Natural gas furnaces need enough space and airflow to heat right.
Your furnace can get too hot if it doesn’t have enough room. It also makes it hard for our specialists to accomplish furnace repair.
Routine furnace maintenance is important to keep your system operating trouble-free. An annually serviced furnace may heat more efficiently, which could lower your utility bills.
Related: How Does Furnace Maintenance Impact the Energy Efficiency of Your Home?
Maintenance often helps us spot issues before they start. This could help reduce future repair costs and likely prolong the life of your unit.
So how much room should your system really have?
How Much Space Does My Furnace Need?
If you’re finishing your basement or sealing off your furnace room, you should take a look at manufacturer specifications and Michigan City ordinances for clearance rules.
As a general recommendation, your furnace should be 30 inches away from furnace room walls on all sides. This allows our service professionals to conveniently work on it.
You also need to ensure the space has ample airflow and ventilation, especially if you have an outdated furnace with a metal flue.
Related: Furnace Service or Furnace Replacement: What to Consider
This model of furnace draws combustion air from the surrounding location. If there’s insufficient air, dangerous gas fumes and deadly carbon monoxide could back draft into your home.
If your furnace is positioned in a little room with a gas water heater, you may need to add more 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 newer, high-efficiency furnace with PVC piping. Your system uses one pipe as an exhaust vent and the other to pull in 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, situate your litter box elsewhere. Cat urine contains ammonia, which could deteriorate your furnace’s heat exchanger. Plus, the furnace could circulate the stinky odors around your home.
You should also regularly sweep around your furnace to stop 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 Michigan City, Paniccia Heating & Cooling can expertly meet your needs. Our highly trained technicians can repair any furnace model or brand.
Call us at 219-872-2198 or use our online scheduler to get an appointment right away.