CO vs CH4 detectors

[vjp2.at]

We have natural gas (no, not flatulence, but for heating). When you burn natural gas you get CO2 and water. No CO as far as I know unless "bad" burn. So shouldn't such homes have CH4 (methane) detectors (pilot out) or do CO detectors somehow also catch CH4?

- = - Vasos-Peter John Panagiotopoulos II, Columbia'81+, Bio$trategist BachMozart ReaganQuayle EvrytanoKastorian

---{Nothing herein constitutes advice. Everything fully disclaimed.}--- [Homeland Security means private firearms not lazy obstructive guards]

[John Hines]

Natural gas has an odorant, which makes it "smellable" by the human nose.

[John Smith]

Methane doesn't kill people. Why bother detecting it?

[Edwin Pawlowski]

So it does not go B O O O O M

Also, it will suffocate you if it displaces oxygen. Ask any coal minor about gas detection.

[willshak]

That's true. Methane gas by itself does not kill people. However, in enclosed and unventilated spaces, it displaces oxygen which, as you might be aware of, is essential to life. People working in enclosed and unventilated spaces where there is an accumulation of methane gas may not be getting enough oxygen, which may lead to unconsciousness, and if not discovered early enough, death.

[John Smith]

A sulfur compound (t-butylthiol?) is added to natural gas. If you have a leak, you should be able to smell it long before the concentration of methane is high enough to suffocate you.

As to explosion, the lower explosion limit of methane is 5.3. If the air contains less than 5.3% of methane, it cannot and will not explode. You should be able to smell the leak long before the concentration of methane reaches 5.3%.

On the other hand, if there is a incomplete burning, CO is generated. The OSHA permissible exposure limit for CO is 50 ppm for eight hours. 50 ppm is 0.005%. We are talking about really low concentration here.

If you have to decide whether to buy a methane or CO detector, you ought to buy a CO detector. If you are still worry and have m>