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

Your furnace can get too hot if it doesn’t have enough room. It also makes it hard for our specialists to complete furnace repair.

Annual furnace maintenance is important to keep your unit running smoothly. An annually serviced furnace may work more efficiently, which could lower your energy bills.

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

Maintenance often helps us spot problems before they become expensive. This could help reduce future repair costs and potentially extend the life of your furnace.

So how much room should your equipment really have?

How Much Space Should My Furnace Have?

If you’re remodeling your basement or sealing off your furnace room, you should take a look at manufacturer instructions and Wisconsin Rapids laws for clearance rules.

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

You also need to ensure the area 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 type of furnace draws combustion air from the adjacent area. If there’s not enough air, dangerous gas fumes and toxic carbon monoxide could flow back into your home.

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

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 Hazardous Items Separate 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 somewhere else. Cat urine contains ammonia, which could deteriorate your furnace’s heat exchanger. Plus, the furnace could spread the smelly odors throughout your home.

You should also frequently clean near 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 routine 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 get an appointment right away.