What Are the Space Needs for Furnaces?

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

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

Regular furnace maintenance is essential to keep your equipment running trouble-free. An annually serviced furnace may work more efficiently, which could decrease your heating bills.

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

Maintenance often helps us notice troubles before they become expensive. This could help reduce future repair expenses and potentially 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 remodeling your basement or enclosing your furnace room, you should take a look at manufacturer specifications and Warrenton ordinances for clearance guidelines.

As a general recommendation, your furnace should be 30 inches away from furnace room walls on all sides. This permits our service professionals to conveniently replace it.

You also need to check the area has ample 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 needs combustion air from the nearby area. If there’s not enough air, unsafe gas fumes and deadly carbon monoxide could flow back into your home.

If your furnace is positioned in a little room with a gas water heater, you may need to put in supplemental openings. This could involve 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 up-to-date, high-efficiency furnace with PVC piping. Your furnace 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, place your litter box somewhere else. Cat urine contains ammonia, which could create wear on your furnace’s heat exchanger. Plus, the furnace could spread the unpleasant odors throughout your home.

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

Related: Is it Time for Furnace Service or Replacement?

Trust the Local Pros for Furnace Service

Whether you need furnace replacement or annual maintenance in Warrenton, Schraer Heating & Air Conditioning can expertly meet your needs. Our highly trained technicians can fix any HVAC model or brand.

Call us at 636-456-5041 or use our online scheduler to set up an appointment today.