Natural gas furnaces need adequate space and airflow to heat correctly.
Your furnace can shut down if it doesn’t have enough space. It also makes it difficult for our technicians to perform furnace repair.
Routine furnace maintenance is crucial to keep your unit operating trouble-free. An annually serviced furnace may heat more efficiently, which could reduce your energy costs.
Related: How Does Furnace Maintenance Impact the Energy Efficiency of Your Home?
Maintenance often helps us spot troubles before they begin. This could help lower future repair costs and potentially extend the life of your system.
So how much clearance should your equipment really have?
How Much Space Does My Furnace Need?
If you’re remodeling your basement or enclosing your furnace room, you should research manufacturer specifications and Wisconsin Rapids laws for clearance requirements.
As a general rule of thumb, your heater should be 30 inches away from furnace room walls on all sides. This allows our service experts to conveniently repair it.
You also need to ensure the space 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 kind of furnace pulls combustion air from the adjacent space. If there’s insufficient air, hazardous gas fumes and poisonous 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.
Unsure if your furnace or water heater has proper ventilation? We can help!
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You don’t need to consider 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 pull in air.
Keep Combustible Materials Away from Your Furnace
Although furnace rooms double as 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, place your litter box in another room. Cat urine contains ammonia, which could corrode your furnace’s heat exchanger. Plus, the furnace could circulate the stinky odors all over your home.
You should also frequently vacuum by your furnace to stop dust from developing.
Related: Is it Time for Furnace Service or Replacement?
Request Expert Furnace Service
Whether you need furnace replacement or regular maintenance in Wisconsin Rapids, Rapids Sheet Metal Works Inc can expertly meet your needs. Our highly trained technicians can fix any HVAC model or brand.
Call us at 715-301-0256 or use our online scheduler to request an appointment today.