Natural gas furnaces need enough space and airflow to work right.
Your furnace can overheat if it doesn’t have enough space. It also makes it challenging for our specialists to perform furnace repair.
Regular furnace maintenance is essential to keep your system running trouble-free. A routinely serviced furnace may work more efficiently, which could lower your utility costs.
Related: How Does Furnace Maintenance Impact the Energy Efficiency of Your Home?
Maintenance often helps us notice issues before they become expensive. This could help lower future repair bills and likely prolong the life of your furnace.
So how much room should your system really have?
How Much Space Does My Furnace Need?
If you’re updating your basement or enclosing your furnace room, you should consult manufacturer instructions and Northglenn statutes for clearance requirements.
As a general rule of thumb, your furnace should be 30 inches away from furnace room walls on all sides. This permits our service technicians to conveniently replace it.
You also need to check the space 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 type of furnace pulls combustion air from the nearby space. If there’s not enough air, unsafe gas fumes and poisonous carbon monoxide could flow back into your home.
If your furnace is located 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.
Unsure if your furnace or water heater has adequate ventilation? We can help!
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You don’t need to assess airflow and ventilation as much if you have a modern, 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 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, put your litter box in another room. Cat urine contains ammonia, which could create wear on your furnace’s heat exchanger. Plus, the furnace could move the unpleasant odors all over your home.
You should also routinely vacuum around your furnace to block dust from accumulating.
Related: Is it Time for Furnace Service or Replacement?
Request Expert Furnace Service
Whether you want furnace replacement or routine maintenance in Northglenn, Northglenn Heating & Air Conditioning, Inc. can expertly meet your needs. Our highly trained technicians can repair any heating equipment model or brand.
Call us at 303-452-4146 or use our online scheduler to get an appointment now.