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

Your furnace can overheat if it doesn’t have enough space. It also makes it challenging for our specialists to perform furnace repair.

Routine furnace maintenance is crucial to keep your equipment running well. A regularly serviced furnace may run more efficiently, which could lower 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 reduce future repair bills and possibly lengthen the life of your furnace.

So how much clearance should your equipment really have?

How Much Space Does My Furnace Need?

If you’re finishing your basement or closing off your furnace room, you should research manufacturer instructions and Auburn laws for clearance guidelines.

As a general recommendation, 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 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 model of furnace pulls combustion air from the nearby location. If there’s insufficient air, unsafe gas fumes and toxic carbon monoxide could leak into your home.

If your furnace is positioned in a little room with a gas water heater, you may need to install more openings. This could consist of 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 up-to-date, high-efficiency furnace with PVC piping. Your unit uses one pipe as an exhaust vent and the other to pull 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, situate your litter box in another room. Cat urine contains ammonia, which could deteriorate your furnace’s heat exchanger. Plus, the furnace could move the unpleasant odors throughout your home.

You should also regularly clean by your furnace to prevent 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 regular maintenance in Auburn, Forster Heating can expertly take care of your needs. Our highly trained technicians can work on any heating equipment model or brand.

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