Sleeping in a room with a furnace/water heater closet - okay and safe?

May 26, 2017 6:13 AM

I'd be sleeping in a bedroom in a brand-new house with a furnace/water heater in the closet - would this be safe and/or a good idea?

Due to financial circumstances, I have accepted a bedroom on the third floor of a house. This bedroom will have the (gas) furnace and water heater in a closet. My landlord will have a contractor build doors to cover the furnace/water heater.

Would I be okay? I read about carbon monoxide poisoning or issues with levels, but I also read that as long as the furnace/heater is behind a door (slatted or flat) I should be okay. Should I be concerned at all? How about any funny smells - is this possible? Would the room be hotter? My bed would be on the opposite side of the closet entrance. Space is kind of tight in the room, but it has an openable window.

For what it's worth, the house is brand new (actually still under construction at the moment) so should be build up to code, and has the latest and new appliances.

Thanks!

posted by dubious_dude to Home & Garden (16 answers total)

If you're concerned you could buy a carbon monoxide detector for twenty bucks.
posted by fixedgear at 6:15 AM on May 26, 2017 [9 favorites]

I think safety-wise, you should get a carbon monoxide detector and not worry about it.

But comfort-wise, it'll be loud and that might be annoying, at least until you get used to it.
posted by misskaz at 6:21 AM on May 26, 2017

Noise may be a factor--you'll hear it whenever the furnace runs or when the water heater kicks on. Mine are in a closet between my kitchen and living room and I can definitely hear both (mostly the furnace).
A carbon monoxide detector is a good idea.
posted by bookmammal at 6:23 AM on May 26, 2017 [1 favorite]

I agree that a CO monitor is a good buy, but if everything is new, there is only the tiniest likelihood that you will even be aware of the appliances unless you open the door. You may occasionally hear a soft noise when the furnace or heater starts. But if they're new, it should be minimal.
posted by ubiquity at 6:25 AM on May 26, 2017

Response by poster: Not to threadsit, but one point I forgot to mention in my OP - I'm deaf. So, noise won't be an issue. I'm mostly concerned about any potential smells or health issues that would appear or be at a risk of? I'm very sensitive to smells, so there you go.
posted by dubious_dude at 6:25 AM on May 26, 2017 [2 favorites]

It's as safe as anywhere else in the house. The furnace is part of the ventilation system, so if there's any carbon monoxide problem it's going to be everywhere. (The furnace is off my bedroom at my apartment too)
posted by rodlymight at 6:27 AM on May 26, 2017 [4 favorites]

OK--eliminating the noise issue, if everything is installed properly you shouldn't smell anything. Your room won't be hotter because the vents throughout the house should distribute the heat evenly. If the water heater should ever leak that could be an issue but if it's new it shouldn't be a problem. Get a carbon monoxide detector and rest easy!
posted by bookmammal at 6:31 AM on May 26, 2017 [2 favorites]

It's as safe as anywhere else in the house. The furnace is part of the ventilation system, so if there's any carbon monoxide problem it's going to be everywhere.

Yep. This is not a problem. As everyone has said, if there's not already a carbon monoxide detector in your room, get a plug in one for peace of mind and then put it out of your mind.

A lot of states require rentals to have CO detectors, hardwired if possible, in or in the "immediate vicinity" of bedrooms, so there may be one already.
posted by Kriesa at 6:31 AM on May 26, 2017

Modern furnaces and hot water heaters are high-efficiency units that vent exhaust gas directly outside. If noise is not an issue, the only other problem might be vibration when the units are running. Also, your area may be visited by maintenance more often if they need to change the furnace filters.
posted by cosmicbandito at 6:45 AM on May 26, 2017 [1 favorite]

Since you are deaf, you may already know... they make CO and smoke alarms with large strobes geared toward the deaf & hard of hearing. Might not wake you up, but better than nothing.

In my state (and anywhere using ICC codes) you may not have a fuel fired water heater in a bedroom unless fully sealed off from it or a direct vent model. If this is brand new construction, it's possible or even likely that both the furnace and heater are direct vent. In that case I would buy a CO alarm and not worry too much.
posted by no1hatchling at 7:02 AM on May 26, 2017 [5 favorites]

There are carbon monoxide detectors that alert via strobe lights rather than sound--can't link right now but there are several on Amazon.
posted by bookmammal at 7:04 AM on May 26, 2017 [1 favorite]

My province has the same code specifications as mentioned by no1hatchlink, it's worth asking about the nature of the heater and where its air intake is, and where it vents to.
posted by stray at 7:16 AM on May 26, 2017

See if the gas furnace is vented. And see if it's a code violation; it probably is. I have a propane stove and don't worry about it. I would think twice about spending 10 hours+/ day with the unvented byproducts of gas combustion.
posted by theora55 at 7:57 AM on May 26, 2017

Response by poster: Based on the video that was shown to me of the room (construction underway), it looks like the furnace is/almost is this:

https://www.alpinehomeair.com/viewproduct.cfm?productID=453069476&linkfrom=froogle&gclid=CMzC2-rsjdQCFQdLDQod4m0PGw

I see white pipes leading to the wall and a vent up to the ceiling. Does that seem okay? As far as I see, there's no vent path to the room itself, if that makes any sense.
posted by dubious_dude at 8:17 AM on May 26, 2017

This is how my parents' house is set up (not where I grew up but where they live now). I sleep in that room or have my kids sleep in there whenever we visit. I have zero worries about it. Make sure there is a strobe carbon monoxide detector in the room (because that is best practice regardless of where the furnace is) and forget all about it.
posted by peanut_mcgillicuty at 7:45 PM on May 26, 2017

Modern furnaces draw in outside air for combustion, and exhaust the combustion fumes outside. It's perfectly safe to have one in your room, though a carbon monoxide detector would be good for peace of mind.
posted by monotreme at 9:55 PM on May 26, 2017