Natural gas furnaces need enough space and airflow to heat properly.

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

Annual furnace maintenance is essential to keep your equipment operating smoothly. A regularly serviced furnace may heat more efficiently, which could lower your utility expenses.

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

Maintenance often helps us spot troubles before they become expensive. This could help reduce future repair costs and potentially extend the life of your furnace.

So how much clearance should your equipment really have?

How Much Space Should My Furnace Have?

If you’re remodeling your basement or sealing off your furnace room, you should research manufacturer instructions and Tucson and Phoenix statutes for clearance rules.

As a general recommendation, your heater should be 30 inches away from furnace room walls on all sides. This lets our service technicians to comfortably repair it.

You also need to check the space has ample airflow and ventilation, especially if you have an older furnace with a metal flue.

Related: Furnace Service or Furnace Replacement: What to Consider

This kind of furnace draws combustion air from the adjacent area. If there’s insufficient air, hazardous gas fumes and deadly carbon monoxide could back draft into your home.

If your furnace is placed 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 assess airflow and ventilation as much if you have a newer, high-efficiency furnace with PVC piping. Your system uses one pipe as an exhaust vent and the other to add air.

Keep Combustible Materials Separate from Your Furnace

Although furnace rooms double 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, put your litter box somewhere else. Cat urine contains ammonia, which could corrode your furnace’s heat exchanger. Plus, the furnace could spread the unpleasant odors all over your home.

You should also regularly sweep by your furnace to stop dust from developing.

Related: Is it Time for Furnace Service or Replacement?

Trust the Local Pros for Furnace Service

Whether you need furnace replacement or regular maintenance in Tucson and Phoenix, Desert Husky HVAC/R Services can expertly handle your needs. Our highly trained technicians can fix any furnace model or brand.

Call us at 520-416-5415 or use our online scheduler to request an appointment now.