Natural gas furnaces need enough space and airflow to work properly.

Your furnace can shut down if it doesn’t have enough room. It also makes it challenging for our technicians to accomplish furnace repair.

Routine furnace maintenance is important to keep your system operating well. An annually serviced furnace may run more efficiently, which could lower your heating costs.

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

Maintenance often helps us discover issues before they begin. This could help reduce future repair bills and possibly lengthen the life of your unit.

So how much area should your equipment really have?

How Much Space Should My Furnace Have?

If you’re updating your basement or sealing off your furnace room, you should consult manufacturer directions and Ellsworth laws for clearance guidelines.

As a general recommendation, your heater should be 30 inches away from furnace room walls on all sides. This allows our service technicians to easily work on it.

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

Related: Furnace Service or Furnace Replacement: What to Consider

This model of furnace draws combustion air from the nearby location. If there’s insufficient air, unsafe gas fumes and deadly carbon monoxide could flow back into your home.

If your furnace is located in a small room with a gas water heater, you may need to put in extra openings. This could consist of a fully louvered door or vents in the walls.

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

Keep Hazardous Items Separate from Your Furnace

Although furnace rooms are often also used for laundry and storage space, you should keep yours free of things 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 stinky odors around your home.

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

Related: Is it Time for Furnace Service or Replacement?

Trust the Local Pros for Furnace Service

Whether you have to have furnace replacement or annual maintenance in Ellsworth, Walter's-Eaton's Electric, Plumbing, Heating & AC can expertly handle your needs. Our highly trained technicians can fix any heating equipment model or brand.

Call us at 715-318-6728 or use our online scheduler to set up an appointment now.