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

Your furnace can shut down if it doesn’t have enough room. It also makes it difficult for our professionals to complete furnace repair.

Regular furnace maintenance is important to keep your system running smoothly. An annually serviced furnace may work more efficiently, which could decrease 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 reduce future repair costs and likely lengthen the life of your system.

So how much area should your equipment really have?

How Much Space Will a Furnace Take Up?

If you’re finishing your basement or enclosing your furnace room, you should research manufacturer specifications and Port Clinton ordinances for clearance requirements.

As a general rule of thumb, your furnace should be 30 inches away from furnace room walls on all sides. This allows our service technicians to easily repair it.

You also need to make sure 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 model of furnace needs combustion air from the nearby area. If there’s not enough air, dangerous gas fumes and deadly carbon monoxide could back draft into your home.

If your furnace is located in a small 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 consider airflow and ventilation as much if you have a modern, high-efficiency furnace with PVC piping. Your system uses one pipe as an exhaust vent and the other to pull in air.

Keep Flammable Items A Safe Distance 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, situate 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 frequently vacuum around your furnace to stop dust from developing.

Related: Is it Time for Furnace Service or Replacement?

Request a Free Quote for Furnace Service

Whether you need furnace replacement or regular maintenance in Port Clinton, Ohler & Holzhauer Inc. can expertly meet your needs. Our highly trained technicians can fix any heating equipment model or brand.

Call us at 419-465-8722 or use our online scheduler to get an appointment right away.