The LED display registers any concentration of combustible gas, but if the concentration gets above 5%, it triggers a flashing red light and voice alert as well as a loud alarm. When you first turn it on, the device will take about three minutes to go through a warm-up and self-test sequence. First and foremost, this well-priced detector comes equipped with a six-foot extension cord so you can plug it into an outlet and mount it near the ceiling to detect natural gas or near the floor to detect propane. While our engineers haven't yet gotten hands on with the EG Air in our Lab, they're impressed by many of its features. Radon: While a concentration in your basement or crawl space won't cause your home to explode the way propane or natural gas can, radon is radioactive and is the second leading cause of lung cancer, according to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).Toxic gases are identified by electrochemical and metal oxide semiconductor technologies. These gases are lighter than air, so detectors should be placed high in a room to detect potential leaks. Toxic gases like carbon monoxide: Exposure to high levels of colorless, odorless carbon monoxide (CO) from a leaking appliance or a vehicle running in an attached garage is harmful, and can be fatal.Combustible gas detectors use catalytic and infrared sensors, and since propane gas is heavier than air, detectors should be placed low to the ground. Combustible gases: Natural gas, mostly comprising methane and propane, have an additive called mercaptan that smells like rotten eggs - but if you’re not in the immediate area where the source is, you might not smell that leak until it’s catastrophically too late.

Here are some of the common offenders to watch out for when it comes to the air in your home:

To evaluate the detectors, our testers exposed them gas to see if they set off an alert, assessed the ease of setup and intuitiveness of any companion apps and looked at things like integration with other smart home products.īased on that hands-on testing, category expertise and a review of the newest and most innovative leak sensors on the market, we're confident that these are the best gas leak detectors for your home: Our top picks:Īs you peruse our picks, keep in mind that manufacturers are specific about which gas or gases their detector will sense, and a detector will not sniff out a certain gas if it's not listed by the manufacturer. We also included detectors designed to identify natural gas or propane leaks from specific equipment, like a gas-fired stove or furnace. This roundup of gas leak detectors from the engineers and home safety experts at the Good Housekeeping Institute includes several combination safety devices from brands we deem trusted and reliable based on years of testing. Fortunately, these detectors are now baked into many other safety devices, for example digital air monitors and dual CO and smoke alarms. In fact, two of the most dangerous gases- carbon monoxide (CO) and radon - are completely odorless, earning them the moniker 'silent killers.' That’s why it’s critical to equip your home with some type of gas leak detector. Gas leaks in the home can take many forms, and not all of them smell like rotten eggs. We also added a newly tested recommendation from Airthings, as well as the latest buying advice for gas leak detectors. We updated this guide in January 2023 to e nsure all of our picks, vetted by the GH Institute, were in stock and correctly priced.

Colorwell style