Natural gas furnaces need enough space and airflow to run properly.

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

Annual furnace maintenance is essential to keep your equipment operating well. A regularly serviced furnace may work more efficiently, which could reduce your energy bills.

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

Maintenance often helps us spot troubles before they begin. This could help lessen future repair costs and potentially extend the life of your unit.

So how much room should your system really have?

How Much Space Does My Furnace Need?

If you’re updating your basement or enclosing your furnace room, you should consult manufacturer specifications and Menomonie and western Wisconsin laws for clearance guidelines.

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

You also need to ensure the area has enough 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 needs combustion air from the nearby area. If there’s insufficient air, dangerous gas fumes and deadly carbon monoxide could back draft into your home.

If your furnace is placed in a little room with a gas water heater, you may need to install supplemental openings. This could involve a fully louvered door or vents in the walls.

You don’t need to consider 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 function as 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 elsewhere. Cat urine contains ammonia, which could create wear on your furnace’s heat exchanger. Plus, the furnace could spread the stinky odors around your home.

You should also regularly vacuum around your furnace to block dust from accumulating.

Related: Is it Time for Furnace Service or Replacement?

Request Expert Furnace Service

Whether you have to have furnace replacement or regular maintenance in Menomonie and western Wisconsin, Halverson Brothers Inc can expertly take care of your needs. Our highly trained technicians can fix any furnace model or brand.

Call us at 715-352-4052 or use our online scheduler to request an appointment now.