Natural gas furnaces need enough space and airflow to run right.
Your furnace can shut down if it doesn’t have enough room. It also makes it difficult for our professionals to complete furnace repair.
Annual furnace maintenance is essential to keep your unit operating smoothly. A routinely 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 notice troubles before they become expensive. This could help lower future repair expenses and likely lengthen the life of your furnace.
So how much area should your furnace really have?
How Much Space Does My Furnace Need?
If you’re updating your basement or enclosing your furnace room, you should take a look at manufacturer instructions and Dresden 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 lets our service technicians to comfortably repair it.
You also need to check the area has plentiful 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 nearby space. If there’s insufficient air, hazardous gas fumes and poisonous carbon monoxide could leak into your home.
If your furnace is located in a small room with a gas water heater, you may need to install more openings. This could include a fully louvered door or vents in the walls.
Unsure if your furnace or water heater has proper ventilation? We can assist you!
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You don’t need to assess airflow and ventilation as much if you have a newer, 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, place your litter box elsewhere. Cat urine contains ammonia, which could create wear on your furnace’s heat exchanger. Plus, the furnace could spread the unpleasant odors throughout your home.
You should also frequently sweep 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 regular maintenance in Dresden, McFadden Heating & Cooling can expertly handle your needs. Our highly trained technicians can fix any heating equipment model or brand.
Call us at 1-866-781-0111 or use our online scheduler to set up an appointment right away.