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

Your furnace can get too hot if it doesn’t have enough room. It also makes it difficult for our specialists to accomplish furnace repair.

Annual furnace maintenance is important to keep your system operating trouble-free. An annually serviced furnace may heat more efficiently, which could lower your heating expenses.

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

Maintenance often helps us notice troubles before they begin. This could help reduce future repair costs and likely lengthen the life of your system.

So how much clearance should your furnace really have?

How Much Space Should My Furnace Have?

If you’re updating your basement or closing off your furnace room, you should research manufacturer specifications and Alliance statutes for clearance requirements.

As a general rule of thumb, your system should be 30 inches away from furnace room walls on all sides. This allows our service technicians to easily replace it.

You also need to make sure the space has ample 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 draws combustion air from the surrounding location. If there’s not enough air, unsafe gas fumes and deadly carbon monoxide could back draft into your home.

If your furnace is located in a little room with a gas water heater, you may need to install supplemental openings. This could include a fully louvered door or vents in the walls.

You don’t need to consider airflow and ventilation as much if you have a newer, high-efficiency furnace with PVC piping. Your furnace uses one pipe as an exhaust vent and the other to draw in air.

Keep Hazardous Items Separate 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 in another room. Cat urine contains ammonia, which could corrode your furnace’s heat exchanger. Plus, the furnace could spread the smelly odors throughout your home.

You should also frequently clean near your furnace to stop dust from building up.

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 Alliance, Jack's Heating, Cooling, Stoves & Fireplaces can expertly take care of your needs. Our highly trained technicians can fix any heating equipment model or brand.

Call us at 308-762-1613 or use our online scheduler to request an appointment today.