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 challenging for our professionals to accomplish furnace repair.

Annual furnace maintenance is essential to keep your unit running trouble-free. An annually serviced furnace may heat more efficiently, which could lower your utility expenses.

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

Maintenance often helps us notice troubles before they start. This could help lessen future repair bills and possibly extend the life of your furnace.

So how much area should your equipment really have?

How Much Space Should My Furnace Have?

If you’re updating your basement or enclosing your furnace room, you should take a look at manufacturer directions and Mechanicsburg statutes for clearance guidelines.

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

You also need to ensure the space has plentiful airflow and ventilation, especially if you have an outdated furnace with a metal flue.

Related: Furnace Service or Furnace Replacement: What to Consider

This kind of furnace draws combustion air from the surrounding area. 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 little room with a gas water heater, you may need to put in extra openings. This could consist of a fully louvered door or vents in the walls.

You don’t need to assess 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 pull in air.

Keep Hazardous Items Away from Your Furnace

Although furnace rooms are often also used for 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, place your litter box somewhere else. Cat urine contains ammonia, which could corrode your furnace’s heat exchanger. Plus, the furnace could spread the smelly odors throughout your home.

You should also routinely sweep near your furnace to block dust from building up.

Related: Is it Time for Furnace Service or Replacement?

Request a Free Quote for Furnace Service

Whether you have to have furnace replacement or regular maintenance in Mechanicsburg, H & H Service Company can expertly meet your needs. Our highly trained technicians can repair any furnace model or brand.

Call us at 717-220-4502 or use our online scheduler to get an appointment today.