Natural gas furnaces need adequate space and airflow to heat correctly.

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

Regular furnace maintenance is essential to keep your system operating smoothly. A routinely serviced furnace may work more efficiently, which could decrease your utility bills.

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

Maintenance often helps us discover issues before they become expensive. This could help lessen future repair expenses and potentially lengthen the life of your system.

So how much clearance should your furnace really have?

How Much Space Should My Furnace Have?

If you’re updating your basement or closing off your furnace room, you should take a look at manufacturer directions and Athol laws for clearance rules.

As a general rule of thumb, your furnace should be 30 inches away from furnace room walls on all sides. This allows our service experts to comfortably repair it.

You also need to make sure the room has ample 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 draws combustion air from the surrounding location. If there’s inadequate air, unsafe gas fumes and toxic carbon monoxide could flow back into your home.

If your furnace is placed in a small room with a gas water heater, you may need to add extra openings. This could include a fully louvered door or vents in the walls.

You don’t need to assess airflow and ventilation as much if you have a up-to-date, high-efficiency furnace with PVC piping. Your unit uses one pipe as an exhaust vent and the other to add air.

Keep Hazardous Items Away from Your Furnace

Although furnace rooms are often also used for 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 deteriorate your furnace’s heat exchanger. Plus, the furnace could spread the stinky odors around your home.

You should also frequently vacuum by 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 annual maintenance in Athol, Alpine Summit Heating & Cooling can expertly handle your needs. Our highly trained technicians can repair any furnace model or brand.

Call us at 208-561-1226 or use our online scheduler to request an appointment now.