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

Your furnace can get too hot if it doesn’t have enough space. It also makes it difficult for our specialists to complete furnace repair.

Regular furnace maintenance is essential to keep your system running smoothly. A routinely serviced furnace may heat more efficiently, which could reduce your utility expenses.

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

Maintenance often helps us notice problems before they begin. This could help reduce future repair expenses and potentially lengthen the life of your system.

So how much clearance should your system really have?

How Much Space Does My Furnace Need?

If you’re finishing your basement or enclosing your furnace room, you should consult manufacturer instructions and East Bernard laws for clearance requirements.

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

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

Related: Furnace Service or Furnace Replacement: What to Consider

This model of furnace pulls combustion air from the surrounding area. If there’s inadequate air, dangerous gas fumes and deadly carbon monoxide could leak into your home.

If your furnace is located in a little room with a gas water heater, you may need to install supplemental openings. This could involve 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 unit uses one pipe as an exhaust vent and the other to pull in air.

Keep Hazardous Items A Safe Distance 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 elsewhere. Cat urine contains ammonia, which could deteriorate your furnace’s heat exchanger. Plus, the furnace could spread the smelly odors all over your home.

You should also frequently vacuum by your furnace to stop dust from building up.

Related: Is it Time for Furnace Service or Replacement?

Request Expert Furnace Service

Whether you have to have furnace replacement or annual maintenance in East Bernard, E.B. Air can expertly meet your needs. Our highly trained technicians can fix any heating equipment model or brand.

Call us at 979-335-4262 or use our online scheduler to set up an appointment now.