Natural gas furnaces need sufficient space and airflow to heat right.

Your furnace can get too hot if it doesn’t have enough clearance. It also makes it difficult for our specialists to complete furnace repair.

Annual furnace maintenance is important to keep your system working well. An annually serviced furnace may run more efficiently, which could lower your energy costs.

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

Maintenance often helps us spot problems before they begin. This could help lower future repair costs and likely lengthen the life of your system.

So how much area should your furnace really have?

How Much Space Does My Furnace Need?

If you’re remodeling your basement or closing off your furnace room, you should take a look at manufacturer instructions and Northglenn statutes for clearance requirements.

As a general recommendation, your system 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 plentiful 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 space. If there’s not enough air, unsafe gas fumes and deadly carbon monoxide could leak into your home.

If your furnace is placed in a tiny 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 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 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 elsewhere. Cat urine contains ammonia, which could create wear on your furnace’s heat exchanger. Plus, the furnace could circulate the unpleasant odors all over your home.

You should also frequently clean near your furnace to prevent dust from developing.

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 can expertly meet your needs. Our highly trained technicians can work on any furnace model or brand.

Call us at 303-452-4146 or use our online scheduler to get an appointment right away.