Natural gas furnaces need adequate space and airflow to run correctly.
Your furnace can shut down if it doesn’t have enough space. It also makes it hard for our professionals to perform furnace repair.
Regular furnace maintenance is important to keep your system working well. An annually serviced furnace may run 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 issues before they become expensive. This could help lower future repair expenses and possibly prolong the life of your unit.
So how much room should your equipment 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 Chadron statutes for clearance guidelines.
As a general rule of thumb, your furnace should be 30 inches away from furnace room walls on all sides. This permits our service experts to comfortably repair it.
You also need to make sure the room has ample 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 needs combustion air from the surrounding area. If there’s inadequate air, hazardous gas fumes and poisonous carbon monoxide could back draft into your home.
If your furnace is positioned 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.
Unsure if your furnace or water heater has adequate ventilation? We can take a look!
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You don’t need to think about 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 are often also used for 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, place your litter box somewhere else. 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 regularly clean around your furnace to prevent dust from accumulating.
Related: Is it Time for Furnace Service or Replacement?
Request Expert Furnace Service
Whether you have to have furnace replacement or routine maintenance in Chadron, MPC Heating & Cooling can expertly handle your needs. Our highly trained technicians can repair any heating equipment model or brand.
Call us at 308-832-4321 or use our online scheduler to request an appointment now.