--- title: Total Cost of Ownership of a Gas Analyser url: https://www.sarveshanalytics.com/learn/total-cost-of-ownership-of-a-gas-analyser.html description: Count the whole cost of an online gas analyser: purchase, sample system, installation, calibration gas, consumables, sensors, maintenance and downtime. updated: 2026-11-02 source: html --- Learn · Choosing and buying # The total cost of owning a gas analyser Purchase price is the part you can see. The part you cannot see is paid every month for years. Intermediate 3 min read Lesson 3 of 6[Choosing and buying](https://www.sarveshanalytics.com/learn/track-choosing-and-buying.html) Helpful first: [How to specify a gas analyser: A practical checklist](https://www.sarveshanalytics.com/learn/how-to-specify-a-gas-analyser.html) Quick answer The analyser is often a third or less of the cost of a working measurement. Add the sample system, installation and commissioning, calibration gas, filters and sensors, labour for maintenance, and the cost of downtime or a wrong reading. A cheaper analyser with a weak sample system usually costs more over ten years. Compare quotes on the whole system. Updated 2 November 2026 · Figures from Sarvesh datasheets **After this lesson you can** - List the cost items of an analyser over its life - Estimate the share of each - Compare quotes on cost of ownership ## The cost items | Item | One-off or recurring | |---|---| | Analyser | One-off | | Sample system: probe, line, conditioner, filters, regulators | One-off, often the larger part for difficult samples | | Enclosure, shelter, mounting, cabling | One-off | | Installation and commissioning | One-off | | Calibration gas and regulators | Recurring | | Filters, fittings, pump parts | Recurring | | Sensors and cells | Recurring, at the end of life | | Maintenance labour and training | Recurring | | Utilities: power, air, nitrogen | Recurring | | Downtime and wrong readings | Occasional but large | ## Where the money goes For a clean sample, the analyser may be the largest item. For a hot, wet or dusty sample, the probe, heated line and conditioner can cost as much as the analyser or more. Over a decade, calibration gas, sensors and labour add up to a large share, particularly for electrochemical sensors with a limited life: [Sensor life, poisoning and replacement in gas analysers](https://www.sarveshanalytics.com/learn/sensor-life-poisoning-and-replacement.html). ## Cheap on paper, expensive in use - A quote that omits the sample conditioning, then adds it after the first failures. - An analyser with a short sensor life or costly consumables. - A system that needs frequent calibration by an engineer. - Poor support, leaving the plant to find faults alone. ## What reduces cost - A good sample system, which lowers failures: [How to design a gas sample handling system](https://www.sarveshanalytics.com/learn/how-to-design-a-gas-sample-handling-system.html). - Auto-calibration where it saves labour: [Auto-Calibration and validation checks for gas analysers](https://www.sarveshanalytics.com/learn/auto-calibration-and-validation-checks.html). - A maintenance routine and the right spares: [Maintenance schedule and spares for gas analysers](https://www.sarveshanalytics.com/learn/maintenance-schedule-and-spares-for-gas-analysers.html). - A supplier who can answer the phone. ## Compare like with like Ask each supplier to quote the whole system with the same scope: [How to compare gas analyser quotes like for like](https://www.sarveshanalytics.com/learn/comparing-gas-analyser-quotes.html). Then add five or ten years of consumables and maintenance to each, using what you know of your own plant. **In short** - The analyser is only part of the cost; the sample system and running costs matter. - Difficult samples make the sample system the bigger item. - Count calibration gas, filters, sensors, labour and downtime. - Compare whole-system quotes over a decade. ## Check your understanding Answer in your head or on paper first, then open the answer. Recalling an answer teaches more than rereading. **Which cost often exceeds the analyser for a hot, dusty sample?** The probe, heated line and conditioning system. **Name three recurring costs.** Calibration gas, filters and sensors, and maintenance labour. **Why is a quote without sample conditioning risky?** The missing conditioning will be added later at higher cost after failures. ## Key terms - [Sample handling system](https://www.sarveshanalytics.com/learn/glossary.html#t-sample-handling-system) - [Sensor life](https://www.sarveshanalytics.com/learn/glossary.html#t-sensor-life) - [Auto-calibration](https://www.sarveshanalytics.com/learn/glossary.html#t-auto-calibration) ## Frequently asked questions **How much does an online gas analyser cost to run?** It depends on the sample and the analyser; count calibration gas, filters, sensors and labour. **Is the cheapest quote the best?** Rarely. Compare scope and lifetime cost. **How do I lower running costs?** Good sampling, a routine, auto-calibration and spares. **Should I include downtime in the comparison?** Yes, for critical measurements. ## Related products [ ### ACCURRA-S Online analyser for trace, percent and purity O2, CO, CO2, CH4 and dew point; can measure two gases from one sample. View ACCURRA-S ](https://www.sarveshanalytics.com/safe-gas-analyser.html)[ ### i-Cons Smart Peltier sample conditioner with diagnostics, auto blowback and Modbus, in a compact 19 inch cabinet. View i-Cons ](https://www.sarveshanalytics.com/smart-systems-for-gas-analyser.html) ## Where this applies - [Gas purity certification and cylinder filling](https://www.sarveshanalytics.com/applications/gas-purity-certification-and-cylinder-filling.html)