Natural gas furnaces need adequate 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 specialists to perform furnace repair.

Regular furnace maintenance is important to keep your unit running trouble-free. An annually serviced furnace may heat more efficiently, which could reduce your heating expenses.

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

Maintenance often helps us discover troubles before they start. This could help lessen future repair costs and possibly extend the life of your furnace.

So how much room should your furnace really have?

How Much Space Does My Furnace Need?

If you’re updating your basement or sealing off your furnace room, you should research manufacturer specifications and Kankakee statutes for clearance requirements.

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

You also need to make sure the area has plentiful airflow and ventilation, especially if you have an outdated furnace with a metal flue.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 model of furnace draws combustion air from the surrounding area. If there’s not enough air, hazardous gas fumes and deadly carbon monoxide could leak into your home.

If your furnace is positioned in a tiny room with a gas water heater, you may need to put in extra openings. This could consist of 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 draw in air.

Keep Combustible Materials Away from Your Furnace

Although furnace rooms function 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, put your litter box elsewhere. Cat urine contains ammonia, which could deteriorate your furnace’s heat exchanger. Plus, the furnace could move the stinky odors all over your home.

You should also frequently clean by your furnace to block dust from developing.

Related: Is it Time for Furnace Service or Replacement?

Request Expert Furnace Service

Whether you need furnace replacement or annual maintenance in Kankakee, Home Furniture, Plumbing & Heating can expertly meet your needs. Our highly trained technicians can repair any HVAC model or brand.

Call us at 815-933-8213 or use our online scheduler to request an appointment now.