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

Your furnace can shut down if it doesn’t have enough room. It also makes it difficult for our specialists to perform furnace repair.

Routine furnace maintenance is crucial to keep your unit working trouble-free. A routinely serviced furnace may run 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 troubles before they become expensive. This could help reduce future repair expenses and potentially prolong the life of your unit.

So how much clearance should your system really have?

How Much Space Does My Furnace Need?

If you’re finishing your basement or enclosing your furnace room, you should consult manufacturer specifications and Longview laws 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 technicians to comfortably repair it.

You also need to make sure the space has enough 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 needs combustion air from the nearby space. If there’s inadequate air, dangerous gas fumes and poisonous carbon monoxide could flow back into your home.

If your furnace is located in a tiny room with a gas water heater, you may need to install supplemental openings. This could involve a fully louvered door or vents in the walls.

You don’t need to consider airflow and ventilation as much if you have a modern, high-efficiency furnace with PVC piping. Your unit uses one pipe as an exhaust vent and the other to draw in air.

Keep Combustible Materials 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, put your litter box somewhere else. Cat urine contains ammonia, which could deteriorate your furnace’s heat exchanger. Plus, the furnace could spread the unpleasant odors around your home.

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

Related: Is it Time for Furnace Service or Replacement?

Request Expert Furnace Service

Whether you want furnace replacement or annual maintenance in Longview, Goode Bros AC & Heating can expertly take care of your needs. Our highly trained technicians can fix any furnace model or brand.

Call us at 903-284-2612 or use our online scheduler to request an appointment right away.