PCE Instruments PCE-GA 12 User manual

© PCE Instruments
PCE-GA 12 Leak Detector
User Manual
User manuals in various languages (français,
italiano, español, português, nederlands, türk, polski,
русский, 中文) can be found by using our
product search on: www.pce-instruments.com
Last change: 13 May 2020
v1.0
English

© PCE Instruments
Contents
1Safety notes........................................................................................... 1
2Features ................................................................................................. 2
3Detectable gases...................................................................................2
4Technical specifications ...................................................................... 3
5Delivery contents .................................................................................. 3
6Device and display description ........................................................... 4
7Operation ............................................................................................... 1
7.1 Before first use................................................................................................................. 1
7.2 Before use........................................................................................................................ 1
7.3 Use.................................................................................................................................. 2
8Further functions .................................................................................. 3
8.1 Display backlight.............................................................................................................. 3
8.2 Auto zero.......................................................................................................................... 3
8.3 Auto Power Off................................................................................................................. 3
8.4 Sensitivity......................................................................................................................... 3
8.5 Alarms.............................................................................................................................. 3
9Troubleshooting....................................................................................3
10 Warranty.................................................................................................4
11 Disposal ................................................................................................. 4

© PCE Instruments
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1 Safety notes
Please read this manual carefully and completely before you use the device for the first time. The
device may only be used by qualified personnel and repaired by PCE Instruments personnel.
Damage or injuries caused by non-observance of the manual are excluded from our liability and
not covered by our warranty.
•The device must only be used as described inthis instruction manual.If used otherwise,
this can cause dangerous situations for the user and damage to the meter.
•The instrument may only be used if the environmental conditions (temperature, relative
humidity, …) are within the ranges stated in the technical specifications. Do not expose
the device to extreme temperatures, direct sunlight, extreme humidity or moisture.
•Do not expose the device to shocks or strong vibrations.
•The case should only be opened by qualified PCE Instruments personnel.
•Never use the instrument when your hands are wet.
•You must not make any technical changes to the device.
•The appliance should only be cleaned with a damp cloth. Use only pH-neutral cleaner,
no abrasives or solvents.
•The device must only be used with accessories from PCE Instruments or equivalent.
•Before each use, inspect the case for visible damage. If any damage is visible, do not
use the device.
•Do not use the instrument in explosive atmospheres.
•The measurement range as stated in the specifications must not be exceeded under
any circumstances.
•Non-observance of the safety notes can cause damage to the device and injuries to
the user.
•The meter must not be used as a gas detector.
We do not assume liability for printing errors or any other mistakes in this manual.
We expressly point to our general guarantee terms which can be found in our general terms of
business.
If you have any questions please contact PCE Instruments. The contact details can be found at
the end of this manual.

© PCE Instruments
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2 Features
−Detection of flammable gases
−Vibration alarm when gases are detected
−Automatic calibration
−Measurement range up to 10000 ppm
−Audible alarm, 85 dB
−Sensor exchangeable
−Shelf life of the sensor approx. 5 years
−Rechargeable battery for mobile use
3 Detectable gases
−Ammonia
−Benzene
−Ethane
−Ethanol
−Ethylene
−Formaldehyde
−Hexane
−ISO-Butane
−Methane
−Propane
−P-Xylene
−Hydrogen sulfide
−Toluene
−Hydrogen
−and compounds in which these gases occur

© PCE Instruments
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4 Technical specifications
Measurement range
Low concentration: 0 ... 1000 ppm,
High concentration: 0 ... 10000 ppm
(methane only)
Audible alarm
Volume: 85 dB
Sensitivity
<10 ppm (methane)
Measuring interval
<2 seconds
Display
Flammable gas readings displayed on the LC display, bar
graphs
Calibration
Automatic
Warm-up time
40 seconds
Battery
Polymer Li-Ion battery 18500 3.7 V 1400 mAh
Mains adaptor
Primary side: 100 ... 240 V, 50/60 Hz, 0.2 A
Secondary side: 5 V, 1 A
Auto Power Off
Turns off automatically when battery is low or after 10 minutes
of inactivity
Sensor shelf life
approx. 5 years (sensor is exchangeable)
Probe
Semi-rigid, approx. 500 mm
Weight
Approx. 430 g
5 Delivery contents
−1 x gas leak detector PCE-GA 12
−1 x charger
−1 x user manual

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6 Device and display description
1 - LC display
2 –Auto Zero
3 –Sensitivity high / low
4 –Auto Power Off
5 –Display backlight
6 –Audible alarm on / off
7 –Vibration alarm on / off
8 -Meter on / off
1 –Audible alarm
2 –Vibration alarm
3 –Automatic Power Off APO
4 –Calibration
5 –Bar graph
6 –Concentration display
7 –LEL display
8 –Automatic zero
9 –Battery level
10 –Factory settings
11 –Sensitivity high
12 –Sensitivity low
13 –LEL reading
14 –Maximum reading

© PCE Instruments
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7 Operation
7.1 Before first use
−Fully charge the battery before the first use. The charging socket is located on the right
side above the sensor arm bracket.
−Switch on the meter using the "On/ Off" key and leave the device switched on for about
one hour for the sensor to acclimatise. Deactivate the automatic power-off function with
the APO key.
−If you do not use the device for more than two months, repeat this procedure.
7.2 Before use
−Check the meter for mechanical damage.
−Only switch on the unit in an environment unpolluted by gas.
−Carry out a gas test with the appropriate test gas.
−Attention! When using a lighter, only move the sensor head very slowly towards
the gas source. A 100 % concentration exposure can destroy the sensor.
−If the gas is not detected, the device is not ready for use.
−After the gas test, wait until the display shows “0”.

© PCE Instruments
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7.3 Use
−Make sure the gas to be detected is listed above.
−Only turn on the meter in an environment unpolluted by gas.
Press and hold the "On / Off" key for about 1 second. The meter will vibrate and a signal
tone will sound.
−Let the meter warm up for 40 seconds. The remaining time will be displayed.
−Select the desired sensitivity with the "H/L" key.
−Clean the areas to be examined from oil and dust. Oil and dust can impair the detection.
−Slowly move the sensor head to the area to be examined.
−If there is a gas leak, the instrument will signal that gas escapes (see chart below),
depending on the sensitivity setting. Keep in mind the reaction time of at least 2
seconds. Move the sensor head back a little to exactly locate the leak.
−Switch off the meter after the leak detection. To do this, press and hold the "On / Off"
key for about 1 second.
Alarm chart related to methane CH4
Approx. reading in ppm
Audible alarm frequency x/s
Sensitivity
high
low
0
0
No alarm
0 … 100
0 … 1000
1
100 … 400
1000 … 4000
1.2
400 … 700
4000 … 7000
1.65
700 … 1000
7000 … 10000
3.25
>1000
>10000
6.25

© PCE Instruments
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8 Further functions
8.1 Display backlight
You can activate or deactivate the display backlight by pressing the “Display backlight”key (5).
8.2 Auto zero
The "Auto Zero" key is used to activate or deactivate automatic zeroing.
Activating it improves sensitivity to the target gas and reduces the sensitivity to other existing
gases which can influence the measurement.
8.3 Auto Power Off
The automatic power-off function switches off the unit after approx. 10 minutes of non-use to
conserve the battery. With the "APO" key, this function can be deactivated.
8.4 Sensitivity
With the "H/L" key you can adjust the sensitivity according to your needs.
8.5 Alarms
Use the key with the vibration icon or with the speaker icon to switch the corresponding alarm on
or off.
9 Troubleshooting
Error
Possible cause
Solution
Meter cannot be turned on
Battery flat
Charge battery
Display flashes
Continuous signal tone
Sensor defective
Replace sensor
ESS-PCE-GA 12
CAL is displayed
Calibration is due
Contact PCE Instruments for calibration

© PCE Instruments
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10 Warranty
You can read our warranty terms in our General Business Terms which you can find here:
https://www.pce-instruments.com/english/terms.
11 Disposal
For the disposal of batteries in the EU, the 2006/66/EC directive of the European Parliament
applies. Due to the contained pollutants, batteries must not be disposed of as household waste.
They must be given to collection points designed for that purpose.
In order to comply with the EU directive 2012/19/EU we take our devices back. We either re-use
them or give them to a recycling company which disposes of the devices in line with law.
For countries outside the EU, batteries and devices should be disposed of in accordance with
your local waste regulations.
If you have any questions, please contact PCE Instruments.

© PCE Instruments
5
PCE Instruments contact information
Germany France Spain
PCE Deutschland GmbH PCE Instruments France EURL PCE Ibérica S.L.
Im Langel 4 23, rue de Strasbourg Calle Mayor, 53
D-59872 Meschede 67250 Soultz-Sous-Forets 02500 Tobarra (Albacete)
Deutschland France España
Tel.: [phone] Téléphone: [phone] Tel. : [phone]
Fax: [phone] Numéro de fax: [phone] Fax: [phone]
[email protected] [email protected] [email protected]
www.pce-instruments.com/deutsch www.pce-instruments.com/french www.pce-instruments.com/espanol
Germany United Kingdom Italy
PCE Produktions- und PCE Instruments UK Ltd PCE Italia s.r.l.
Entwicklungsgesellschaft mbH Unit 11 Southpoint Business Park Via Pesciatina 878 / B-Interno 6
Im Langel 26 Ensign Way, Southampton 55010 Loc. Gragnano
D-59872 Meschede Hampshire Capannori (Lucca)
Deutschland United Kingdom, SO31 4RF Italia
Tel.: [phone] Tel: [phone] Telefono: [phone]
Fax: [phone] 9971 Fax: [phone] Fax: [phone]
[email protected] [email protected] [email protected]
www.pce-instruments.com/deutsch www.pce-instruments.com/english www.pce-instruments.com/italiano
The Netherlands China Hong Kong
PCE Brookhuis B.V. PCE (Beijing) Technology Co., Limited PCE Instruments HK Ltd.
Institutenweg 15 1519 Room, 6 Building Unit J, 21/F., COS Centre
7521 PH Enschede Zhong Ang Times Plaza 56 Tsun Yip Street
Nederland No. 9 Mentougou Road, Tou Gou District Kwun Tong
Telefoon: [phone] 102300 Beijing, China Kowloon, Hong Kong
[email protected] Tel: [phone] Tel: [phone]
www.pce-instruments.com/dutch [email protected] [email protected]
www.pce-instruments.cn www.pce-instruments.cn
United States of America Turkey
PCE Americas Inc. PCE Teknik Cihazları Ltd.Şti.
711 Commerce Way suite 8 Halkalı Merkez Mah.
Jupiter / Palm Beach Pehlivan Sok. No.6/C
33458 FL 34303 Küçükçekmece - İstanbul
USA Türkiye
Tel: [phone] Tel: [phone]
Fax: [phone] Faks: 0212 705 53 93
[email protected] [email protected]
www.pce-instruments.com/us www.pce-instruments.com/turkish