Natural gas furnaces need adequate space and airflow to run correctly.
Your furnace can shut down if it doesn’t have enough space. It also makes it difficult for our specialists to accomplish furnace repair.
Routine furnace maintenance is essential to keep your system running smoothly. An annually 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 troubles before they become expensive. This could help lessen future repair bills and potentially prolong the life of your unit.
So how much clearance should your furnace really have?
How Much Space Does My Furnace Need?
If you’re updating your basement or closing off your furnace room, you should take a look at manufacturer directions and Oxford statutes for clearance rules.
As a general recommendation, your heater should be 30 inches away from furnace room walls on all sides. This permits our service technicians to easily replace it.
You also need to ensure the space has plentiful airflow and ventilation, especially if you have an outdated furnace with a metal flue.
Related: Furnace Service or Furnace Replacement: What to Consider
This type of furnace draws combustion air from the nearby area. If there’s not enough air, unsafe gas fumes and toxic carbon monoxide could back draft into your home.
If your furnace is positioned in a small 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 enough ventilation? We can take a look!
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You don’t need to consider 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 add air.
Keep Combustible Materials Away from Your Furnace
Although furnace rooms function as 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, put your litter box in another room. Cat urine contains ammonia, which could create wear on your furnace’s heat exchanger. Plus, the furnace could spread the unpleasant odors around your home.
You should also frequently vacuum around your furnace to block dust from building up.
Related: Is it Time for Furnace Service or Replacement?
Request Expert Furnace Service
Whether you want furnace replacement or routine maintenance in Oxford, Franklin's Heating & Air Conditioning, Inc can expertly meet your needs. Our highly trained technicians can work on any furnace model or brand.
Call us at 662-281-1231 or use our online scheduler to request an appointment today.