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

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

Regular furnace maintenance is essential to keep your unit working well. An annually serviced furnace may work more efficiently, which could lower your energy expenses.

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

Maintenance often helps us spot issues before they start. This could help lower future repair costs and likely extend the life of your unit.

So how much area should your furnace really have?

How Much Space Will a Furnace Take Up?

If you’re updating your basement or closing off your furnace room, you should take a look at manufacturer instructions and Safford ordinances for clearance rules.

As a general rule of thumb, your system should be 30 inches away from furnace room walls on all sides. This lets our service professionals to comfortably replace it.

You also need to make sure the area has plentiful airflow and ventilation, especially if you have an outdated furnace with a metal flue.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 model of furnace needs combustion air from the surrounding space. If there’s insufficient air, unsafe gas fumes and poisonous 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 consider airflow and ventilation as much if you have a newer, high-efficiency furnace with PVC piping. Your system uses one pipe as an exhaust vent and the other to pull in air.

Keep Hazardous Items A Safe Distance from Your Furnace

Although furnace rooms double 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, situate your litter box elsewhere. Cat urine contains ammonia, which could deteriorate your furnace’s heat exchanger. Plus, the furnace could circulate the smelly 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?

Trust the Local Pros for Furnace Service

Whether you need furnace replacement or routine maintenance in Safford, B&D Air Conditioning can expertly handle your needs. Our highly trained technicians can work on any furnace model or brand.

Call us at 928-432-6018 or use our online scheduler to set up an appointment now.