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

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

Routine furnace maintenance is important to keep your system working smoothly. A regularly serviced furnace may run more efficiently, which could decrease your energy costs.

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 expenses and possibly lengthen 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 finishing your basement or closing off your furnace room, you should research manufacturer directions and Auburn laws for clearance requirements.

As a general suggestion, your heater should be 30 inches away from furnace room walls on all sides. This permits our service experts to conveniently work on it.

You also need to make sure the room has enough airflow and ventilation, especially if you have an outdated furnace with a metal flue.

Related: Furnace Service or Furnace Replacement: What to Consider

This kind of furnace needs combustion air from the adjacent space. If there’s insufficient air, hazardous gas fumes and poisonous carbon monoxide could back draft into your home.

If your furnace is placed in a small room with a gas water heater, you may need to install extra 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 up-to-date, high-efficiency furnace with PVC piping. Your furnace 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 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, put your litter box somewhere else. Cat urine contains ammonia, which could create wear on your furnace’s heat exchanger. Plus, the furnace could move the smelly odors around your home.

You should also routinely sweep around your furnace to prevent dust from accumulating.

Related: Is it Time for Furnace Service or Replacement?

Request Expert Furnace Service

Whether you want furnace replacement or regular maintenance in Auburn, Forster Heating can expertly take care of your needs. Our highly trained technicians can fix any heating equipment model or brand.

Call us at 530-885-8081 or use our online scheduler to get an appointment today.