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

Your furnace can get too hot if it doesn’t have enough space. It also makes it challenging for our specialists to complete furnace repair.

Annual furnace maintenance is crucial to keep your unit working well. A routinely serviced furnace may run more efficiently, which could reduce your utility costs.

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

Maintenance often helps us notice troubles before they start. This could help reduce future repair costs and potentially lengthen the life of your furnace.

So how much area should your equipment really have?

How Much Space Does My Furnace Need?

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

As a general recommendation, your furnace should be 30 inches away from furnace room walls on all sides. This lets our service technicians to easily work on it.

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

Related: Furnace Service or Furnace Replacement: What to Consider

This kind of furnace draws combustion air from the surrounding area. If there’s not enough air, hazardous gas fumes and toxic carbon monoxide could leak into your home.

If your furnace is placed in a small 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 think about 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 add 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 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, place your litter box elsewhere. Cat urine contains ammonia, which could create wear on your furnace’s heat exchanger. Plus, the furnace could move the stinky odors all over your home.

You should also frequently clean near your furnace to stop dust from building up.

Related: Is it Time for Furnace Service or Replacement?

Request Expert Furnace Service

Whether you have to have furnace replacement or annual maintenance in Chadron, MPC Heating & Cooling can expertly take care of your needs. Our highly trained technicians can repair any furnace model or brand.

Call us at 308-832-4321 or use our online scheduler to get an appointment now.