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

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

Annual furnace maintenance is essential to keep your unit running smoothly. A regularly serviced furnace may run more efficiently, which could reduce your utility bills.

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

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

So how much clearance should your system really have?

How Much Space Does My Furnace Need?

If you’re finishing your basement or closing off your furnace room, you should take a look at manufacturer instructions and Pella laws for clearance rules.

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

You also need to ensure the area 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 kind of furnace needs combustion air from the nearby area. If there’s not enough air, unsafe gas fumes and deadly 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 install extra openings. This could include a fully louvered door or vents in the walls.

You don’t need to think about 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 pull in air.

Keep Combustible Materials Away from Your Furnace

Although furnace rooms function as 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, place your litter box elsewhere. Cat urine contains ammonia, which could deteriorate your furnace’s heat exchanger. Plus, the furnace could circulate the smelly odors throughout your home.

You should also routinely clean 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 routine maintenance in Pella, Van Haaften Plumbing & Heating can expertly handle your needs. Our highly trained technicians can repair any HVAC model or brand.

Call us at 641-628-3621 or use our online scheduler to get an appointment today.