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

Your furnace can shut down if it doesn’t have enough clearance. It also makes it hard for our specialists to perform furnace repair.

Annual furnace maintenance is important to keep your system operating well. A regularly serviced furnace may work more efficiently, which could lower your heating costs.

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

Maintenance often helps us notice problems before they become expensive. This could help reduce future repair bills and possibly prolong the life of your furnace.

So how much clearance should your equipment really have?

How Much Space Should My Furnace Have?

If you’re finishing your basement or enclosing your furnace room, you should research manufacturer specifications and Thedford ordinances for clearance requirements.

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

You also need to check 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 type of furnace draws combustion air from the surrounding area. If there’s not enough air, unsafe 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 supplemental 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 up-to-date, high-efficiency furnace with PVC piping. Your system uses one pipe as an exhaust vent and the other to pull in air.

Keep Combustible Materials 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, place your litter box in another room. Cat urine contains ammonia, which could deteriorate your furnace’s heat exchanger. Plus, the furnace could spread the smelly odors throughout your home.

You should also frequently vacuum near your furnace to stop dust from accumulating.

Related: Is it Time for Furnace Service or Replacement?

Trust the Local Pros for Furnace Service

Whether you need furnace replacement or routine maintenance in Thedford, Taylor's Heating & Air Conditioning can expertly meet your needs. Our highly trained technicians can fix any HVAC model or brand.

Call us at 519-296-4437 or use our online scheduler to set up an appointment right away.