triggered, voice alarms announcing the hazard and the specific location will sound on all connected alarms, minimizing confusion.

Expert testing looks good for the

UL203standards for its ability to issue warnings that protect life without subjecting users to nuisance alarms.

Final Word

First of all thanks for reading my article to the end! I hope you find my reviews listed here useful and that it allows you to make a proper comparison of what is best to fit your needs and budget. Don’t be afraid to try more than one product if your first pick doesn’t do the trick.

Most important, have fun and choose your natural gas detector wisely! Good luck!

So, TOP3 of natural gas detector

• №1 — Natural Gas Detector /Home Gas Leak Alarm /Tester Sensor Combustible Gases: Propane
• №2 — CHUDONG Plug-In Natural Gas Detector Portable Device Able to Detect LPG LNG and Coal Gas Avoid Gas Leak Sensor Detector with Voice Warning and Digital Display
• №3 — ZANBO Combustible Natural Gas Detector Alarm for Home with Standard US Plug Gas Detector Sensor

Questions? Leave a comment below!

Chatting about natural gas detector is my passion! Leave me a question in the comments, I answer each and every one and would love to get to know you better!