Natural gas furnaces need enough space and airflow to heat correctly.

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

Routine furnace maintenance is crucial to keep your equipment working smoothly. A regularly serviced furnace may work more efficiently, which could decrease your energy expenses.

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

Maintenance often helps us discover issues before they start. This could help reduce future repair expenses and likely extend the life of your system.

So how much room should your system really have?

How Much Space Will a Furnace Take Up?

If you’re remodeling your basement or closing off your furnace room, you should take a look at manufacturer directions and Swanton statutes 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 professionals to easily work on it.

You also need to ensure the space has enough airflow and ventilation, especially if you have an aging furnace with a metal flue.

Related: Furnace Service or Furnace Replacement: What to Consider

This kind of furnace draws combustion air from the nearby space. If there’s not enough air, unsafe gas fumes and toxic carbon monoxide could flow back into your home.

If your furnace is placed in a tiny room with a gas water heater, you may need to install extra openings. This could include 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 modern, high-efficiency furnace with PVC piping. Your unit uses one pipe as an exhaust vent and the other to draw in air.

Keep Hazardous Items Separate from Your Furnace

Although furnace rooms function as laundry and storage space, you should keep yours free of clutter 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 unpleasant odors all over your home.

You should also regularly clean around your furnace to stop dust from building up.

Related: Is it Time for Furnace Service or Replacement?

Request Expert Furnace Service

Whether you want furnace replacement or routine maintenance in Swanton, Northwest Services can expertly handle your needs. Our highly trained technicians can work on any furnace model or brand.

Call us at 419-548-5017 or use our online scheduler to get an appointment now.