Medical gas pipes have some commonalities with the regular pipes in your home. The largest thing they have in common is that they work behind the scenes and are largely not even thought about. Many people are not aware that these types of pipes are installed by plumbers or certified individuals. These people are not your everyday plumbers, however, you need to be properly certified to either install or oversee the installation of these piping systems.
Medical gas piping and vacuum systems are installed and repaired in hospitals, healthcare facilities, veterinary clinics and dentist offices. These pipes are responsible for delivering potentially life-saving gases to medical equipment. Some real-life examples that you may have been in contact with are when you are given anesthesia at a doctor’s office. If you go into a dentists’ office to have your teeth drilled all of the power brushes to clean your teeth or the vacuum they use are also considered medical gases.
Common gasses include:
- Oxygen (O2)
- Nitrogen (N2)
- Nitrous oxide (N2O)
- Medical air
- Medical vacuum
- Cryogenic liquids
Less common gases used are:
- Carbon dioxide (CO2)
- Helium (He)
- Ethylene (C2H4)
- Argon
Because it is the healthcare industry and can sometimes even involve life or death situations, great care must be taken to ensure that all installations work correctly 100 percent of the time. This means that all safety standards and codes have met their exact requirements.
Finding a certified medical gas contractor to install your gas and vacuum systems.
It is vital to the safety of both patients and employees alike that only certified plumbers or technicians are installing, repairing or servicing your medical gas needs. It is one thing to hire someone who is unqualified to replace a broken faucet. It is quite another to have a flammable or non-flammable gas quietly leaking into a doctor’s or dentist office. Always make sure that whatever plumber or technician you hire presents their certification upon request. They should have that information with them when they arrive on the job site.
