Should The Door To Your Utility Room Stay Open Or Closed? Here's The Truth

"When you play with fire..." Usually, we finish that phrase with "you get burned." But the burning process can do more than just scald us. You might have a gas-powered furnace and water heater lurking in your utility room. While you surely appreciate this pair of metallic beasts for keeping you warm, they put out other, much less helpful things along with blissfully heated air and water. Any appliances that burn fuel, such as natural gas or propane, pose a risk of contaminating your space. Byproducts of the burning process, such as harmful gases like carbon monoxide, aldehydes, and nitrogen oxides, are things we don't want to inhale. Despite the possible presence of these gases, it's important to keep your utility room door open.

You might think that closing the utility room door will protect you from exposure to these compounds. Counterintuitively, a utility room without adequate ventilation is a dangerous, possibly deadly spot. This must-know safety measure can prevent a lethal buildup of the gases from your furnace and water heater. An open door also provides the necessary air intake your furnace relies on to function properly.

Proper ventilation helps your furnace run more efficiently and can also prolong its lifespan. Substances like carbon monoxide can quickly kill people exposed to them; to expel them through the outside vent, the furnace needs to pull air from inside the home to blow the noxious stuff out. Gases emitted by water heaters and furnaces — including carbon monoxide — can also build up pressure and ignite in a closed room, causing a life-threatening fire or explosion. This is one of the reasons why gas furnaces are being phased out of new builds.

Many homes' clunky utility rooms seem better off hidden behind a closed door. More importantly, you might have children at home who you want to prevent from turning this nook into a play space. It is possible to close this room off, but it takes a few vital adjustments to keep your family and property safe. If you're envisioning a sleek utility room upgrade with a new door in the mix, make sure it's a louvered or vented one that allows air flow. If this doesn't mesh with your home's aesthetic, consider adding a discreet vent in a wall of the room to help with air circulation.