Natural gas furnaces need adequate space and airflow to heat correctly.

Your furnace can get too hot if it doesn’t have enough clearance. It also makes it challenging for our specialists to accomplish furnace repair.

Routine furnace maintenance is essential to keep your equipment operating well. An annually serviced furnace may run more efficiently, which could reduce your heating costs.

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

Maintenance often helps us spot issues before they become expensive. This could help lessen future repair costs and likely prolong the life of your furnace.

So how much area should your system really have?

How Much Space Will a Furnace Take Up?

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

As a general suggestion, your furnace should be 30 inches away from furnace room walls on all sides. This lets our service professionals to comfortably repair it.

You also need to ensure the space has enough airflow and ventilation, especially if you have an outdated furnace with a metal flue.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 model of furnace needs combustion air from the surrounding location. If there’s inadequate air, dangerous gas fumes and poisonous 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 add more openings. This could include a fully louvered door or vents in the walls.

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

Keep Combustible Materials A Safe Distance 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 in another room. Cat urine contains ammonia, which could create wear on your furnace’s heat exchanger. Plus, the furnace could move the unpleasant odors all over your home.

You should also routinely clean near your furnace to block dust from developing.

Related: Is it Time for Furnace Service or Replacement?

Trust the Local Pros for Furnace Service

Whether you have to have furnace replacement or regular maintenance in Smyrna, Fletcher Plumbing, Heating & AC can expertly meet your needs. Our highly trained technicians can work on any heating equipment model or brand.

Call us at 302-653-0503 or use our online scheduler to set up an appointment right away.