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

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

Regular furnace maintenance is essential to keep your system working well. A regularly serviced furnace may work more efficiently, which could lower your energy bills.

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

Maintenance often helps us spot issues before they become expensive. This could help lessen future repair bills and potentially lengthen the life of your system.

So how much clearance should your system really have?

How Much Space Should My Furnace Have?

If you’re finishing your basement or enclosing your furnace room, you should research manufacturer specifications and Marshfield laws for clearance requirements.

As a general suggestion, your system should be 30 inches away from furnace room walls on all sides. This lets our service professionals to easily work on it.

You also need to make sure the area 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 draws combustion air from the nearby space. If there’s not enough air, dangerous gas fumes and poisonous carbon monoxide could back draft into your home.

If your furnace is located in a small room with a gas water heater, you may need to install more 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 newer, high-efficiency furnace with PVC piping. Your system uses one pipe as an exhaust vent and the other to pull in air.

Keep Combustible Materials Away from Your Furnace

Although furnace rooms double as 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, put your litter box somewhere else. Cat urine contains ammonia, which could corrode your furnace’s heat exchanger. Plus, the furnace could circulate the smelly odors all over your home.

You should also regularly sweep near your furnace to stop dust from building up.

Related: Is it Time for Furnace Service or Replacement?

Request Expert Furnace Service

Whether you need furnace replacement or annual maintenance in Marshfield, House of Heating Incorporated can expertly handle your needs. Our highly trained technicians can work on any furnace model or brand.

Call us at 715-322-0009 or use our online scheduler to request an appointment now.