Natural gas furnaces need adequate space and airflow to work right.

Your furnace can get too hot if it doesn’t have enough space. It also makes it hard for our professionals to accomplish furnace repair.

Regular furnace maintenance is important to keep your system working smoothly. A routinely serviced furnace may heat more efficiently, which could reduce your energy bills.

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 bills and possibly lengthen the life of your unit.

So how much clearance should your equipment 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 Manassas laws for clearance rules.

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

You also need to make sure the room 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 model of furnace needs combustion air from the nearby location. If there’s insufficient air, dangerous gas fumes and deadly 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 add more 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 newer, high-efficiency furnace with PVC piping. Your furnace 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 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 in another room. Cat urine contains ammonia, which could create wear on your furnace’s heat exchanger. Plus, the furnace could circulate the smelly odors throughout your home.

You should also frequently clean near your furnace to stop dust from building up.

Related: Is it Time for Furnace Service or Replacement?

Request Expert Furnace Service

Whether you have to have furnace replacement or annual maintenance in Manassas, Fire & Ice HVAC can expertly handle your needs. Our highly trained technicians can repair any heating equipment model or brand.

Call us at 703-595-4157 or use our online scheduler to set up an appointment now.