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How long will my air quality monitor last?

15-Aug-2024Calibration | Hybrid networks | Industrial | Industrial monitoring | Networks | Product | Service

How long will my air quality monitor last?

A good quality small sensor air quality monitoring system should last 10 years or more, and of course certified monitoring stations (reference, FRM, FEM) should last much longer.

Looking at the many small sensor systems used for outdoor air pollution monitoring, the question may be ‘how long will my air quality monitor work between services’? The best systems operate for two years between sensor changes, and sensors should be low cost and locally replaceable, with no need to return equipment to the manufacturer for service or calibration.

Whether considering the operational life of the product or time between each service, it is important not to assume that all products are the same. Some systems are not designed to work for more than a year or so, which might meet the needs of a shorter project and budget, but it may cause a series of unscheduled equipment failures in the middle of an important monitoring period. So, it’s worth asking for examples of long-running projects where long-term operation of the system can be proven.

Any intervention during the operation of an air quality system costs money, even if it is ‘only’ the time and effort of local teams, so this must be minimised. Scheduled service work is undesirable, but unscheduled maintenance demands are worse. AQMesh sensor replacements are based on carefully calculated duty cycles – balancing initial costs against expected life and product performance – and the pods have been proven over years of operation around the world.

Of course, any equipment will be affected by operating conditions but small microsensor users should not expect their system to fail prematurely in harsh conditions. ‘Fit for purpose’ systems will be proven in intense heat, heavy rain, strong winds, freezing temperatures and snowfall: an expected 10-year lifetime should not just apply to easy conditions.

Having said all that, product lifetime will always be extended by careful use and following the manufacturer’s advice. The AQMesh user manual is now supplemented by a range of remote diagnostic tools, which detect signs of product ‘distress’, such as lower voltage from a dirty solar panel or potentially blocked air sample path.

Even if few air quality monitoring projects extend to 10 years, a product which is designed to last that long is fit to be used in a series of projects and can be upgraded or traded in, as requirements change.

Here at AQMesh we have a number of long-standing users who re-use their pods for new projects, and we are happy to discuss how we can help you with your own air quality monitoring requirements.