Where Can I Buy an Oxygen Monitor?

You know you need an O₂ monitor, but where do you get one, and how much does it cost?  Selling oxygen deficiency monitors is our business, so we've rounded up information to choose the right oxygen deficiency monitor for your needs. 

Who Should Use an Oxygen Deficiency Monitor? 

An oxygen deficiency monitor should be placed anywhere that inert gases, such as argon or nitrogen, are used or stored. Industries that use an oxygen deficiency monitor include: 

• Research & development – Laboratories often perform testing using nitrogen, argon, or CO2.
• Medical gases- Used in hospitals, or labs requiring ultra-purity (99.9%) inert gases or nitrogen gas.
• MRI facilities- Helium gas surrounds the MR magnet to protect from overheating while in operation.
• Pharmaceutical- Nitrogen is used in cryogenic freezers and CO₂ or dry ice is commonly used for shipping heat sensitive prescription drugs.
• Cryotherapy- Nitrogen gas is used to create on-demand low temperatures quickly for therapy. Used for treating people to reduce inflammation.
• Cryopreservation- N₂ gas is used in the process of cooling and storing cells, tissues, or organs at very low temperatures to maintain their viability.
• Universities- Many schools specializing in medicine, sciences, or aerospace require nitrogen gas, argon gas, or carbon dioxide for experiments and long-term research.
• Semiconductor- Ultra purity nitrogen gas or other inert gases are required to reduce corrosion and oxidation on wafers or in semiconductor tools.
• Food & Beverage- Nitrogen gas or CO₂ is used to rapidly flash freeze food, or increase the shelf life of packaged foods and beverages.
• OLED- Nitrogen gas is used to reduce oxidation in printing chambers maintaining the quality of the substrate.
• 3D Printers- Argon gas and nitrogen gas are used in printers to reduce corrosion and protect metals from being a source of ignition, most commonly titanium metals.

What is an Oxygen Monitor Alarm?

An oxygen monitor alarm goes off if oxygen levels fall to a critical threshold, which is defined by OSHA as below 19.5 percent. 

The type of alarm varies by the specifications of the oxygen deficiency monitor you're considering. At PureAire, our oxygen monitors have two alarm levels, for 19.5 percent and 18 percent. The built-in alarm operates at 90 decibels, so workers can hear the alarm over facility noise. The optional horn and strobe combination amplifies the alarm. 

Alarm relays link alerts with third party communication systems, such as control panels, PLCs, or fire alarm systems for maximum versatility. 

How Much Does an Oxygen Monitor Cost?

Oxygen monitors range in price from $1,500 to $4,500, depending on if you need percentage or ppm accuracy. 

Where Can I Buy an Oxygen Monitor? 

Now that you understand the different features available in an oxygen monitor, as well as who should have an O₂ monitor, you're ready to research and buy. We're partial to PureAire products, but we always recommend that you review the specifications of any oxygen deficiency monitor so you understand what features the product has and whether it's right for you. PureAire includes a sensor lasting 10 year or more which is usually more desirable when you’re planning on using an oxygen monitor longer than 2 to 3 years.

You can buy an oxygen deficiency monitor online from the manufacturer, directly though distributors, and through commerce outlets as well. 

PureAire works with various distributors such as Airgas, Air Liquide, Linde, Air Products, Fisher Scientific, and Johnson Controls.

One note of caution here, especially if you use the internet to research oxygen monitors. A number of products may come up when you search for O₂ monitors that are NOT the correct product to detect gas leaks. You may find search results for the following products when you begin to look for oxygen monitors online: 

• Finger oxygen monitor
• Blood oxygen monitor 
• Pulse oximetry monitor 
• Oximeter
• Baby monitor 

As you may guess from the names, these other monitors are commonly used in medical and pharmaceutical settings. The price point will be far less than what you would spend for the type of oxygen monitor we're talking about. The other oxygen monitors are also found in stores and online at pharmacies: Walgreens, Target, CVS, and the like. 

When you review the product specifications, make sure the product you've found does what you need it to do: Monitor levels of oxygen in the air to detect a gas leak that could harm your facility and workers. 

If there are other questions you have about shopping for an oxygen deficiency monitor, we're here for you. Chat with us online or email us today. 

How Do Potato Chips Stay So Fresh In The Bag?

Chip bags have all that air in them for a valid reason — and it's not air, anyway, it's nitrogen gas. 

So what is this gas doing in your bag of crisps? First, the gas acts as a preservative so your chips are as crispy when you open the bag as the day they were packaged. Next, the gas also gives the chips a cushion. In what's known as slack fill, chips manufacturers intentionally inflate the package with nitrogen gas to protect it from damage in transit. Without the cushion of nitrogen gas, chips would likely wind up at their final destination as a bag of crumbs, because the chips inside the bag would break through being stacked in transit or packed onto a grocery store shelf. 

Nitrogen gas is piped into the chip bag before packaging. The gas displaces oxygen from the bag, which is then filled with chips and sealed. Without this step, chips would have a much shorter shelf life. Oxygen in the bag would cause the chips to stale and humidity found in air would lead to soggy crisps — no signature crunch.

While nitrogen gas does play an important role in keeping chips fresh and full-sized, there is a danger in using this gas. Not to the chips — since nitrogen lacks odor, color, and flavor—but to the employees in the processing plant. Nitrogen preserves the chips' texture because it displaces oxygen. If nitrogen leaks in the packaging facility, it will displace ambient oxygen — eventually causing levels to fall so low they threaten employee health. 

Workers become confused and dizzy when they breathe air that lacks sufficient oxygen. Oxygen-deficient air also causes respiratory problems and can lead to death via asphyxiation. 

The same properties that made nitrogen a good choice for preservation — lack of color, odor, and taste — mean employees cannot detect a leak until it is too late. 

Fortunately, there's a simple and reliable way to make sure food packaging facilities aren't leaking nitrogen: Using oxygen sensors to measure the amount of oxygen in the air. 

How an Oxygen Deficiency Monitor Protects Food Packaging Plant Workers

An oxygen monitor tracks oxygen levels in the facility, which should be stable as long as there is no gas leak. Since nitrogen gas displaces oxygen, oxygen levels will fall in the event that nitrogen starts to leak. When oxygen levels fall below safe thresholds — which are defined by OSHA as 19.5 percent — the oxygen monitor will sound an alarm. Employees will be able to leave the packaging floor and alert emergency personnel before the situation turns deadly. 

For peace of mind, employees can check the levels of ambient oxygen by looking at the face of the monitor. A silent monitor — with no loud alarms or flashing lights — indicates that all is well. Lights and loud noises mean staff should stop what they are doing and vacate immediately. 

To properly protect employees, one oxygen deficiency monitor should be installed in any room where nitrogen gas is used or stored. Facilities that use nitrogen generators to produce nitrogen on demand also need an oxygen sensor near the generator. 

PureAire's oxygen deficiency monitors are a cost-effective long-term solution to nitrogen leaks in food packaging plants. These monitors provide accurate readouts even when temperatures are as low as -40 Celsius, and operate reliably even in confined spaces, including freezers and basements. 

PureAire's monitors feature a zirconium sensor, which requires no maintenance and no calibration after installation. PureAire's O₂ monitors provide consistent readouts regardless of the weather or barometric pressure, which makes them reliable solutions for safety-minded employers. 

If you are looking for an oxygen monitor that is easy to use, accurate, and built to last, look to PureAire to provide solutions that protect your employees and deliver peace of mind. Browse products at www.pureairemonitoring.com.