Safety should always be a top priority in every household. Unfortunately, many homeowners make simple mistakes without considering what might happen. A great example is when families create storage in mechanical room areas of the home, primarily where their furnace is located. This results in a fire just waiting to happen.
People Own More Stuff
It's getting a little ridiculous at how much "stuff" exists that you can buy these days. Many households are full of boxes with everything from Christmas ornaments and legal documents to comic books and action figures. Much of what we buy will end up in a box somewhere, which necessitates the need for more storare areas around your home. So, why not use the furnace room, right? Wrong!
The Dangers of Using a Furnace Room for Storage
When you place storage items in an area that houses a source of heat, you're asking for trouble. If the furnace isn't operating properly or your personal belongings are too close to the furnace, a fire could ignite. This is especially true if you're storing items like half-empty paint cans, cleaning supplies, or solvents. Don't laugh - we've probably all put these items in places that weren't entirely safe.
What You Can Do to Prevent a Fire
The good news is that preventing a fire in the room where your furnace is stored is rather simple. Here are some quick rules that you can follow:
Remove any flammable materials such as storage boxes, cleaning materials, and other items discussed throughout this article.
Equip your home with smoke and carbon monoxide detectors.
Have a fire extinguisher readily accessible in the kitchen and near the furnace area.
Hire a technician to perform an annual check of the system to keep it operating properly.
Never block the entrance or area around the furnace in case firefighters require access.
For more advice on safe storage in mechanical room areas, or if you have any other questions related to home comfort, reach out to the experts at Air Assurance. We've been serving the HVAC needs of Broken Arrow and the surrounding areas since 1985.
Our goal is to help educate our customers in the Tulsa and Broken Arrow, Oklahoma area about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems). For more information about other HVAC topics, call us at 918-217-8273.