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

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

Routine furnace maintenance is important to keep your equipment running well. An annually serviced furnace may run more efficiently, which could lower your energy bills.

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

Maintenance often helps us spot troubles before they begin. This could help reduce future repair expenses and possibly lengthen the life of your system.

So how much area should your system really have?

How Much Space Does My Furnace Need?

If you’re finishing your basement or sealing off your furnace room, you should consult manufacturer instructions and Ballwin and St. Charles laws for clearance rules.

As a general recommendation, your system should be 30 inches away from furnace room walls on all sides. This allows our service professionals to easily repair it.

You also need to check the room has plentiful airflow and ventilation, especially if you have an outdated furnace with a metal flue.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 space. If there’s insufficient air, unsafe gas fumes and poisonous 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 install more openings. This could consist of 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 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 Away from Your Furnace

Although furnace rooms function 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, situate your litter box somewhere else. Cat urine contains ammonia, which could create wear on your furnace’s heat exchanger. Plus, the furnace could circulate the smelly odors around your home.

You should also frequently sweep near your furnace to block dust from developing.

Related: Is it Time for Furnace Service or Replacement?

Request Expert Furnace Service

Whether you have to have furnace replacement or annual maintenance in Ballwin and St. Charles, Air Alliance Team can expertly handle your needs. Our highly trained technicians can repair any heating equipment model or brand.

Call us at 636-206-4250 or use our online scheduler to get an appointment now.