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

Your furnace can shut down if it doesn’t have enough clearance. It also makes it difficult for our technicians to perform furnace repair.

Routine furnace maintenance is essential to keep your unit operating smoothly. A routinely serviced furnace may heat 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 issues before they become expensive. This could help lessen future repair costs and possibly lengthen the life of your furnace.

So how much clearance should your system really have?

How Much Space Does My Furnace Need?

If you’re updating your basement or enclosing your furnace room, you should take a look at manufacturer instructions and Tucker statutes for clearance rules.

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

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

Related: Furnace Service or Furnace Replacement: What to Consider

This model of furnace draws combustion air from the nearby space. If there’s not enough air, dangerous gas fumes and toxic carbon monoxide could leak into your home.

If your furnace is located in a tiny room with a gas water heater, you may need to add 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 up-to-date, 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 double as laundry and storage space, you should keep yours free of things 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 deteriorate your furnace’s heat exchanger. Plus, the furnace could spread the unpleasant odors all over your home.

You should also routinely clean near your furnace to stop dust from developing.

Related: Is it Time for Furnace Service or Replacement?

Request Expert Furnace Service

Whether you want furnace replacement or regular maintenance in Tucker, ACS Heating and Air Conditioning can expertly handle your needs. Our highly trained technicians can work on any heating equipment model or brand.

Call us at 770-450-1539 or use our online scheduler to request an appointment now.