Natural gas furnaces need enough space and airflow to heat correctly.

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

Annual furnace maintenance is crucial to keep your system running well. An annually 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 start. This could help lower future repair costs and possibly lengthen the life of your system.

So how much room should your system really have?

How Much Space Will a Furnace Take Up?

If you’re finishing your basement or sealing off your furnace room, you should consult manufacturer instructions and Monroe ordinances for clearance rules.

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

You also need to check the area has enough airflow and ventilation, especially if you have an outdated furnace with a metal flue.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 kind of furnace needs combustion air from the surrounding space. If there’s not enough air, dangerous gas fumes and toxic carbon monoxide could back draft into your home.

If your furnace is positioned in a little room with a gas water heater, you may need to put in supplemental openings. This could involve 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 Flammable Items Away 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 in another room. Cat urine contains ammonia, which could deteriorate your furnace’s heat exchanger. Plus, the furnace could spread the smelly odors around your home.

You should also frequently vacuum near your furnace to stop dust from developing.

Related: Is it Time for Furnace Service or Replacement?

Trust the Local Pros for Furnace Service

Whether you want furnace replacement or regular maintenance in Monroe, Lanz Furnace and Fireplace can expertly meet your needs. Our highly trained technicians can work on any heating equipment model or brand.

Call us at 608-291-3606 or use our online scheduler to request an appointment today.