Natural gas furnaces need adequate space and airflow to run correctly.
Your furnace can overheat if it doesn’t have enough room. It also makes it challenging for our professionals to perform furnace repair.
Annual furnace maintenance is crucial to keep your equipment running smoothly. An annually serviced furnace may work more efficiently, which could reduce your utility bills.
Related: How Does Furnace Maintenance Impact the Energy Efficiency of Your Home?
Maintenance often helps us notice issues before they start. This could help lower future repair expenses and possibly lengthen the life of your system.
So how much clearance should your equipment really have?
How Much Space Does My Furnace Need?
If you’re updating your basement or enclosing your furnace room, you should research manufacturer specifications and Savage statutes for clearance requirements.
As a general suggestion, your heater should be 30 inches away from furnace room walls on all sides. This lets our service technicians to conveniently work on it.
You also need to check the space 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 type of furnace pulls combustion air from the surrounding location. If there’s not enough air, dangerous gas fumes and poisonous carbon monoxide could back draft into your home.
If your furnace is placed in a tiny room with a gas water heater, you may need to add extra openings. This could consist of a fully louvered door or vents in the walls.
Uncertain if your furnace or water heater has proper ventilation? We can take a look!
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You don’t need to assess airflow and ventilation as much if you have a modern, high-efficiency furnace with PVC piping. Your system uses one pipe as an exhaust vent and the other to draw in air.
Keep Combustible Materials Away 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 in another room. Cat urine contains ammonia, which could corrode your furnace’s heat exchanger. Plus, the furnace could circulate the unpleasant odors throughout your home.
You should also frequently vacuum around your furnace to prevent dust from accumulating.
Related: Is it Time for Furnace Service or Replacement?
Request Expert Furnace Service
Whether you need furnace replacement or routine maintenance in Savage, Gopher Heating and Air Conditioning can expertly take care of your needs. Our highly trained technicians can work on any HVAC model or brand.
Call us at 952-373-0377 or use our online scheduler to request an appointment today.