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 challenging for our professionals to accomplish furnace repair.

Regular furnace maintenance is essential to keep your unit working trouble-free. An annually serviced furnace may run more efficiently, which could lower your heating costs.

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

Maintenance often helps us spot issues before they start. This could help lower future repair bills and possibly prolong the life of your system.

So how much clearance should your equipment really have?

How Much Space Does My Furnace Need?

If you’re finishing your basement or enclosing your furnace room, you should consult manufacturer specifications and Buellton statutes for clearance guidelines.

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

You also need to make sure 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 type of furnace needs combustion air from the surrounding location. If there’s insufficient air, hazardous gas fumes and deadly carbon monoxide could leak into your home.

If your furnace is placed in a little room with a gas water heater, you may need to add extra openings. This could consist of 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 Combustible Materials A Safe Distance 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, place your litter box somewhere else. Cat urine contains ammonia, which could corrode your furnace’s heat exchanger. Plus, the furnace could spread the unpleasant odors throughout your home.

You should also routinely clean by your furnace to prevent dust from building up.

Related: Is it Time for Furnace Service or Replacement?

Trust the Local Pros for Furnace Service

Whether you want furnace replacement or annual maintenance in Buellton, Allstar Heating & Air Conditioning can expertly meet your needs. Our highly trained technicians can fix any heating equipment model or brand.

Call us at 805-242-9638 or use our online scheduler to request an appointment today.