With larger leaks come health and safety issues. Not only is employee discomfort such as breathing difficulty an issue but so is employee exposure to chemicals, thermal burns and insulation fires. By looking at the risks associated with leaking heat transfer fluids, you may be able to keep a small leak from turning catastrophic or at the very least, prevent an injury. Although small fluid leaks may seem to be no more than an inconvenience, all leaks have the potential to become hazardous under the wrong conditions. Different Risks Ultraviolet photoionization detectors scan for leaks in heat transfer systems.
Undiluted glycols have the potential to ignite.
Organic and silicone fluids are designed to be used above their flashpoints. Therefore, if a leak occurs, they pose a greater fire risk than glycols because they are capable of producing flammable vapor concentrations in the area of the leak. Fires involving organic fluids sometimes are caused by catastrophic equipment failure. However, the majority of fires involve improper installation, lack of maintenance on gauges or flow switches, and poor or lacking operating instructions. A flashpoint within the operating temperature range of the system obviously is undesirable as any size leak would create an immediate fire hazard.