Natural gas furnaces need sufficient space and airflow to run right.
Your furnace can shut down if it doesn’t have enough space. It also makes it challenging for our professionals to accomplish furnace repair.
Routine furnace maintenance is crucial to keep your equipment running trouble-free. A routinely serviced furnace may heat more efficiently, which could decrease your heating bills.
Related: How Does Furnace Maintenance Impact the Energy Efficiency of Your Home?
Maintenance often helps us spot troubles before they begin. This could help lessen future repair bills and possibly extend the life of your unit.
So how much area should your system really have?
How Much Space Does My Furnace Need?
If you’re finishing your basement or sealing off your furnace room, you should take a look at manufacturer directions and Beckley and Mount Hope statutes for clearance guidelines.
As a general rule of thumb, your system should be 30 inches away from furnace room walls on all sides. This permits our service technicians to conveniently work on it.
You also need to check the space has plentiful 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 needs combustion air from the nearby location. If there’s insufficient air, hazardous gas fumes and deadly carbon monoxide could leak 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 consist of a fully louvered door or vents in the walls.
Uncertain if your furnace or water heater has proper ventilation? We can help!
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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 furnace uses one pipe as an exhaust vent and the other to add air.
Keep Combustible Materials Away 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, situate your litter box somewhere else. Cat urine contains ammonia, which could deteriorate your furnace’s heat exchanger. Plus, the furnace could move the unpleasant odors around your home.
You should also regularly clean by your furnace to prevent dust from developing.
Related: Is it Time for Furnace Service or Replacement?
Request Expert Furnace Service
Whether you have to have furnace replacement or routine maintenance in Beckley and Mount Hope, Appalachian Heating can expertly handle your needs. Our highly trained technicians can work on any heating equipment model or brand.
Call us at 304-707-0600 or use our online scheduler to set up an appointment today.