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

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

Regular furnace maintenance is essential to keep your unit operating smoothly. An annually serviced furnace may heat more efficiently, which could lower your energy bills.

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

Maintenance often helps us notice troubles before they start. This could help lower future repair costs and likely extend the life of your furnace.

So how much clearance should your furnace really have?

How Much Space Does My Furnace Need?

If you’re remodeling your basement or closing off your furnace room, you should consult manufacturer directions and Derby laws for clearance requirements.

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

You also need to check the space has plentiful airflow and ventilation, especially if you have an outdated furnace with a metal flue.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 type of furnace pulls combustion air from the adjacent area. If there’s insufficient air, dangerous gas fumes and deadly carbon monoxide could back draft into your home.

If your furnace is positioned in a small room with a gas water heater, you may need to put in extra 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 newer, 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 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, situate your litter box elsewhere. Cat urine contains ammonia, which could create wear on your furnace’s heat exchanger. Plus, the furnace could move the stinky odors all over your home.

You should also frequently sweep near your furnace to prevent dust from building up.

Related: Is it Time for Furnace Service or Replacement?

Request Expert Furnace Service

Whether you need furnace replacement or regular maintenance in Derby, Giordanos Heating and Air Conditioning can expertly meet your needs. Our highly trained technicians can fix any furnace model or brand.

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