Natural gas furnaces need adequate space and airflow to work correctly.

Your furnace can overheat if it doesn’t have enough room. It also makes it difficult for our technicians to complete furnace repair.

Annual furnace maintenance is essential to keep your equipment working smoothly. An annually serviced furnace may work more efficiently, which could lower your heating bills.

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

Maintenance often helps us discover problems before they start. This could help reduce future repair expenses and potentially prolong the life of your system.

So how much clearance should your system 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 directions and East Bernard ordinances for clearance rules.

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

You also need to make sure the room has enough 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 pulls combustion air from the surrounding location. If there’s insufficient air, dangerous gas fumes and poisonous carbon monoxide could flow back into your home.

If your furnace is located in a tiny room with a gas water heater, you may need to add extra openings. This could include 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 modern, high-efficiency furnace with PVC piping. Your system uses one pipe as an exhaust vent and the other to add air.

Keep Flammable Items Separate from Your Furnace

Although furnace rooms function as laundry and storage space, you should keep yours free of things 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 somewhere else. Cat urine contains ammonia, which could deteriorate your furnace’s heat exchanger. Plus, the furnace could spread the smelly odors around your home.

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

Related: Is it Time for Furnace Service or Replacement?

Request a Free Quote for Furnace Service

Whether you want furnace replacement or annual maintenance in East Bernard, E.B. Air can expertly take care of your needs. Our highly trained technicians can repair any HVAC model or brand.

Call us at 979-335-4262 or use our online scheduler to request an appointment today.