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

Your furnace can get too hot if it doesn’t have enough space. It also makes it difficult for our professionals to perform furnace repair.

Annual furnace maintenance is important to keep your system working well. A routinely serviced furnace may heat more efficiently, which could decrease your heating bills.

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

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

So how much clearance should your equipment really have?

How Much Space Will a Furnace Take Up?

If you’re remodeling your basement or closing off your furnace room, you should consult manufacturer specifications and Wisconsin Rapids ordinances for clearance guidelines.

As a general suggestion, your heater should be 30 inches away from furnace room walls on all sides. This permits our service technicians to conveniently replace it.

You also need to check the room has plentiful airflow and ventilation, especially if you have an outdated furnace with a metal flue.

Related: Furnace Service or Furnace Replacement: What to Consider

This model of furnace pulls combustion air from the surrounding location. If there’s inadequate air, unsafe gas fumes and deadly carbon monoxide could back draft into your home.

If your furnace is placed in a small room with a gas water heater, you may need to put in extra 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 newer, high-efficiency furnace with PVC piping. Your unit uses one pipe as an exhaust vent and the other to add air.

Keep Hazardous Items A Safe Distance 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, put your litter box somewhere else. Cat urine contains ammonia, which could create wear on your furnace’s heat exchanger. Plus, the furnace could move the unpleasant odors around your home.

You should also routinely vacuum around your furnace to stop dust from accumulating.

Related: Is it Time for Furnace Service or Replacement?

Request Expert Furnace Service

Whether you want furnace replacement or annual maintenance in Wisconsin Rapids, Rapids Sheet Metal Works Inc can expertly handle your needs. Our highly trained technicians can repair any HVAC model or brand.

Call us at 715-301-0256 or use our online scheduler to get an appointment today.