Solid State Equipment NZ

The fire risk most buildings aren’t protected against

Large buildings rely on gas for heating and hot water. The pipe running from the street to the boiler can span multiple floors — under stress in an earthquake, those joints and connections fail.

When that happens, gas doesn’t stop flowing. It accumulates. In a sealed building, that’s a catastrophic fire waiting for a spark — from emergency lighting, electrical switchgear, or a passing vehicle outside.

This isn’t a theoretical risk. It’s the reason gas isolation is increasingly required for commercial buildings, apartments, hospitals, and public infrastructure across New Zealand and Australia.

Post-earthquake gas fires can far exceed the cost of structural damage — a pattern seen repeatedly in major New Zealand earthquakes. Commercial property insurers are increasingly attentive to this risk, and automatic gas isolation is recognised as a proactive risk management measure.

Automatic gas isolation in 10 milliseconds

The Solid State Seismic Shutoff (MK6) continuously monitors ground acceleration. The moment shaking exceeds a pre-set threshold, it fires a relay within 10 milliseconds — closing gas valves and triggering any connected safety system, before the destructive waves arrive.

Unlike passive mechanical seismic valves that react to physical displacement, the MK6 detects the faster-moving P-waves that precede destructive shaking — giving your systems a critical head start.