Natural gas furnaces need adequate space and airflow to run right.
Your furnace can overheat if it doesn’t have enough room. It also makes it challenging for our professionals to complete furnace repair.
Routine furnace maintenance is important to keep your system working smoothly. An annually serviced furnace may run more efficiently, which could lower your energy costs.
Related: How Does Furnace Maintenance Impact the Energy Efficiency of Your Home?
Maintenance often helps us discover problems before they become expensive. This could help reduce future repair costs and possibly extend the life of your furnace.
So how much clearance should your furnace really have?
How Much Space Does My Furnace Need?
If you’re remodeling your basement or sealing off your furnace room, you should consult manufacturer specifications and Kingsville laws for clearance rules.
As a general suggestion, 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 make sure the space has ample airflow and ventilation, especially if you have an aging furnace with a metal flue.
Related: Furnace Service or Furnace Replacement: What to Consider
This type of furnace draws combustion air from the adjacent location. If there’s inadequate air, unsafe gas fumes and poisonous carbon monoxide could back draft into your home.
If your furnace is placed in a little room with a gas water heater, you may need to add supplemental openings. This could consist of a fully louvered door or vents in the walls.
Not sure if your furnace or water heater has proper ventilation? We can assist you!
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You don’t need to think about 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 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 throughout your home.
You should also routinely clean around your furnace to prevent dust from accumulating.
Related: Is it Time for Furnace Service or Replacement?
Request Expert Furnace Service
Whether you want furnace replacement or annual maintenance in Kingsville, Four Seasons Air Conditioning and Heating LLC can expertly meet your needs. Our highly trained technicians can work on any heating equipment model or brand.
Call us at 361-214-1203 or use our online scheduler to get an appointment now.