Pottstown, PA Building Safety: Carbon Monoxide Detectors (2026)

2, Unvented Space Heaters; Gas-Fired, is one of the amendments added under § 203 of Part 2 (International Fire Code) in Chapter 7, Fire Prevention and Fire Protection, adopted by Ordinance 2020 (May 8, 2006) and amended by Ordinance 2045 (November 13, 2007). Before an owner can install this type of heater, the Licensing and Inspections Department requires a permit application that includes a sketch showing the heater's location and pipe routing along with a description of the gas supply. The heater itself must carry an oxygen depletion sensor (ODS) ignition system so it shuts down automatically if the oxygen level in the room drops, and the gas piping must be color-coded yellow so an inspector or resident can identify it at a glance.

The section also requires a carbon monoxide detector mounted at an appropriate location relative to the heater, and it applies to both existing installations already in place and any new ones going forward. This is a narrower duty than a whole-house smoke-and-CO-alarm mandate: it attaches specifically to unvented, gas-fired space heaters rather than every dwelling, though any home relying on one of these units for supplemental heat, common in some of the Borough's older housing stock, needs a permitted installation with a working detector in place.