Interesting gadget. I have two of them and just to make it clear I have no other connection to their manufacturer. The cost from memory is $60-100 each.
The one on the first floor measures and graphs temperature, humidity and voc (volatile organic compounds). The one in the basement measures and graphs temperature, humidity and radon.
These are battery powered hockey puck devices. If you wave your hand in front of them they provide a quick green, yellow or red indication but no other information. To graph I have to go to Bluetooth and let the devices synch.
Humidity gives risk of mold.
Radon here is cyclical but lately has been showing red up to a peak of 9.9 pCi//L. The device shows green to 2.5 pCi/L and redline starts at 4.0 pCi/L. Since August the device has been mostly red. I just don't spend a lot of time in the basement.
The VOC on the first floor mostly hangs in the green around 100 ppm. My guess is the more cleaning fluids I use the worst the VOC becomes. The limit on green is 200 ppm and redline is 2,000 VOC.
None of these gives an audible alarm. This would be a nuisance but means when curious I have to wave a hand before opening the app to find out why a measured parameter is out of range.
Now here is an anomaly. I accidently left one burner on the propane stove turned on full for around 4 hours ( I bumped it). When I turned on another burner the propane trapped by the stove ridge flashed for a moment. No big deal but when I checked the Airthings it was in the yellow at 1,200 ppm. I had opened up two windows on the first floor and two basement windows (LP is heavy). Problem solved.
From online sources
So to sum up I was nowhere near the Lower Explosive Limit but if left for several days I could have a problem.Quote:
Propane's flammability ranges from a Lower Explosive Limit (LEL) of 2.1% (21,000 ppm) to an Upper Explosive Limit (UEL) of 10.1% (101,000 ppm) by volume in air. This means that any propane-air mixture within these concentration limits can ignite and explode if an ignition source is present.
Understanding the ppm scale:
ppm: stands for "parts per million".
1% (1 part in 100) is equivalent to 10,000 ppm (10,000 parts in 1,000,000).
Propane's Flammability Limits in ppm:
LEL (Lower Explosive Limit): 21,000 ppm
This is the minimum concentration of propane in air that will ignite.
UEL (Upper Explosive Limit): 101,000 ppm
This is the maximum concentration of propane in air that will ignite.
Key Considerations:
Flammable Range: For propane to be flammable, its concentration must be between 21,000 ppm and 101,000 ppm.
Immediately Dangerous to Life or Health (IDLH): The IDLH for propane is 2,100 ppm, which is 10% of the LEL, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. This is the concentration at which exposure is life-threatening, but it's important to remember that this is a health hazard, not a fire hazard limit.
Safety: Adequate ventilation is crucial to prevent propane vapor from accumulating and reaching its LEL
As a side benefit as a result of ventilation of the basement for a day the radon kicked back to the yellow (it never did make it to green).
