Launching a Smart Home Gas Detector, Suggestions Needed

[Kepler PRC]

Hi Everyone,

As we all know, natural gas leaks can be incredibly dangerous, and our team wants to do something to help prevent natural gas tragedies. I am creating a home-use smart gas and carbon monoxide detector.

The detector is a smart system; it delivers real-time information to your m obile phone, and alerts you according to the level of danger. It is portabl e, so you can bring it anywhere to check for gas leaks. The detector also h as a sleek, modern design, so it will look good in any home.

I'd love to know your opinions about our product so we can work to improve it. Any questions or suggestions are appreciated.

Thanks so much for your help!

[Ed Pawlowski]

You should talk to my wife. She is uncanny detecting natural gas. Just this morning she said to me "Did you fart again?"

[bob haller]

so how many gas leaks nationwide per year do real harm?

sure there are a few each year that are memorable. the best gas detector is the human nose, smelling gas means leave the area immediately.

sorry I dont believe your idea ill sell in quantity, because gas leaks arent percieved as a big risk..

[CRNG]

On Thu, 24 Jul 2014 02:26:10 -0700 (PDT), Kepler PRC wrote in

Looks like a good solution to a problem that doesn't exist.

Charge a lot for it. The higher the price the more people will think they need it.

[Stormin Mormon]

I lit a water heater a couple days ago, for some friends who were scared of the thing exploding. So, there are at least a few people who would spend money on such a device.

[Stormin Mormon]

And buy some legislators. Make em pass a law that requires them, like NYS and carbon monoxide detectors. Then, make em run on some specific battery that is hard to find, and very expensive. I'd suggest a 27 volt thin layer carbon zinc battery pile, that's only made in Pakistan, by small Muslim boys who hate our guts cause we're pigs and apes. Prohibit any non-genuine power alternatives such as USA made alkaline cells that last longer.

[Moe DeLoughan]

"Doesn't exist"? On what planet? There are innumerable instances where people simply aren't sure if they're smelling gas or not. That's why the gas companies tell you to call them, and then they send out techs with sniffers: to determine if there is actually a gas leak, or not. Sounds like this company is building a retail gas sniffer. If the price is right, some people will buy it. I'd advice them to sell to the senior citizen demographic, since it's well known that the sense of smell fades with age and many seniors simply cannot smell the odorant added to natural gas.

[Tony Hwang]

Hi, Right, smell NG? dogs and cats smell it well too. Open some windows and vacate the area. Call gas company. They will respond right away. I have NG/CO detectors in the house with flame/smoke detectors. I wonder how many of those smart detector will sell?

[Moe DeLoughan]

Followup from the NY Times:

"A study published in 2006 in Science of Aging Knowledge Environment found that 45 percent of the elderly subjects tested could not detect the warning odor in natural gas."

[Art Todesco]

There are propane detectors on or near the floor in most motor homes and trailers. Everyone I've talked to, and admit, I've not talked to many about this, have disconnected them because of false triggering. Mine would trigger on 'gas' from the cat litter box. I think it also triggered when you go to light the stove burner. Propane is heavier than air and goes down. Some gas would 'escape' from the burners before ignition, and it would hit the detector.

A interesting story from many years ago. A friend of mine worked for then, Standard Oil in Chicago. They started hearing reports of natural gas leaks in some area of the country. They ultimately traced it to one of their trucks carrying the stinky NG additive, that was leaking just one drop at a time. They traced it through every city and state where the truck was going. No cell phones or GPS unit at that time. The stuff is so concentrated that only a drop will set off people's noses in a fairly large area. They finally were able to get to the truck and stop the leak ... and also, the hysteria it caused.

[Pete C.]

I've never had any false alarms with my camper's gas detector, nor have any other folks with campers I know of. My home gas detector has never false alarmed either, it did go off once when I was anodizing aluminum on the back screened porch and left the door open, however that releases some hydrogen gas so it wasn't a false alarm. I'd rather a false alarm occasionally vs. being blown to bits due to a gas leak as it seems happens pretty much daily across the US (homes blown to bits, with or without occupants).

[trader_4]

I agree, it has some merit. I would also include smoke detection as part of it. The big problem with any of these remote monitoring devices and systems is false alarms. If you get texted, then what? If you have a neighbor or someone close by that can check it out you could call them. Otherwise, it's another call to 911 and the cops aren't too keen on answering alarm calls because almost all of them are false alarms. Burglar alarms have been a problem for a long time now. If you got a huge new wave of more alarm devices, IDK what would happen.

[Frank]

Odorant used, t-butyl mercaptan, can be smelled at less than 0. 33 ppb:

Someone said that one drop in a full football stadium would be smelled by all.

Odor in skunks are other mercaptans.

[Kepler PRC]

? 2014?7?24????UTC+

8??11?11?31??Art Todesco? ????

Thanks for your interest. False triggering is a practical question. Our pro duct is still under development, I cannot show you the technical spec. I guess we'd like to suggest 1.2 - 1.8 meters (4-6 feet) as the installation height of a gas detector. A gas alarm is perfect for the kitchen but cannot be installed directly above the stove. Also, the sensibility of the sensor in the detector can be adjusted after consulting experts.

[Kepler PRC]

? 2014?7?24????UTC+

8??9?22?08??Moe DeLoughan ???

Well...Thanks for your interest and helpful advice. :)