What are Draeger Tubes?

Draeger Tubes are colorimetric gas detection tubes that are used to identify and detect different toxic and harmful gases.

Every Draeger Tube is a glass vial that is filled with a chemical reagent, that will react with a specific chemical or type of chemical family. When you snip the ends of the tube, put one end into a Draeger-Tube pump, and draw air through the Draeger tube, if the gas is present in the surrounding environment the tube will change colors measuring the concentration present.

There are hundreds of types of Draeger tubes, and there are many different tubes available for the same type of chemical. These different types of tubes for the same chemicals are available so that you are able to measure for different concentrations. For example, the Carbon Monoxide Draeger Tubes come in four different measurement styles: 10/b, 2/a, 5/c, 8/a.

Luckily, Draeger has made it easy for consumers like us to determine which tube we need for different applications and specific gas measurements. The Draeger-Tube Handbook is an excellent resource to use if your safety team is just starting out with gas detection, or you’ve never used Draeger tubes before.

Keep in mind that when purchasing any Draeger tube, you need a device to draw air through the tube. This means that in order to use your tube, you’ll have to purchase a tube opener and a pump. Below are photos of those two standard items.

Below is a video on how to use the Drager Accuro Gas Detection Pump, and has excellent information on practical use of the Draeger Tubes.

As always, if you have any questions, please reach out to us and give us a call. You can email me at will@duffysupply.com, or give our customer service a call at 800-228-7612.

Stay safe!