Natural gas furnaces need sufficient space and airflow to work properly.
Your furnace can shut down if it doesn’t have enough clearance. It also makes it challenging for our specialists to complete furnace repair.
Routine furnace maintenance is crucial to keep your unit operating trouble-free. A routinely serviced furnace may run more efficiently, which could reduce your utility costs.
Related: How Does Furnace Maintenance Impact the Energy Efficiency of Your Home?
Maintenance often helps us spot troubles before they start. This could help lessen future repair costs and likely extend the life of your unit.
So how much room should your furnace really have?
How Much Space Does My Furnace Need?
If you’re finishing your basement or sealing off your furnace room, you should consult manufacturer specifications and Carson City statutes for clearance rules.
As a general rule of thumb, your system should be 30 inches away from furnace room walls on all sides. This lets our service technicians to comfortably repair 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You also need to ensure the space has plentiful airflow and ventilation, especially if you have an outdated furnace with a metal flue.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 needs combustion air from the surrounding area. If there’s insufficient air, hazardous gas fumes and poisonous carbon monoxide could back draft into your home.
If your furnace is placed in a tiny room with a gas water heater, you may need to put in more openings. This could involve a fully louvered door or vents in the walls.
Not sure if your furnace or water heater has enough ventilation? We can assist you!
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You don’t need to consider 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 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, place your litter box elsewhere. Cat urine contains ammonia, which could create wear on your furnace’s heat exchanger. Plus, the furnace could spread the smelly odors around your home.
You should also frequently clean by 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 routine maintenance in Carson City, Anderson Heating & A/C can expertly take care of your needs. Our highly trained technicians can fix any furnace model or brand.
Call us at 775-230-7628 or use our online scheduler to request an appointment today.