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

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

Annual furnace maintenance is essential to keep your system working smoothly. An annually serviced furnace may work more efficiently, which could reduce your utility bills.

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

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

So how much room should your system really have?

How Much Space Will a Furnace Take Up?

If you’re updating your basement or closing off your furnace room, you should research manufacturer instructions and Plover ordinances for clearance guidelines.

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

You also need to check the space has ample airflow and ventilation, especially if you have an aging furnace with a metal flue.

Related: Furnace Service or Furnace Replacement: What to Consider

This kind of furnace draws combustion air from the surrounding space. If there’s insufficient air, hazardous gas fumes and deadly 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 supplemental 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 unit uses one pipe as an exhaust vent and the other to add air.

Keep Hazardous Items Separate 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 in another room. Cat urine contains ammonia, which could corrode your furnace’s heat exchanger. Plus, the furnace could spread the smelly odors all over your home.

You should also frequently sweep by your furnace to prevent dust from developing.

Related: Is it Time for Furnace Service or Replacement?

Request a Free Quote for Furnace Service

Whether you have to have furnace replacement or routine maintenance in Plover, Point Heating & Cooling can expertly take care of your needs. Our highly trained technicians can work on any heating equipment model or brand.

Call us at 715-504-0533 or use our online scheduler to get an appointment now.