Natural gas furnaces need enough space and airflow to work properly.
Your furnace can overheat if it doesn’t have enough clearance. It also makes it difficult for our specialists to complete furnace repair.
Regular furnace maintenance is crucial to keep your unit operating trouble-free. A routinely serviced furnace may heat more efficiently, which could decrease your heating costs.
Related: How Does Furnace Maintenance Impact the Energy Efficiency of Your Home?
Maintenance often helps us discover issues before they begin. This could help lower future repair expenses and potentially prolong the life of your unit.
So how much room should your system really have?
How Much Space Does My Furnace Need?
If you’re finishing your basement or closing off your furnace room, you should take a look at manufacturer directions and Rapid City statutes for clearance requirements.
As a general recommendation, your heater should be 30 inches away from furnace room walls on all sides. This lets our service professionals to easily work on it.
You also need to make sure the area has ample airflow and ventilation, especially if you have an outdated furnace with a metal flue.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 pulls combustion air from the adjacent area. If there’s not enough air, unsafe gas fumes and poisonous carbon monoxide could leak into your home.
If your furnace is located in a small room with a gas water heater, you may need to add supplemental 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 modern, high-efficiency furnace with PVC piping. Your unit uses one pipe as an exhaust vent and the other to pull in air.
Keep Combustible Materials Away from Your Furnace
Although furnace rooms function as 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 in another room. Cat urine contains ammonia, which could create wear on your furnace’s heat exchanger. Plus, the furnace could circulate the smelly odors all over your home.
You should also regularly sweep by your furnace to prevent 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 Rapid City, Precision Mechanical can expertly take care of your needs. Our highly trained technicians can work on any furnace model or brand.
Call us at 605-206-3766 or use our online scheduler to get an appointment today.
