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

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

Regular furnace maintenance is crucial to keep your equipment operating trouble-free. An annually serviced furnace may run more efficiently, which could lower your utility costs.

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

Maintenance often helps us notice troubles before they begin. This could help lower future repair bills and likely extend the life of your system.

So how much clearance should your system really have?

How Much Space Will a Furnace Take Up?

If you’re finishing your basement or enclosing your furnace room, you should take a look at manufacturer instructions and Columbia laws for clearance guidelines.

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

You also need to ensure 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 type of furnace pulls combustion air from the nearby location. If there’s not enough air, unsafe gas fumes and toxic 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 add extra openings. This could include 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 system uses one pipe as an exhaust vent and the other to draw in air.

Keep Combustible Materials Separate from Your Furnace

Although furnace rooms double 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, put your litter box elsewhere. Cat urine contains ammonia, which could corrode your furnace’s heat exchanger. Plus, the furnace could spread the unpleasant odors all over your home.

You should also frequently sweep by your furnace to prevent dust from accumulating.

Related: Is it Time for Furnace Service or Replacement?

Request a Free Quote for Furnace Service

Whether you have to have furnace replacement or regular maintenance in Columbia, Watts Electric & AC can expertly meet your needs. Our highly trained technicians can fix any furnace model or brand.

Call us at 601-736-7362 or use our online scheduler to request an appointment right away.