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

Your furnace can get too hot if it doesn’t have enough clearance. It also makes it hard for our professionals to accomplish furnace repair.

Regular furnace maintenance is essential to keep your equipment running trouble-free. A routinely serviced furnace may run more efficiently, which could lower your heating costs.

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

Maintenance often helps us notice troubles before they become expensive. This could help lessen future repair bills and potentially prolong the life of your furnace.

So how much clearance should your equipment really have?

How Much Space Does My Furnace Need?

If you’re finishing your basement or enclosing your furnace room, you should research manufacturer instructions and Croydon statutes for clearance requirements.

As a general recommendation, your furnace should be 30 inches away from furnace room walls on all sides. This lets 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 older furnace with a metal flue.

Related: Furnace Service or Furnace Replacement: What to Consider

This type of furnace draws combustion air from the surrounding space. If there’s inadequate air, unsafe gas fumes and deadly carbon monoxide could back draft into your home.

If your furnace is positioned in a tiny 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 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 Flammable Items Away from Your Furnace

Although furnace rooms double as laundry and storage space, you should keep yours free of items 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, put your litter box somewhere else. Cat urine contains ammonia, which could corrode your furnace’s heat exchanger. Plus, the furnace could move the stinky odors throughout your home.

You should also frequently vacuum by your furnace to stop dust from building up.

Related: Is it Time for Furnace Service or Replacement?

Request a Free Quote for Furnace Service

Whether you have to have furnace replacement or routine maintenance in Croydon, Indoor Comfort Systems HVAC can expertly handle your needs. Our highly trained technicians can fix any HVAC model or brand.

Call us at 215-741-5505 or use our online scheduler to get an appointment today.