Natural gas furnaces need enough 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 complete furnace repair.
Regular furnace maintenance is crucial to keep your system operating trouble-free. A routinely serviced furnace may heat more efficiently, which could lower your energy bills.
Related: How Does Furnace Maintenance Impact the Energy Efficiency of Your Home?
Maintenance often helps us discover problems before they begin. This could help lessen future repair expenses and likely prolong the life of your furnace.
So how much area should your furnace really have?
How Much Space Does My Furnace Need?
If you’re updating your basement or enclosing your furnace room, you should take a look at manufacturer directions and Columbia ordinances for clearance requirements.
As a general suggestion, your furnace should be 30 inches away from furnace room walls on all sides. This allows our service experts to conveniently replace it.
You also need to make sure the area has plentiful airflow and ventilation, especially if you have an aging furnace with a metal flue.
Related: Furnace Service or Furnace Replacement: What to Consider
This kind of furnace pulls combustion air from the nearby location. If there’s not enough air, dangerous gas fumes and poisonous carbon monoxide could flow back into your home.
If your furnace is positioned in a tiny room with a gas water heater, you may need to install more openings. This could consist of 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 modern, high-efficiency furnace with PVC piping. Your system uses one pipe as an exhaust vent and the other to add air.
Keep Combustible Materials Away from Your Furnace
Although furnace rooms are often also used for 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 somewhere else. Cat urine contains ammonia, which could deteriorate your furnace’s heat exchanger. Plus, the furnace could circulate the stinky odors all over your home.
You should also routinely vacuum near your furnace to prevent dust from developing.
Related: Is it Time for Furnace Service or Replacement?
Request Expert Furnace Service
Whether you have to have furnace replacement or annual maintenance in Columbia, Watts Electric & AC can expertly handle your needs. Our highly trained technicians can work on any heating equipment model or brand.
Call us at 601-736-7362 or use our online scheduler to get an appointment today.