ChesGuard CG-GD1 10-Year Natural Gas Alarm
How many do I need?
The number depends on where your gas appliances are. One or more alarms may be required in each dwelling unit, and appliances in separate rooms will generally require separate alarms. A range in the kitchen and a gas dryer in a separate laundry room normally means two. See how the rule works.
The ChesGuard CG-GD1 is a standalone natural gas alarm for homes and residential buildings. It monitors continuously and alarms when methane at the sensor reaches the specified 10% LEL threshold, one tenth of the concentration at which natural gas becomes flammable, whether or not anyone notices an odor.
Power comes from a DC3V built-in lithium battery designed to last approximately 10 years from activation. There is nothing to wire and nothing to swap out. In qualifying existing buildings, the New York City rule allows a battery powered gas alarm to be installed by the building owner, by maintenance personnel or by the occupant, with no licensed electrician and no permit. Different power requirements may apply to buildings completed on or after January 1, 2027.
- ETL Listed, conforms to UL Standard 1484. Intertek control number 5017086
- Alarms at 10% LEL and produces an 85 dB audible alarm measured at 10 feet
- Battery designed for approximately 10 years from activation. Alarm service life approximately 10 years after installation
- Three color LED status. The green LED flashes when TEST is pressed to confirm power, red signals gas, yellow signals a fault, low battery or end of life
- Silences and resets itself once the gas has cleared
- Mounts to a wall with the supplied mounting hardware, or to a pipe using your own cable ties
- Before mounting, slide the power switch on the back of the alarm fully to ON, then press TEST
- Backed by a 10-year limited warranty against defects in material and workmanship, including the sealed battery. Read the warranty
Detects natural gas (methane) only. It is not a carbon monoxide, smoke, fire or propane detector. Indoor use only.
ChesGuard CG-GD1 10-Year Natural Gas Alarm
Built For The January 1, 2027 Deadline
New York City Local Law 157 of 2016 requires natural gas alarms in covered Class A and Class B multiple dwellings and certain private dwellings. One or more alarms may be required in each dwelling unit, because every fuel-gas-burning appliance has to be covered by an alarm in the same room and within the required placement distance. The current Department of Buildings service update confirms the date will not be extended. The CG-GD1 exists to make that deadline straightforward, whether you are fitting one apartment or a whole portfolio.
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No Electrician And No Permit
Line powered alarms need a licensed electrical contractor and a permit pulled before work starts. Because the CG-GD1 runs on its own battery, 1 RCNY 908-02(g) allows the building owner, maintenance personnel or the occupant to install it in qualifying existing buildings. The supplied mounting hardware, a drill and about five minutes per unit. Different power requirements may apply to buildings completed on or after January 1, 2027.
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Listed To The Standard The Rule Names
The rule calls for a device listed and labeled to UL 1484 and manufactured in accordance with NFPA 715-2023. The CG-GD1 is ETL Listed and conforms to UL Standard 1484 under Intertek control number 5017086. The certificate is published below so you can file it with your records.
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One Install Date To Log
Owners have to record the manufacturer's stated useful life and keep proof of compliance available to HPD, DOB, FDNY and DOHMH. A built-in ten year battery gives you a single date to write on the rear label and no battery service calls in the decade that follows.
Product Specifications
Every figure below is taken from the CG-GD1 rating label and the instruction manual that ships in the box. Nothing here is estimated.
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CG-GD1
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Methane (natural gas) only
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10% LEL
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85 dB at 10 feet
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DC3V built in lithium battery (CR17505-3P)
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Approximately 10 years from activation. Alarm service life approximately 10 years after installation.
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32°F (0°C) to 120.2°F (49°C)
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5 to 95% RH, no condensation
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Wall or pipe
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ETL Listed, conforms to UL Standard 1484
More Detail
- ChesGuard CG-GD1 natural gas alarm
- Mounting back plate
- Supplied mounting hardware, a set of screws and wall anchors, bagged
- Instruction manual, English
- Manual de instrucciones, Spanish
You will need a drill, a drill bit and a screwdriver. Cable ties for pipe mounting are not supplied.
Methane is lighter than air and rises, which is why the alarm belongs high on the wall rather than near the floor.
- In the same room as the fuel gas burning appliance
- At least 3 feet and no more than 10 feet from that appliance, measured horizontally
- On a wall, 6 to 12 inches below the ceiling
- At least 5 feet from a cooktop or a range hood
- Clear of turbulent air from ceiling fans, vents, air conditioning and open windows
The first three points are the legal requirement under 1 RCNY 908-02(f)(2). The 5 foot figure is ChesGuard guidance for avoiding nuisance alarms, so observe it while staying inside the legal 3 to 10 foot window. Avoid dusty, greasy or unheated spaces, and do not tuck the unit behind curtains or heavy furniture.
- ETL Listed, conforms to UL Standard 1484
- Intertek control number 5017086
- Standard: Fuel Gas Alarms, UL 1484:6ED 2025-02-28
- Certificate of Compliance issued to ChesGuard LLC on 26 August 2026
New York City requires a device listed and labeled to UL 1484. The Department of Buildings does not endorse any manufacturer's product, so we state the standard and the control number and leave the conclusion to you. Read the Intertek Certificate of Compliance (PDF).
- Instruction manual, English (PDF)
- Manual de instrucciones, Spanish (PDF)
- Intertek Certificate of Compliance (PDF)
For the rule itself, see the DOB service notice, the DOB natural gas detector FAQ, 1 RCNY 908-02 and the HPD owner and tenant guidance.
- Detects natural gas (methane) only. It is not a carbon monoxide, smoke, fire, heat or propane detector
- Indoor use only
- It does not prevent leaks and is not a substitute for correct installation and maintenance of gas appliances
- It is not intended to alert hearing impaired residents
- Do not test it with a lighter. Lighters burn propane, not methane
- The battery is built in. Never remove it, and never try to silence an alarm by removing it
If the alarm sounds, leave the building, do not operate switches or flames, and call your gas utility or the fire department from outside.
ChesGuard CG-GD1
Frequently Asked Questions
Which buildings does NYC Local Law 157 apply to?
R-1, R-2 and R-3 occupancies. That covers Class A multiple dwellings, Class B multiple dwellings and certain private dwellings, and compliant alarms are required by January 1, 2027. Natural gas alarms are generally required where a permanent fuel-gas-burning appliance is installed, and one or more alarms may be required in each dwelling unit. A dwelling unit with gas piping but no gas appliance generally does not require one, although special requirements may apply to units directly above areas containing gas piping or gas appliances. Buildings with no gas piping and no gas service are exempt, as are centralized restricted rooms housing a boiler or water heater, and commercial restaurant kitchens in mixed use buildings. Class B multiple dwellings may instead use a natural gas detecting system monitored at a constantly attended location.
Do I need an electrician to install it?
Not for a qualifying battery-powered installation. A line powered alarm needs a New York City licensed electrical contractor and a permit. In qualifying existing buildings, a battery powered alarm may be installed by the building owner, by maintenance personnel or by the occupant, which is the whole reason this unit runs on its own battery. You need a drill, a drill bit and a screwdriver. The mounting hardware is supplied in the box. Different power requirements may apply to buildings completed on or after January 1, 2027.
How do I know the alarm is working?
Press the TEST button. All three LEDs light, the green LED flashes three times, and the red and yellow LEDs turn on and remain solid. That is a correct result, and the green flash is what confirms the alarm has power. Run the test once a week, which is what the manual specifies. A yellow LED with a beep every 60 seconds means the unit needs attention: one flash is a low battery, two flashes is a fault, three flashes is the end of service life.
What happens after ten years?
The battery is designed to last approximately ten years from the date the alarm is activated, and the alarm reaches the end of its service life approximately ten years after the installation date. As it nears the end it signals with three beeps and three yellow flashes every 60 seconds. The lithium battery is built in and is never replaced, so the whole unit is replaced instead. Write the installation date on the rear label when you fit it. That single date is what your replacement schedule and your compliance records run from.
Who pays for the alarm in a rental unit?
HPD rules let the owner recover $25 per alarm from the occupant, or $50 where it is combined with a smoke or carbon monoxide device, up to $75 for a combined smoke, carbon monoxide and gas device. The occupant has one year from installation to pay.
Owners also have to post a notice in a common area and keep records covering the posting date, the manufacturer's stated useful life and proof of compliance, available to HPD, DOB, FDNY and DOHMH.
Can I order for a whole building or a portfolio?
Yes. Email support@chesguard.com with your unit count and the address for delivery and we will come back to you.
It helps to tell us the date you are working toward. Most owners covered by Local Law 157 are working back from January 1, 2027, and installation across a portfolio takes planning even when each unit only takes minutes.
