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

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

Routine furnace maintenance is essential to keep your equipment working smoothly. An annually serviced furnace may run 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 begin. This could help lessen future repair expenses and potentially prolong the life of your unit.

So how much area should your equipment really have?

How Much Space Should My Furnace Have?

If you’re remodeling your basement or closing off your furnace room, you should take a look at manufacturer directions and Central Point laws for clearance requirements.

As a general recommendation, your furnace should be 30 inches away from furnace room walls on all sides. This allows our service experts 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 draws combustion air from the surrounding location. If there’s not enough 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 supplemental openings. This could include a fully louvered door or vents in the walls.

You don’t need to assess 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 add air.

Keep Hazardous Items Away from Your Furnace

Although furnace rooms function as laundry and storage space, you should keep yours free of things 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 throughout your home.

You should also frequently sweep by your furnace to block dust from building up.

Related: Is it Time for Furnace Service or Replacement?

Request Expert Furnace Service

Whether you want furnace replacement or regular maintenance in Central Point, Titan Heating & Air Conditioning can expertly meet your needs. Our highly trained technicians can work on any heating equipment model or brand.

Call us at 541-286-6617 or use our online scheduler to request an appointment right away.