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

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

Annual furnace maintenance is crucial to keep your system running smoothly. A regularly serviced furnace may run more efficiently, which could reduce your energy expenses.

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

Maintenance often helps us discover troubles before they start. This could help lower future repair bills and possibly lengthen the life of your unit.

So how much area 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 research manufacturer directions and Booneville laws for clearance requirements.

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

You also need to ensure the room 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 model of furnace pulls combustion air from the surrounding area. If there’s insufficient air, hazardous gas fumes and poisonous 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 put in supplemental 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 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 A Safe Distance from Your Furnace

Although furnace rooms are often also used for 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 deteriorate your furnace’s heat exchanger. Plus, the furnace could move the stinky odors all over your home.

You should also regularly sweep near your furnace to prevent dust from developing.

Related: Is it Time for Furnace Service or Replacement?

Request Expert Furnace Service

Whether you want furnace replacement or regular maintenance in Booneville, Booneville Heating & Cooling can expertly meet your needs. Our highly trained technicians can repair any furnace model or brand.

Call us at 662-269-8716 or use our online scheduler to set up an appointment now.