Common Misconceptions About Flame Detectors

By Author: Belinda Rahme Barakat
Total Articles: 52
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Flame detectors are used throughout the industry to ensure employees' safety, but there are still some people who are sceptical about their abilities. IR3 Flame Detector can detect gas leaks before they become catastrophic and cause massive damage to the surrounding area.

Flame detectors are sensitive pieces of equipment that can detect the smallest amounts of heat and flame, but it’s important to not only educate yourself on what they do but also what they don’t do as well. The five most common misconceptions about flame detectors are listed below and debunked here.

Flame Detector Won’t Stop Fires

Yes, a flame detector can put off an ongoing fire. But, they can prevent the fire from happening. Just because your flame detector won’t stop a fire doesn’t mean it isn’t an important piece of safety equipment. Given any industry, including oil and gas, it is vital to have early detection methods in place that can alert you of danger before it escalates into an out-of-control situation. This gives you valuable time to evacuate all personnel before an explosion occurs. Industrial flame detectors and ...
... spark detection sensors are designed to do just that.

Flame Detectors Take Time to Send Signal or Alarm

Indeed a myth. Flames can be detected much more quickly than they can spread. For example, in oil and gas refineries and petrochemical plants, most flame detectors will sense flames within 0.5 to 1.0 seconds—an inferno takes far longer to reach that temperature than that! In most situations, a person has more time to react to an alarm than she does to a fire.

The Detector Is Sensitive

More sensitivity does not mean more fire: It’s true that flame detectors are very sensitive devices, which is why you hear them set off in response to burnt toast. A large enough fire can indeed trigger a flame detector, but that’s because it is a big fire. Industrial fires will be bigger than ordinary ones, but they won’t be so great as to constantly set off your flame detector.

A Spark Can Set Off the Flame Detector

The most common misconception with flame detectors is assuming that any spark can set off their flame detector. This isn’t true at all, as you’ll need an ignition source to have a working flame detector. Think of it like a smoke detector, where you won’t have an alarm until there is actual smoke. The same goes for flames—there has to be actual fire before your flame detector will sense something is wrong and sound off alarms or alert workers in another way.

For further queries on fire or spark detection, please give us a call. We can help you choose the right flame detector for your needs.