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

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

Regular furnace maintenance is crucial to keep your unit working smoothly. A routinely serviced furnace may run more efficiently, which could decrease your utility bills.

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

Maintenance often helps us discover problems before they begin. This could help lower future repair bills and possibly extend the life of your system.

So how much clearance should your furnace really have?

How Much Space Will a Furnace Take Up?

If you’re finishing your basement or sealing off your furnace room, you should research manufacturer directions and Mount Hope laws for clearance rules.

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

You also need to make sure the room has enough airflow and ventilation, especially if you have an outdated furnace with a metal flue.

Related: Furnace Service or Furnace Replacement: What to Consider

This model of furnace draws combustion air from the adjacent space. If there’s inadequate air, hazardous gas fumes and toxic carbon monoxide could leak into your home.

If your furnace is positioned in a little room with a gas water heater, you may need to put in more 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 unit uses one pipe as an exhaust vent and the other to draw 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, put your litter box elsewhere. 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 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 want furnace replacement or routine maintenance in Mount Hope, Appalachian Heating can expertly handle your needs. Our highly trained technicians can work on any HVAC model or brand.

Call us at 304-707-0600 or use our online scheduler to request an appointment right away.