CO detectors now mandatory

Bethlehem law covers buildings where fossil fuels, wood burned

All buildings in Bethlehem with fossil fuel- and wood-burning systems will be required to have carbon monoxide detectors installed thanks to a new law City Council adopted Tuesday night.

With adoption, Bethlehem became the first city in the Lehigh Valley and perhaps among the first municipalities in the state to require carbon monoxide detectors.

Most municipalities in Pennsylvania rely on the state's building code to guide building inspections. But while New Jersey, New York and Illinois building codes require carbon monoxide detectors, Pennsylvania's building code does not.

Council adopted the law, which was sponsored by members Joseph F. Leeson Jr. and Magdalena Szabo, by a 6-0 vote with no discussion. Council President J. Michael Schweder was not in attendance.

Among the items that produce carbon monoxide in homes are wood pellet and gas stoves, fireplaces, kerosene heaters and oil- and gas-fired furnaces. Buildings with these or similar items, plus any homes with attached garages, must have a detector installed under the new law. Cars also produce carbon monoxide.

Enforcement of the new law will come gradually. Inspectors plan to focus first on new buildings and home inspections of sold properties.

The penalty for not obeying the new law can be fines of up to $1,000 or 90 days in jail. [Yikes! I'd rather spend $100 or $200 on a good CO detector. It would be a bargain compared to $1000 and jail time! Check out www.transducertech.com and look at the Pocket CO. Not only will it detect carbon monoxide, but it will also keep you out of the "big house"!]