Gas leaks...and the risk of fire.

The greatest danger from an earthquake is not structural damage--it's fire.

In a comprehensive report financed by the major insurance companies through the All Industry Research Advisory Council (AIRAC), the serious danger of earthquake fire is made very clear.

AIRAC estimates that a major earthquake in either the San Francisco bay area or greater Los Angeles area could cause 500 to 600 fires that would require fire department response.  In addition, the earthquake would damage telephone lines, break water lines and could render the streets impassable, making it difficult or impossible for emergency crews to reach their stations or equipment.

This fire danger has one primary cause: gas leaks.  AIRAC warns that in a major earthquake, gas pipes would rupture and water heaters and other gas appliances would overturn.  This would break gas connections, create gas leaks and consequently cause a rash of fires.

Indeed, the danger of an earthquake creating a gas leak and thus causing a fire is well known.  In Japan, where earthquakes are far more common than in the United States, an earthquake actuated gas shutoff valve is installed in every building.  In the United States, all emergency response agencies cite the danger of gas leaks, and recommend turning off the gas valve manually.

There are, however, potential problems with turning off the gas valve manually.  You may not be able to find a wrench to turn off the gas.  There may be no one home to turn it off.  Whoever is home may not have the knowledge or ability to turn off the gas.  And there is some fundamentally contradictory advice given by emergency agencies:  they advise you to stay indoors during an earthquake, while simultaneously advising you to go outdoors to turn off the gas.

Obviously, then, one of the best ways to prepare for an earthquake is to prevent gas leaks.  And the best way to do that is with a KOSO Earthquake Actuated Automatic Gas Shutoff Valve.

KOSO offers a complete line of valves for residential, commercial and industrial use.

KOSO Earthquake Actuated Automatic Gas Shutoff Valves are UL approved and certified to meet the strict requirements of the California Office of the State Architect.

KOSO is a manufacturer of extremely sensitive valves for complex industrial processes and has sold these valves throughout the world for many years. In the 10 years since its introduction, over 20,000 units of the KOSO Automatic Shutoff Valve have been installed in California.

Consequently, with the need for an automatic gas shutoff valve well established, it makes sense to install the reliable, precision-engineered KOSO Earthquake Actuated Automatic Gas Shutoff Valve as soon as possible.

 

Features:

  • Available in 3/4" to 6" sizes
  • For low pressure and high pressure systems
  • For residential, commercial and industrial applications
  • No premature triggering, because KOSO valves are sensitive only to the peculiar frequencies related to
  • earthquakes -- KOSO valves are not affected by the vibration of trucks, buses or jet planes
  • Precision manufactured to operate in temperatures up to 150 degrees fahrenheit and down to -1 00F.
  • Every valve is factory tested for a perfect seal
  • Reliability of the trigger point in every valve is factory tested in a shake test simulating an earthquake.
  • Every KOSO valve has a unique indicator to show if it's open or closed
  • Easy resetting by the homeowner if there has been no damage from an earthquake
  • Proven reliability in over 20,000 installations
  • Five year "no questions asked" warranty

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    AIRAC's in-depth study of historical earthquake experience concludes that California cities are in particular danger from fires following earthquakes because of the large number of fires anticipated and the insufficient number of fire engines available. For example, in the aftermath of the 1987 Whittier earthquake (which registered 5.9 on the Richter Scale) there were 100 fires, and Whittier has only 10 fire engines.
    It is estimated that in large cities, fire departments will be unable to respond to over 90% of the fires.

Easy Resetting

The simple "twist to reset" screw can be operated with a coin or screwdriver. The high temperature (10000F) glass indicator window conveniently allows you to see whether the valve is open or closed.

Precision Manufacturing

KOSO, a $100 million producer of sophisticated industrial control systems, installed throughout the world, manufactures the Automatic Shutoff Valve to the highest standards.

Proven in use

During the past 10 years, over 20,000 KOSO Automatic Shutoff Valves have been installed throughout California, and have established an outstanding record of reliability and durability.