Natural gas furnaces need adequate space and airflow to heat right.
Your furnace can shut down if it doesn’t have enough clearance. It also makes it challenging for our technicians to perform furnace repair.
Routine furnace maintenance is essential to keep your unit running smoothly. An annually serviced furnace may run more efficiently, which could decrease your heating costs.
Related: How Does Furnace Maintenance Impact the Energy Efficiency of Your Home?
Maintenance often helps us notice issues before they become expensive. This could help lower future repair expenses and potentially lengthen the life of your system.
So how much clearance should your furnace really have?
How Much Space Does My Furnace Need?
If you’re updating your basement or sealing off your furnace room, you should take a look at manufacturer specifications and Hudsonville laws for clearance requirements.
As a general rule of thumb, your heater should be 30 inches away from furnace room walls on all sides. This permits our service experts to conveniently replace it.
You also need to ensure 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 space. If there’s not enough air, dangerous gas fumes and deadly carbon monoxide could flow back into your home.
If your furnace is placed in a small 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 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 pull in air.
Keep Combustible Materials Away from Your Furnace
Although furnace rooms function as laundry and storage space, you should keep yours free of clutter 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 elsewhere. Cat urine contains ammonia, which could create wear on your furnace’s heat exchanger. Plus, the furnace could move the unpleasant odors all over your home.
You should also regularly clean around your furnace to stop dust from developing.
Related: Is it Time for Furnace Service or Replacement?
Request Expert Furnace Service
Whether you have to have furnace replacement or routine maintenance in Hudsonville, West Michigan Heating & Air Conditioning Services can expertly handle your needs. Our highly trained technicians can repair any HVAC model or brand.
Call us at (616) 319-1436 or use our online scheduler to request an appointment today.
