What gas is used in apartments - natural or liquefied? Fossil fuels that are extracted from the bowels of the earth are fed into stoves and systems for space heating. Naturally, before being in the pipes that lead to our houses, the gas is pre-processed, substances are added to it that make it possible to make its composition optimal for domestic use. Let’s find out what gas is in the apartment?
Composition
What gas in apartments - propane or methane? In fact, the fuel that is supplied to the house is a mixture of not only these substances, but also a whole mass of additional substances. In fact, methane is its basis. The content of this substance in natural fuels can range from 70 to 98%.
And answering the question, what gas is in the apartment, we can say that in addition to methane, it includes the following substances:
- propane;
- butane;
- hydrogen sulfide;
- carbon dioxide;
- water vapor.
In order to secure such fuel and make it better, optimal for domestic use, suppliers subject natural fossils to purification, remove excess impurities from it and only then sell them to consumers.
What is the gas pressure in the apartment
Before natural fossil fuels ignite on stoves in our homes, it overcomes tens and hundreds of thousands of kilometers through gas pipelines. The pressure in such gas transport arteries is extremely high and can reach an index of about 11.8 MPa.
Obviously, this pressure indicator does not meet the safety requirements for domestic consumption. Therefore, fuel is preliminarily supplied to gas distribution stations. Here its pressure is reduced to 1.2 MPa. In addition, fuel is cleaned at such stations.
Why gas in apartments has a smell
What gas goes into the apartment? Everyone already knows from the school curriculum that fossil fuels are colorless and odorless. The characteristic aroma is given to him at all the same gas distribution stations. So-called odorants are added to such fuel - specific substances that are recognized by the human sense of smell and, accordingly, help to prevent a life-threatening gas leak in the room. They have a rather unpleasant odor. The latter reminds us of the spirit that comes from rotting cabbage or fresh hay.
Frequently used odorants are substances such as ethanethiol and ethyl mercaptan. These substances are presented in the form of odorous liquids. When processing natural gas, they are sprayed into its structure, which makes it possible to give the fuel a characteristic aroma.
Is natural gas toxic?
So we found out what gas is supplied to the apartments. Now let's look at whether such fuel can be harmful.
Contrary to common misconceptions, the gas that is supplied to our homes is completely non-toxic. Therefore, poisoning when inhaled is extremely difficult. However, there are exceptions everywhere. Numerous cases are known when consumers died in gassed rooms. However, a fatal outcome in such situations did not come from intoxication, but from suffocation. The fact is that carbon dioxide molecules, a small percentage of which are present in the composition of natural fuels, are able to displace oxygen molecules from space. Thus, breathing becomes difficult, and when the room is completely filled with gas, it is completely impossible.
Explosion hazard of natural gas
What gas in the apartment is explosive or not? The concentration of fuel for the occurrence of the effect of its ignition is an extremely thin quantity. The probability of an explosion depends on the composition of the gas, pressure level, and ambient temperature.
A dangerous situation can occur only if the concentration of natural fuel in the room reaches an indicator of 15% with respect to the total air mass.
It is impossible to independently determine the percentage of gas in space without the use of specialized measuring equipment. Therefore, having felt a characteristic aroma, it is necessary to shut off the fuel supply to household appliances. It is also extremely important to de-energize devices that use electrical impulses. This applies not only to household appliances, but also to appliances that operate on batteries, batteries. As practice shows, when the gas concentration in the room is 15% of the total amount of air, it can ignite even from the operation of a mobile phone or laptop.
If you smell gas, you must immediately open all the doors and windows in the room. Airing the housing will reduce the likelihood of an explosion before the emergency service arrives.
How to protect yourself when operating gas appliances
In order for natural fuel to bring only benefits, it is necessary to follow the generally established rules for the use of gas appliances:
- It is recommended to call specialists annually to check the draft in the rooms.
- It is not necessary to completely isolate the ventilation grilles, as well as windows and doors in winter.
- Before leaving home for a long time, all gas taps and valves should be shut off, and electrical devices should be turned off.
- Functioning gas appliances must not be left unattended.
- If you smell gas, you should avoid turning on the light and using open flames.
What this or that color of fire in a ring testifies to
A hue of flame in a gas burner can tell about the features of combustion of natural fuels. If the fire has a saturated blue color of a homogeneous structure, then the gas completely burns out. In this case, the maximum possible amount of heat is released into the space.
And what happens when the flame in the burner acquires a reddish or bright yellow hue? If the gas during combustion has any other color than blue, this may indicate that a limited amount of air is supplied to the burner, or the gas is of poor quality. In this case, fossil fuels do not heat up efficiently enough. To eliminate this drawback, it is enough to call a qualified specialist by contacting the gas industry.
As you can see, the color of the gas during combustion is able to provide useful information. A yellowish or reddish shade of fuel during ignition indicates the supply of low-density gas to the house. And since heating boilers are designed for the consumption of fuel of a certain quality, with a decrease in gas density, the equipment will need more substances to create a comfortable temperature.
In fact, the yellow or red tabs of fire on the igniter indicate that the appliances will use up more fuel. The culprits of such an omission may be management companies. Some of them intentionally reduce the carbon dioxide and hydrocarbon content in the gas. Therefore, when changing the color of the flame on the gas burner, users have the right to contact the supplier for clarification.
Finally
So we figured out what gas in the apartment, and answered a number of other questions. In conclusion, it is worth noting that the use of high-quality natural fuels is an extremely important point, which affects the stable operation and efficiency of equipment operation. Unfortunately, consumers are not able to independently determine how high-quality fuel is supplied to the house. Therefore, it is important to periodically attract specialists to check gas equipment.