6 Things You Shouldn't Store in Your Furnace Room

When it comes to home safety, everyone knows you shouldn't leave lit candles unattended or put a blanket on top of a space heater. But what about your furnace? Most people don't think about this essential item until it stops working (usually on the coldest night of the year). The truth is, the space around your furnace matters. Before you turn your utility room into a storage unit, find out what not to store near a furnace for safety reasons.

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What Not to Store Near a Furnace (and Why)

Furnaces either burn fuel or use electricity to produce heat, which is how they keep homes toasty when it's cold outside. As a result, it's possible for household items to catch fire if they're too close to a furnace.

Like other heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) equipment, furnaces also require adequate airflow to work properly. If your utility room is packed with clutter, your furnace is more likely to overheat. In some cases, clutter can even cause carbon monoxide to build up in your furnace room, putting your health at risk.

Furnace room storage safety is important, but it's not the only reason to avoid storing items near your furnace. If your furnace breaks down, having a lot of clutter can prevent technicians from accessing the unit quickly. Clutter can even cause your furnace to wear out faster. The more items you have in your furnace room, the dustier it's likely to be. Extra dust leads to extra stress on your furnace filter, motor and sensors.

It's best to keep the area around your furnace completely clear, but the items below are some of the most dangerous to store in a utility room.

1. Plastic Items

If you're trying to get rid of furnace room clutter, you can free up a lot of space by removing plastic items. The heat from a furnace can easily cause these items to melt, leaving them deformed. If plastic gets hot enough, it can also catch fire, causing it to release toxic fumes.

2. Paper and Cardboard

Paper and cardboard are among the biggest fire hazards near a furnace. If you've ever used them in your fireplace, you know exactly why: They're extremely flammable. Some types of cardboard also have coatings on them, which may create toxic fumes if the cardboard catches fire.

3. Cleaning Products

When it comes to safe storage in a utility room, cleaning products combine three dangers in one, making them extremely hazardous. Many cleaning products contain flammable chemicals, which can easily ignite in the presence of a hot furnace.

You also have to worry about the potential for chemical reactions. It's possible for one chemical to react with another, causing an explosion. Chemical reactions can also cause toxic gases to build up near the furnace, further increasing the risk of fires. Finally, chemical spills can cause corrosion, putting your furnace at risk of premature failure.

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4. Paint and Solvents

Paint, paint thinner and other solvents release flammable vapors, so they're among the top items to keep away from a furnace. The heat from a furnace can also cause some products to combust, putting your home at risk of extensive damage.

5. Pressurized Containers

A pressurized container is a container designed to hold liquids or gases at pressures that vary significantly from the pressure in the environment. Examples include compressed gas cylinders, aerosol cans and propane tanks.

Just like you wouldn't store flammable materials near a furnace, you shouldn't keep pressurized containers in your utility room. Heat can increase the pressure inside these containers, causing them to leak or explode.

6. Gasoline

Gasoline produces vapors that collect near the ground instead of rising. If you store gasoline near a furnace, these vapors can easily come into contact with the pilot light, causing them to ignite. Even a small amount of gas is enough to start a major fire or trigger an explosion. Instead of storing gasoline near your furnace, keep it in a detached garage or shed. Be sure to use containers approved specifically for gasoline storage.

What Kind of Things Just Can't Withstand the Heat of a Furnace or Boiler Room?

In general, rubber, plastics and flammable materials can't withstand the heat of a furnace room. At best, your items will melt or warp, costing you money. At worst, they'll catch fire, putting your safety at risk.

Cat litter is another item that doesn't belong near a furnace. When it heats up, it releases ammonia, an alkaline substance that can corrode metal furnace parts. Unless you want your furnace to wear out faster than expected, you'll have to set up your cat's restroom elsewhere.