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

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

Routine furnace maintenance is important to keep your system operating smoothly. A routinely serviced furnace may run more efficiently, which could reduce your energy bills.

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

Maintenance often helps us notice troubles before they start. This could help lower future repair costs and possibly prolong the life of your unit.

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 take a look at manufacturer instructions and Savage ordinances for clearance requirements.

As a general rule of thumb, your furnace should be 30 inches away from furnace room walls on all sides. This allows our service experts to conveniently work on it.

You also need to check the room has ample 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 needs combustion air from the adjacent area. If there’s insufficient air, hazardous gas fumes and poisonous 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 add supplemental openings. This could involve a fully louvered door or vents in the walls.

You don’t need to assess 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 Flammable Items A Safe Distance from Your Furnace

Although furnace rooms function as laundry and storage space, you should keep yours free of items 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 create wear on your furnace’s heat exchanger. Plus, the furnace could circulate the stinky odors around your home.

You should also regularly clean by your furnace to stop dust from developing.

Related: Is it Time for Furnace Service or Replacement?

Request a Free Quote for Furnace Service

Whether you have to have furnace replacement or annual maintenance in Savage, Gopher Heating and Air Conditioning can expertly handle your needs. Our highly trained technicians can repair any HVAC model or brand.

Call us at 952-373-0377 or use our online scheduler to get an appointment now.