Natural gas furnaces need enough space and airflow to run properly.

Your furnace can get too hot if it doesn’t have enough space. It also makes it hard for our specialists to perform furnace repair.

Routine furnace maintenance is crucial to keep your system operating trouble-free. A regularly serviced furnace may heat more efficiently, which could lower your heating bills.

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

Maintenance often helps us notice troubles before they begin. This could help lessen future repair expenses and possibly extend the life of your system.

So how much area should your equipment really have?

How Much Space Does My Furnace Need?

If you’re remodeling your basement or sealing off your furnace room, you should take a look at manufacturer directions and New Castle statutes for clearance rules.

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

You also need to check the room 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 model of furnace pulls combustion air from the nearby space. If there’s not enough air, hazardous gas fumes and deadly carbon monoxide could flow back into your home.

If your furnace is located in a small room with a gas water heater, you may need to add supplemental openings. This could involve a fully louvered door or vents in the walls.

You don’t need to consider airflow and ventilation as much if you have a modern, 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 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, place 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 regularly sweep near your furnace to stop dust from developing.

Related: Is it Time for Furnace Service or Replacement?

Trust the Local Pros for Furnace Service

Whether you want furnace replacement or annual maintenance in New Castle, Central Heating & Plumbing can expertly meet your needs. Our highly trained technicians can repair any furnace model or brand.

Call us at 724-401-1843 or use our online scheduler to set up an appointment now.