Natural gas furnaces need adequate space and airflow to run correctly.

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

Routine furnace maintenance is essential to keep your unit running smoothly. A regularly serviced furnace may work more efficiently, which could decrease your heating costs.

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

Maintenance often helps us notice issues before they become expensive. This could help reduce future repair costs and possibly prolong the life of your furnace.

So how much area should your furnace really have?

How Much Space Does My Furnace Need?

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

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

You also need to check the space has ample 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 draws combustion air from the surrounding area. If there’s inadequate air, hazardous gas fumes and deadly 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 install 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 up-to-date, high-efficiency furnace with PVC piping. Your unit uses one pipe as an exhaust vent and the other to pull in air.

Keep Combustible Materials Away 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, situate your litter box somewhere else. Cat urine contains ammonia, which could corrode your furnace’s heat exchanger. Plus, the furnace could spread the smelly odors all over your home.

You should also regularly clean by your furnace to block dust from building up.

Related: Is it Time for Furnace Service or Replacement?

Request Expert Furnace Service

Whether you need furnace replacement or annual maintenance in Safford, B&D Air Conditioning can expertly meet your needs. Our highly trained technicians can repair any HVAC model or brand.

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