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

Your furnace can overheat if it doesn’t have enough clearance. It also makes it difficult for our specialists to accomplish furnace repair.

Routine furnace maintenance is important to keep your unit working smoothly. A regularly serviced furnace may run more efficiently, which could lower your utility costs.

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

Maintenance often helps us notice issues before they start. This could help lessen future repair expenses and likely extend the life of your system.

So how much clearance should your furnace really have?

How Much Space Does My Furnace Need?

If you’re remodeling your basement or sealing off your furnace room, you should take a look at manufacturer specifications and Chelan and Wenatchee statutes for clearance rules.

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

You also need to ensure the area has enough airflow and ventilation, especially if you have an aging 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 inadequate air, dangerous gas fumes and poisonous carbon monoxide could leak into your home.

If your furnace is positioned in a tiny room with a gas water heater, you may need to add supplemental 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 unit 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 elsewhere. Cat urine contains ammonia, which could deteriorate your furnace’s heat exchanger. Plus, the furnace could move the unpleasant odors all over your home.

You should also frequently vacuum by your furnace to stop 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 Chelan and Wenatchee, Lakeside Heating & Air can expertly handle your needs. Our highly trained technicians can fix any HVAC model or brand.

Call us at 509-284-4265 or use our online scheduler to set up an appointment now.