Natural gas furnaces need sufficient space and airflow to work correctly.
Your furnace can get too hot if it doesn’t have enough space. It also makes it difficult for our professionals to complete furnace repair.
Regular furnace maintenance is important to keep your unit working smoothly. A regularly serviced furnace may run more efficiently, which could lower your energy costs.
Related: How Does Furnace Maintenance Impact the Energy Efficiency of Your Home?
Maintenance often helps us discover troubles before they begin. This could help reduce future repair costs and likely lengthen the life of your system.
So how much clearance should your system really have?
How Much Space Does My Furnace Need?
If you’re remodeling your basement or closing off your furnace room, you should take a look at manufacturer specifications and Northridge laws for clearance guidelines.
As a general suggestion, your furnace should be 30 inches away from furnace room walls on all sides. This permits our service experts to conveniently repair it.
You also need to check the area has enough airflow and ventilation, especially if you have an outdated furnace with a metal flue.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 draws combustion air from the adjacent space. If there’s inadequate air, hazardous gas fumes and poisonous carbon monoxide could back draft into your home.
If your furnace is placed in a small room with a gas water heater, you may need to put in more openings. This could involve 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 Combustible Materials Away from Your Furnace
Although furnace rooms double 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 in another room. Cat urine contains ammonia, which could create wear on your furnace’s heat exchanger. Plus, the furnace could spread the smelly odors all over your home.
You should also frequently clean near your furnace to stop dust from accumulating.
Related: Is it Time for Furnace Service or Replacement?
Request Expert Furnace Service
Whether you have to have furnace replacement or regular maintenance in Northridge, Enertek Air Conditioning & Heating can expertly meet your needs. Our highly trained technicians can repair any heating equipment model or brand.
Call us at (818) 727-9993 or use our online scheduler to get an appointment right away.
