Natural gas furnaces need sufficient space and airflow to heat properly.
Your furnace can get too hot if it doesn’t have enough clearance. It also makes it difficult for our professionals to perform furnace repair.
Annual furnace maintenance is crucial to keep your system working well. A routinely serviced furnace may heat more efficiently, which could lower your utility bills.
Related: How Does Furnace Maintenance Impact the Energy Efficiency of Your Home?
Maintenance often helps us discover troubles before they become expensive. This could help lower future repair bills and possibly extend the life of your furnace.
So how much area should your system really have?
How Much Space Does My Furnace Need?
If you’re updating your basement or closing off your furnace room, you should take a look at manufacturer instructions and Georgetown statutes for clearance guidelines.
As a general suggestion, your system should be 30 inches away from furnace room walls on all sides. This allows our service professionals to comfortably replace it.
You also need to make sure 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 kind of furnace draws combustion air from the nearby area. If there’s inadequate air, unsafe gas fumes and toxic carbon monoxide could flow back into your home.
If your furnace is placed 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.
Unsure if your furnace or water heater has adequate ventilation? We can help!
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You don’t need to assess airflow and ventilation as much if you have a modern, 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 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 in another room. Cat urine contains ammonia, which could create wear on your furnace’s heat exchanger. Plus, the furnace could circulate the unpleasant odors all over your home.
You should also regularly vacuum near your furnace to block dust from accumulating.
Related: Is it Time for Furnace Service or Replacement?
Request Expert Furnace Service
Whether you want furnace replacement or regular maintenance in Georgetown, Miller Climate Control LLC can expertly meet your needs. Our highly trained technicians can work on any HVAC model or brand.
Call us at 512-937-2001 or use our online scheduler to set up an appointment now.