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

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

Regular furnace maintenance is essential to keep your system working well. A routinely serviced furnace may work more efficiently, which could lower your energy bills.

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

Maintenance often helps us notice issues before they begin. This could help lower future repair expenses and likely lengthen the life of your system.

So how much room should your furnace really have?

How Much Space Should My Furnace Have?

If you’re remodeling your basement or closing off your furnace room, you should research manufacturer directions and Pacheco laws for clearance guidelines.

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

You also need to ensure the area 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 type of furnace draws combustion air from the adjacent location. If there’s inadequate air, dangerous 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 put in supplemental openings. This could involve 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 unit uses one pipe as an exhaust vent and the other to pull in air.

Keep Flammable Items A Safe Distance from Your Furnace

Although furnace rooms function 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 in another room. Cat urine contains ammonia, which could corrode your furnace’s heat exchanger. Plus, the furnace could circulate the smelly odors all over your home.

You should also routinely vacuum by your furnace to stop dust from developing.

Related: Is it Time for Furnace Service or Replacement?

Request a Free Quote for Furnace Service

Whether you want furnace replacement or annual maintenance in Pacheco, Clean Air HVAC can expertly handle your needs. Our highly trained technicians can work on any HVAC model or brand.

Call us at 925-233-6238 or use our online scheduler to request an appointment now.