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

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

Regular furnace maintenance is crucial to keep your system working well. A regularly serviced furnace may heat more efficiently, which could lower your utility expenses.

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

Maintenance often helps us discover troubles before they begin. This could help reduce future repair bills and potentially lengthen the life of your system.

So how much area should your system really have?

How Much Space Does My Furnace Need?

If you’re finishing your basement or enclosing your furnace room, you should research manufacturer directions and Plover ordinances for clearance guidelines.

As a general suggestion, your system should be 30 inches away from furnace room walls on all sides. This lets our service experts to easily repair 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 model of furnace needs combustion air from the nearby space. 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 small room with a gas water heater, you may need to install extra openings. This could involve a fully louvered door or vents in the walls.

You don’t need to assess 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 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, situate your litter box in another room. Cat urine contains ammonia, which could create wear on your furnace’s heat exchanger. Plus, the furnace could spread the stinky odors all over your home.

You should also frequently vacuum around your furnace to stop dust from building up.

Related: Is it Time for Furnace Service or Replacement?

Request Expert Furnace Service

Whether you need furnace replacement or routine maintenance in Plover, Point Heating & Cooling can expertly meet your needs. Our highly trained technicians can repair any furnace model or brand.

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