Natural gas furnaces need sufficient space and airflow to heat right.

Your furnace can get too hot if it doesn’t have enough space. It also makes it difficult for our specialists to perform furnace repair.

Routine furnace maintenance is essential to keep your equipment working well. A routinely serviced furnace may work more efficiently, which could decrease your energy bills.

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

Maintenance often helps us discover issues before they begin. This could help lower future repair costs and possibly extend the life of your furnace.

So how much area should your equipment really have?

How Much Space Should My Furnace Have?

If you’re finishing your basement or enclosing your furnace room, you should take a look at manufacturer directions and Holdrege statutes for clearance requirements.

As a general suggestion, your heater should be 30 inches away from furnace room walls on all sides. This permits our service professionals to conveniently work on it.

You also need to check the area has enough airflow and ventilation, especially if you have an aging furnace with a metal flue.

Related: Furnace Service or Furnace Replacement: What to Consider

This kind of furnace pulls combustion air from the surrounding space. If there’s not enough air, unsafe gas fumes and toxic carbon monoxide could leak into your home.

If your furnace is positioned in a tiny room with a gas water heater, you may need to add extra openings. This could consist of a fully louvered door or vents in the walls.

You don’t need to assess 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 add air.

Keep Flammable Items Separate 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, place your litter box elsewhere. Cat urine contains ammonia, which could corrode your furnace’s heat exchanger. Plus, the furnace could spread the unpleasant odors all over your home.

You should also routinely clean around your furnace to prevent dust from developing.

Related: Is it Time for Furnace Service or Replacement?

Request a Free Quote for Furnace Service

Whether you want furnace replacement or routine maintenance in Holdrege, Durable Service can expertly handle your needs. Our highly trained technicians can fix any furnace model or brand.

Call us at 308-995-8177 or use our online scheduler to set up an appointment now.