Is it safe to store stuff in my furnace room?

[Anonymous]

We're getting low on storage space, and I'd like to put some shelving in our furnace room. The shelves would be about six feet from the furnace and would house toys in cardboard boxes. Is this safe, or a bad idea? My concern is that the boxes would be flammable. We don't have plastic storage boxes on hand, and I don't see us buying them until whenever it's safer to go shopping in person.

[Anonymous]

No.

[Anonymous]

Probably not. How big is the furnace room?

We have our furnace in the unfinished part of our basement and I don't consider it to be its own room. I do store things in that side of the basement but nothing is within 6 feet of the furnace.

[Anonymous]

I do, and never have it a thought until I saw your post. I did a google search and these are the tips I see repeated.
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.

[Anonymous]

I'd store them in plastic bins no problem, but I wouldn't do cardboard boxes. Furnace season is almosy over though, so maybe just put them there and commit to getting plastic bins before fall?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We're getting low on storage space, and I'd like to put some shelving in our furnace room. The shelves would be about six feet from the furnace and would house toys in cardboard boxes. Is this safe, or a bad idea? My concern is that the boxes would be flammable. We don't have plastic storage boxes on hand, and I don't see us buying them until whenever it's safer to go shopping in person.

If the furnace is setting something on fire 6 feet away, then you have bigger problems.

I wouldn't think twice about it.