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

Your furnace can get too hot if it doesn’t have enough room. It also makes it difficult for our specialists to perform furnace repair.

Annual furnace maintenance is important to keep your system working well. An annually serviced furnace may run more efficiently, which could lower your utility costs.

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

Maintenance often helps us notice issues before they start. This could help lower future repair expenses and likely prolong the life of your furnace.

So how much room should your equipment really have?

How Much Space Should My Furnace Have?

If you’re finishing your basement or closing off your furnace room, you should consult manufacturer specifications and Fredericksburg ordinances for clearance guidelines.

As a general rule of thumb, your heater should be 30 inches away from furnace room walls on all sides. This permits our service professionals to easily work on it.

You also need to ensure the area has plentiful airflow and ventilation, especially if you have an outdated furnace with a metal flue.

Related: Furnace Service or Furnace Replacement: What to Consider

This type of furnace needs combustion air from the nearby space. If there’s insufficient air, hazardous 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 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 draw in air.

Keep Combustible Materials A Safe Distance from Your Furnace

Although furnace rooms double 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, situate your litter box elsewhere. Cat urine contains ammonia, which could corrode your furnace’s heat exchanger. Plus, the furnace could spread the smelly odors all over your home.

You should also regularly vacuum by your furnace to block dust from developing.

Related: Is it Time for Furnace Service or Replacement?

Trust the Local Pros for Furnace Service

Whether you have to have furnace replacement or routine maintenance in Fredericksburg, Childress Heating & AC can expertly take care of your needs. Our highly trained technicians can fix any furnace model or brand.

Call us at 540-675-4306 or use our online scheduler to get an appointment right away.