Natural gas furnaces need sufficient space and airflow to run right.

Your furnace can shut down if it doesn’t have enough space. It also makes it hard for our specialists to complete furnace repair.

Routine furnace maintenance is essential to keep your unit working trouble-free. An annually serviced furnace may run more efficiently, which could lower your energy expenses.

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

Maintenance often helps us spot problems before they start. This could help lower future repair expenses and likely extend the life of your furnace.

So how much room should your equipment really have?

How Much Space Should My Furnace Have?

If you’re remodeling your basement or closing off your furnace room, you should take a look at manufacturer specifications and Hodgenville ordinances for clearance guidelines.

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

You also need to ensure the room 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 kind of furnace pulls combustion air from the nearby area. If there’s not enough air, hazardous gas fumes and deadly carbon monoxide could leak into your home.

If your furnace is located in a small room with a gas water heater, you may need to put in extra 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 up-to-date, high-efficiency furnace with PVC piping. Your unit uses one pipe as an exhaust vent and the other to pull in air.

Keep Flammable Items 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, put your litter box somewhere else. Cat urine contains ammonia, which could corrode your furnace’s heat exchanger. Plus, the furnace could circulate the stinky odors around your home.

You should also routinely clean near your furnace to prevent dust from accumulating.

Related: Is it Time for Furnace Service or Replacement?

Request Expert Furnace Service

Whether you need furnace replacement or regular maintenance in Hodgenville, Phelps Heating & Cooling, Inc. can expertly meet your needs. Our highly trained technicians can work on any heating equipment model or brand.

Call us at 270-358-3167 or use our online scheduler to request an appointment right away.