Part 1: 914.1-914.3 Location, protection and installation
Locate the heater to minimize accidental contact.
Provide an approved guard or barrier with low thermal conductivity. It must not substantially affect heat transfer to the room.
Heaters must be listed and labeled to UL 875 and installed per their listing and manufacturer instructions.
Panels, grilles and access doors required to be removed for normal servicing must not be attached to the building.
Part 2: 914.4-914.5.1 Controls, ventilation and warning notice
A thermostat must limit room temperature to 194°F (90°C).
If the thermostat is not integral to the heater, locate its heat-sensing element within 6 inches of the ceiling.
For capillary tube-and-bulb sensors, attach the assembly to the wall or other support and protect it against physical damage.
If provided to control main burner operation, a timer must have a maximum operating time of 1 hour. Its control must be outside the sauna room.
Provide a ventilation opening into the room, at least 4 inches by 8 inches, near the top of the door.
Warning notice
Mechanically attach a permanent notice of approved material to the outside of the sauna room, with letters that contrast with the background and are at least 1/4 inch high, using the exact notice text of the adopted code.
The one- and two-family dwelling exception applies to the warning-notice provision, not the entire section.
MasterBuild QA/QC
Check the guard and service-panel removal path together.
Coordinate sensor elevation, timer controls, opening and signage across the drawings.
Do not confuse the 1-hour burner timer with the 30-minute exposure warning.
Field tip
Review the finished sauna in plan and section, with benches, guard and ceiling shown. Confirm the selected heater can be serviced without dismantling fixed finishes. Next: #185 — IMC 915 Engine and Gas Turbine-Powered Equipment & Appliances.
In Florida
In Florida the mechanical code is the 2023 FBC-Mechanical (8th Edition), which is based on the 2021 IMC and generally follows the same Chapter 9 numbering. Confirm the Florida section text, any Florida amendment and the referenced standard editions before relying on a 2024 IMC detail. The 9th Edition applies to permit applications on or after 12/31/2026 (state adoption pending).
Questions to settle before design
Is the heater electric or fuel-fired? The timer rule in 914.4.1 applies to main burner operation.
Where do the heater, guard, benches, door and service panels sit relative to each other, in plan and section?
Is this a one- or two-family dwelling, where the warning-notice exception applies, or another occupancy?
MasterBuild field checklist
Confirm the installed heater matches the listed model on the submittal and carries its UL 875 label.
Measure a nonintegral thermostat sensor from the finished ceiling, not the framing.
Check the door ventilation opening on the installed door, not only on the door schedule.
Remove one service panel to prove it is not fastened to the building.
MasterBuild recommendation: process steps for design and site review, not code text.
Where MasterBuild helps
PE-led MEP design in Miami, or send your project background. The fee is quoted in writing before work starts.
Code basis
2024 IMC Sections 914.1-914.5.1 model-code education from the owner-published Daily Code Talk. Confirm the locally adopted edition and amendments, the selected product listing and manufacturer instructions, and the authority having jurisdiction. Read the ICC 2024 IMC Chapter 9 for the complete model-code provisions.