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

Your furnace can shut down if it doesn’t have enough clearance. It also makes it hard for our technicians to perform furnace repair.

Regular furnace maintenance is essential to keep your system working smoothly. An annually serviced furnace may run more efficiently, which could decrease your heating costs.

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

Maintenance often helps us discover problems before they begin. This could help lower future repair bills and likely prolong the life of your furnace.

So how much area should your system really have?

How Much Space Does My Furnace Need?

If you’re remodeling your basement or closing off your furnace room, you should consult manufacturer directions and Athol ordinances for clearance requirements.

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

You also need to check the area has plentiful airflow and ventilation, especially if you have an older furnace with a metal flue.

Related: Furnace Service or Furnace Replacement: What to Consider

This kind of furnace needs combustion air from the nearby location. If there’s not enough air, dangerous gas fumes and toxic carbon monoxide could back draft into your home.

If your furnace is located in a little room with a gas water heater, you may need to put in more openings. This could consist of a fully louvered door or vents in the walls.

You don’t need to think about 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 draw 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 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, situate 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 all over your home.

You should also regularly clean around your furnace to prevent dust from building up.

Related: Is it Time for Furnace Service or Replacement?

Request Expert Furnace Service

Whether you want furnace replacement or annual maintenance in Athol, Alpine Summit Heating & Cooling can expertly meet your needs. Our highly trained technicians can work on any heating equipment model or brand.

Call us at 208-561-1226 or use our online scheduler to set up an appointment today.