Natural gas furnaces need sufficient space and airflow to run correctly.

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

Regular furnace maintenance is essential to keep your system operating trouble-free. A routinely serviced furnace may heat more efficiently, which could reduce your heating 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 lower future repair bills and potentially extend the life of your unit.

So how much clearance should your furnace really have?

How Much Space Should My Furnace Have?

If you’re updating your basement or enclosing your furnace room, you should research manufacturer specifications and Magnolia laws for clearance guidelines.

As a general rule of thumb, your heater should be 30 inches away from furnace room walls on all sides. This permits our service experts to comfortably work on it.

You also need to make sure the area has enough airflow and ventilation, especially if you have an outdated furnace with a metal flue.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 needs combustion air from the adjacent area. If there’s not enough air, hazardous gas fumes and deadly carbon monoxide could flow back 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 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 up-to-date, high-efficiency furnace with PVC piping. Your unit uses one pipe as an exhaust vent and the other to pull in air.

Keep Hazardous Items A Safe Distance from Your Furnace

Although furnace rooms function 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 deteriorate your furnace’s heat exchanger. Plus, the furnace could spread the unpleasant odors all over your home.

You should also routinely clean by your furnace to prevent dust from accumulating.

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 take care of 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 now.