Is it time to change your liquid level measurement system?

Is your system technical and efficient or based on brute force, dangerous and wasteful?

As the size of cylinders used in suppression system increases (some of the cylinders now weigh in excess of 600lbs), weighing becomes ever more impractical. It takes time and labour, and there is a real risk of damage to the system.

There is an increasing need to employ new technology that meets or exceeds the existing safety standards and makes it easier and safer for  operators to undertake safety inspections and certification of fire suppression systems.

In the past, isotopes have been used as an alternative method for determining the liquid level of suppressants in cylinders, but this method brings its own problems.

The regulations for the storage and use of radioactive isotopes are becoming increasingly stringent; the annual fees for maintaining and registering isotopes are rising steadily and the procedures controlling transport and usage of radioactive instruments restrict their  usefulness. Engineers tend to be reluctant to use the units, and their disposal costs are prohibitive.

Ultrasonic instrument cause none of the above problems. In particular, the Portalevel?  ultrasonic liquid level indicator, manufactured by Coltraco Ltd in the UK, has generally replaced the isotope units.

It is accurate to +/- 1.5mm and exceeds the current safety standards by:

1. Removing the risk of damage to the suppression system while disconnecting and reconnecting the cylinders to the manifold.
2. Ensuring that the suppression system is operational at all times
3. Creating a safe workplace for the operators and engineers by removing the risk of a high-pressure cylinder being accidentally discharged and the risk of physical injury to the operator
4. Saving the physical labour of carrying the bottles to and from  weighing scales.
5. Allowing cylinder contents to be checked more frequently, providing confidence that a system is fully operational and leak-free.
6. Being highly portable and providing access to all cylinders through an extension rod that makes it easy to check even multiple cylinder rows.

A skilled Portalevel? operator can check a suppression system in 40% of the time taken to weigh it. A company using a Portalevel? to service suppression systems, can be more competitive when tendering for new contracts or renewing existing ones.

Coltraco Ltd can undertake annual certification to comply with QA requirements. It prides itself on its customer service, offering a three year no quibble warranty and free technical help line.