Natural gas furnaces need sufficient space and airflow to run correctly.

Your furnace can get too hot if it doesn’t have enough clearance. It also makes it hard for our professionals to accomplish furnace repair.

Regular furnace maintenance is important to keep your equipment working well. A regularly serviced furnace may run more efficiently, which could lower your energy expenses.

Related: How Does Furnace Maintenance Impact the Energy Efficiency of Your Home?

Maintenance often helps us spot problems before they begin. This could help lower future repair costs and likely prolong the life of your unit.

So how much area should your system really have?

How Much Space Does My Furnace Need?

If you’re remodeling your basement or enclosing your furnace room, you should research manufacturer specifications and Warrenton statutes for clearance guidelines.

As a general rule of thumb, your heater should be 30 inches away from furnace room walls on all sides. This allows our service technicians to conveniently replace it.

You also need to make sure the room has plentiful airflow and ventilation, especially if you have an older furnace with a metal flue.

Related: Furnace Service or Furnace Replacement: What to Consider

This type of furnace needs combustion air from the adjacent area. If there’s inadequate air, unsafe gas fumes and deadly carbon monoxide could leak into your home.

If your furnace is positioned in a tiny room with a gas water heater, you may need to add more openings. This could involve a fully louvered door or vents in the walls.

You don’t need to think about airflow and ventilation as much if you have a up-to-date, high-efficiency furnace with PVC piping. Your unit uses one pipe as an exhaust vent and the other to add air.

Keep Combustible Materials Away from Your Furnace

Although furnace rooms function as laundry and storage space, you should keep yours free of items that could be fire hazards.

This includes:

  • Clotheslines
  • Cleaning or laundry products
  • Gasoline, paint or paint thinner
  • Rags and papers
  • Wood scraps and sawdust
  • Used filters

If you have a cat, situate your litter box somewhere else. Cat urine contains ammonia, which could corrode your furnace’s heat exchanger. Plus, the furnace could circulate the unpleasant odors around your home.

You should also routinely sweep by your furnace to block dust from accumulating.

Related: Is it Time for Furnace Service or Replacement?

Request Expert Furnace Service

Whether you have to have furnace replacement or routine maintenance in Warrenton, Schraer Heating & Air Conditioning can expertly meet your needs. Our highly trained technicians can fix any heating equipment model or brand.

Call us at 636-456-5041 or use our online scheduler to set up an appointment now.