Natural gas furnaces need adequate space and airflow to work properly.

Your furnace can overheat if it doesn’t have enough room. It also makes it hard for our professionals to perform furnace repair.

Routine furnace maintenance is essential to keep your equipment operating smoothly. An annually serviced furnace may work more efficiently, which could lower your heating costs.

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

Maintenance often helps us notice troubles before they start. This could help reduce future repair bills and possibly lengthen the life of your furnace.

So how much room should your system really have?

How Much Space Should My Furnace Have?

If you’re remodeling your basement or enclosing your furnace room, you should research manufacturer directions and Derby laws for clearance guidelines.

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

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

Related: Furnace Service or Furnace Replacement: What to Consider

This type of furnace needs combustion air from the adjacent location. If there’s insufficient air, dangerous gas fumes and deadly carbon monoxide could flow back into your home.

If your furnace is positioned in a little room with a gas water heater, you may need to put in extra openings. This could consist of 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 draw in air.

Keep Flammable Items 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, place your litter box elsewhere. Cat urine contains ammonia, which could create wear on your furnace’s heat exchanger. Plus, the furnace could move the unpleasant odors throughout your home.

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

Related: Is it Time for Furnace Service or Replacement?

Trust the Local Pros for Furnace Service

Whether you have to have furnace replacement or annual maintenance in Derby, Giordanos Heating and Air Conditioning can expertly handle your needs. Our highly trained technicians can repair any HVAC model or brand.

Call us at 203-772-8319 or use our online scheduler to set up an appointment now.