Ion Science SF6 LeakCheck P1:p XTL HighSENSE
The Ion Science SF6 LeakCheck P1:p XTL HighSENSE is a portable, SF6-specific leak detector built on Ion Science's patented Negative Ion Capture (NIC) principle — a technology developed expressly to replace radioactive Ni-63 electron-capture detectors.
The older ECD instruments carried a radioactive source requiring licensing, consumed high-purity argon, suffered long downtime after high exposure, and had to be returned to the factory for costly detector repairs. NIC removes all of that while delivering the sensitivity needed to pinpoint genuinely small leaks.
The economics are unusually clear. SF6 has a global warming potential roughly 23,900 times that of CO2 and an atmospheric lifetime of about 3,200 years, and it is named under the Kyoto Protocol. It is also expensive. Because there is no suitable substitute for SF6 as an arc suppressant in high- and medium-voltage switchgear, containment — finding and fixing leaks — is the only available control. New switchgear is tested to leak rates on the order of 10⁻⁸ ml/sec, and as regulated limits tighten, only a true point detector can pinpoint leaks at those levels.
The Smart Sensor assembly is field-replaceable, so detector service does not mean a factory return. Optional C4-FN capability and a European language pack are available as upgrades.
Probes, consumables and calibration
P1 Smart Sensor assemblies, probe filters, 25 mm standard and 300 mm flexible probe tips, hose filters and Lemo connector O-rings are stocked in SF6 Leak Detector Spares, Upgrades & Accessories. SF6 CalCheck units and 0.01%, 0.1% and 1.0% SF6 canisters are listed under CalCheck Units & Calibration Gas.
Note: SF6 CalCheck units and their gas canisters ship as Dangerous Goods under UN1950.
Browse all Ion Science Parts and Accessories, or see the full instrument range in Ion Science. For fixed continuous monitoring of the same areas, see the SF6 AreaCheck P2.
- Negative Ion Capture detection — no radioactive source, no licensing burden, and no argon supply to maintain
- HighSENSE specification — built for locating very small leaks at the levels modern emission limits demand
- Pinpoints rather than indicates — finds where the leak is, not merely that one exists somewhere
- Fast recovery after high-concentration exposure — surveys keep moving instead of stalling after a big hit
- Field-replaceable Smart Sensor assembly — no factory return for detector service
- Upgrade options — optional C4-FN capability and European language pack
- Substation SF6 leak surveys — GIS, circuit breakers, busbars, bushings and interconnects
- Emissions reporting and reduction programs — locating and quantifying fugitive losses for compliance
- Switchgear manufacturing QA — factory acceptance testing against tight leak-rate specifications
- Post-maintenance verification — confirming seals and gaskets after gas handling work
- Gas inventory loss investigation — tracing where topped-up SF6 is actually going
- Regulatory compliance surveys — documented leak checks against tightening emission limits