Natural gas furnaces need adequate space and airflow to work properly.
Your furnace can shut down if it doesn’t have enough space. It also makes it difficult for our professionals to accomplish furnace repair.
Annual furnace maintenance is essential to keep your system running trouble-free. A regularly serviced furnace may work more efficiently, which could reduce your energy bills.
Related: How Does Furnace Maintenance Impact the Energy Efficiency of Your Home?
Maintenance often helps us spot problems before they become expensive. This could help lessen future repair costs and potentially extend the life of your unit.
So how much area should your furnace really have?
How Much Space Does My Furnace Need?
If you’re updating your basement or closing off your furnace room, you should consult manufacturer directions and Reinholds ordinances for clearance rules.
As a general rule of thumb, your furnace should be 30 inches away from furnace room walls on all sides. This lets our service professionals to easily work on it.
You also need to check the area 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 model of furnace pulls combustion air from the nearby 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 little room with a gas water heater, you may need to add supplemental openings. This could consist of a fully louvered door or vents in the walls.
Not sure if your furnace or water heater has proper ventilation? We can take a look!
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You don’t need to think about airflow and ventilation as much if you have a up-to-date, 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 Away 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 somewhere else. Cat urine contains ammonia, which could deteriorate your furnace’s heat exchanger. Plus, the furnace could spread the unpleasant odors all over your home.
You should also regularly clean near your furnace to block dust from developing.
Related: Is it Time for Furnace Service or Replacement?
Request Expert Furnace Service
Whether you want furnace replacement or routine maintenance in Reinholds, County Line Mechanical LLC can expertly handle your needs. Our highly trained technicians can repair any heating equipment model or brand.
Call us at 717-216-0846 or use our online scheduler to request an appointment right away.