Natural gas furnaces need enough space and airflow to run properly.
Your furnace can get too hot if it doesn’t have enough clearance. It also makes it hard for our professionals to perform furnace repair.
Annual furnace maintenance is crucial to keep your unit operating trouble-free. A regularly serviced furnace may work more efficiently, which could decrease your heating expenses.
Related: How Does Furnace Maintenance Impact the Energy Efficiency of Your Home?
Maintenance often helps us notice troubles before they start. This could help lessen future repair expenses and potentially lengthen the life of your unit.
So how much area 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 take a look at manufacturer instructions and Middletown statutes for clearance requirements.
As a general recommendation, your furnace should be 30 inches away from furnace room walls on all sides. This lets our service experts to conveniently replace it.
You also need to make sure the space has enough airflow and ventilation, especially if you have an aging furnace with a metal flue.
Related: Furnace Service or Furnace Replacement: What to Consider
This model of furnace draws combustion air from the adjacent space. If there’s inadequate air, unsafe gas fumes and poisonous carbon monoxide could back draft into your home.
If your furnace is positioned in a tiny room with a gas water heater, you may need to add more openings. This could include a fully louvered door or vents in the walls.
You don’t need to assess airflow and ventilation as much if you have a newer, high-efficiency furnace with PVC piping. Your furnace uses one pipe as an exhaust vent and the other to add air.
Keep Combustible Materials Away 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, situate your litter box in another room. Cat urine contains ammonia, which could corrode your furnace’s heat exchanger. Plus, the furnace could circulate the smelly odors throughout your home.
You should also regularly vacuum by your furnace to prevent dust from building up.
Related: Is it Time for Furnace Service or Replacement?
Request Expert Furnace Service
Whether you want furnace replacement or annual maintenance in Middletown, SchagrinGAS Company can expertly take care of your needs. Our highly trained technicians can fix any heating equipment model or brand.
Call us at 302-231-1380 or use our online scheduler to get an appointment now.
