Know the Safety Hazards of Multi-Purpose Furnace Rooms

If you’re like most homeowners, you’ll eventually make use of every free space in the house to store things. And that could include the space where your furnace is located. But is that a good idea? Read on and learn how to avoid storage in mechanical room difficulties.

Tips for the Furnace Room

1. Your furnace and water heater are powered by electricity or gas. Regardless of the source, both appliances may get hot, so you do not want to be storing boxes next to them. You particularly want to avoid storing combustible items, such as paper or clothing, nearby. Storing boxes and other items next to the furnace or water heater may also inhibit air flow. Good air flow is important for the performance of your appliances.

2. Don’t hang laundry near the furnace. It’s a fire hazard, and can impede air flow.

3. Don’t store cat litter near the furnace. The ammonia in cat urine can corrode the heat exchanger.

4. Store laundry detergent and cleaning chemicals in tight containers away from the furnace or other fuel-burning appliances.

5. Store combustible substances, such as gasoline, paint thinner and others in another location.

6. Whenever possible maintain a clear area around fuel-burning appliances so that repair technicians have an adequate space to work.

7. Keep anything that is stored in the mechanical room orderly and neatly packed. Do not allow clutter to accumulate.

8. Keep a smoke detector and carbon monoxide monitor mounted in the room with the furnace or other fuel-burning appliances. CO monitors should be mounted about 5 feet from the floor. It’s best to have the type of CO monitor that has a digital readout, so that you can tell if CO levels are high enough to pose a problem. Make sure the monitors are in good working order. Change batteries if needed; check the wiring to make sure everything is connected and wires are unfrayed.

For more on storage in mechanical room issues, or to schedule repairs, maintenance or new installations, contact Energy 1 Heating and Air Conditioning. We serve Lorain and the surrounding area.

Our goal is to help educate our customers in Lorain, Ohio about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems). For more information about other HVAC topics, download our free Home Comfort Guide or call us at 440-201-2959.