- Vacuum. Lint and dust causes hazards around your furnace. …
- Furnace Rules. Over the summer, your kids may have started playing near the furnace. …
- Keep Air Flowing. …
- Schedule Inspections. …
- Keep Flammable Items Away. …
- Replace Filters. …
- Test Carbon Monoxide and Smoke Alarms.
How close can you put things to a furnace?
At a minimum, all storage around the furnace should be
at least 30 inches away from the furnace itself
. Furnaces need proper airflow to work properly. Restricting airflow can be dangerous, and it can also undermine the efficiency of the furnace. However, some items should not be in the furnace room no matter what.
What safety precautions should you take if your house has a furnace?
Never leave any combustibles in the furnace room
. Don't store anything near your furnace that's combustible at low flash points – like gasoline, paint and paint thinners. Always keep the area free of dust and debris – vacuum and clean around your furnace and water heater tank to prevent dust buildup.
Can you put stuff near a furnace?
The area around a furnace isn't for storage
Please
don't store items close to the furnace
, however, since this may create a fire hazard. Give the furnace at least a foot of clearance, and keep any highly flammable liquids and materials as far away as possible.
Is it safe to sleep near a furnace?
Because of the cold, people will want to put a furnace in or near their bedroom. However, safety is the main concern.
It's not recommended to have a furnace
in your bedroom closet due to the toxic fumes that a furnace emits. Keep the furnace as far away from the air you breathe daily as possible.
How do I make sure my furnace is safe?
- Vacuum. Lint and dust causes hazards around your furnace. …
- Furnace Rules. Over the summer, your kids may have started playing near the furnace. …
- Keep Air Flowing. …
- Schedule Inspections. …
- Keep Flammable Items Away. …
- Replace Filters. …
- Test Carbon Monoxide and Smoke Alarms.
Can a gas furnace explode?
Although it is possible for a gas furnace to either catch fire or explode,
it's highly unlikely
. If there is a danger of this happening, the furnace will usually simply shut off—as it's designed to. … If you've got a good furnace and take care of it, you won't have to worry about explosions or fires.
Does a furnace need ventilation?
Yes, a furnace needs to be vented
.
A furnace vent allows for any gases and exhaust created by combustion to be removed from the home. If your furnace is not vented, it can lead to dangerous conditions, like carbon monoxide building up within your home.
Does a furnace need to breathe?
Give it Some Space – Since furnaces are powered by fuels like oil, gas or propane, they
need proper ventilation
. If your boiler room doubles as a storage space, don't place items flush against the furnace. Make sure it has enough breathing room – and enough air moving throughout the space.
Should a furnace be off the floor?
First and foremost, furnaces should be placed on rubber pads to minimize the noise they make. Then, if they happen to be located in the basement, they should be propped up on blocks or something else that keeps them at
least four inches off the floor
in case the basement floods.
Can you put a gas furnace in a closet?
The heat can safely escape if there is space around the furnace.
Do not install your furnace in a storage closet
. Any type of flammable material, including insulation, needs to be removed before installing the furnace.
Is it safe to cover a furnace?
Covering the floor registers in your home
is potentially dangerous if you cover them
when using the heating or cooling system. The air pushes through the grates, but the covers block the air from escaping. When you turn the heat up, you push more air through, which raises your heating bill.
Does a furnace room need a door?
If the furnace is in a small room, then we
need ventilation openings in the walls or door of that
room to let in plenty of air to make up for the air that the furnace is using. … If it's not big enough then it's called a confined space and we have to provide ventilation openings for more combustion air.
Can a furnace give off carbon monoxide?
Every winter when the temperature drops, your furnace can become a silent killer.
Gas- and oil-burning furnaces produce carbon monoxide
(CO). CO is an invisible, odorless, poison gas that kills hundreds every year and makes thousands more sick. Follow these steps to keep your family safe this winter.
How safe is a gas furnace?
Gas furnaces
can develop leaks and cracks over time
that allow deadly carbon monoxide gas to escape into the home. Older gas furnaces pose an even greater risk. And because carbon monoxide is colorless and odorless, it is impossible to detect until you start feeling symptoms.
How much room does a furnace breathe?
As a general suggestion, your furnace should be
30 inches away from furnace room walls on all sides
. This lets our service experts to easily repair it. You also need to ensure the space has plentiful airflow and ventilation, especially if you have an aging furnace with a metal flue.
