Natural gas furnaces need adequate space and airflow to work right.

Your furnace can get too hot if it doesn’t have enough clearance. It also makes it difficult for our specialists to perform furnace repair.

Regular furnace maintenance is essential to keep your system running trouble-free. A regularly serviced furnace may heat more efficiently, which could decrease your energy costs.

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

Maintenance often helps us discover troubles before they begin. This could help lower future repair expenses and possibly lengthen the life of your furnace.

So how much clearance should your system really have?

How Much Space Will a Furnace Take Up?

If you’re remodeling your basement or closing off your furnace room, you should research manufacturer directions and Magnolia laws for clearance requirements.

As a general suggestion, your system should be 30 inches away from furnace room walls on all sides. This lets our service professionals to comfortably replace it.

You also need to check 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 type of furnace draws combustion air from the adjacent area. If there’s not enough air, dangerous gas fumes and toxic carbon monoxide could flow back into your home.

If your furnace is placed in a tiny room with a gas water heater, you may need to install more openings. This could involve 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 modern, high-efficiency furnace with PVC piping. Your furnace uses one pipe as an exhaust vent and the other to pull in air.

Keep Combustible Materials Away from Your Furnace

Although furnace rooms double 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, place your litter box in another room. Cat urine contains ammonia, which could corrode your furnace’s heat exchanger. Plus, the furnace could move the unpleasant odors throughout your home.

You should also frequently vacuum near your furnace to prevent dust from developing.

Related: Is it Time for Furnace Service or Replacement?

Trust the Local Pros for Furnace Service

Whether you want furnace replacement or annual maintenance in Magnolia, JTech Mechanical can expertly meet your needs. Our highly trained technicians can repair any HVAC model or brand.

Call us at 281-231-8768 or use our online scheduler to set up an appointment right away.