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

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

Routine furnace maintenance is important to keep your unit running smoothly. An annually serviced furnace may run more efficiently, which could lower your energy costs.

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

Maintenance often helps us notice issues before they become expensive. This could help lessen future repair costs and likely lengthen the life of your system.

So how much area should your furnace really have?

How Much Space Will a Furnace Take Up?

If you’re updating your basement or enclosing your furnace room, you should consult manufacturer directions and Greater Richmond statutes for clearance rules.

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

You also need to ensure the area has plentiful 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 nearby location. 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 put in extra openings. This could involve a fully louvered door or vents in the walls.

You don’t need to consider 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 pull in air.

Keep Combustible Materials A Safe Distance from Your Furnace

Although furnace rooms function 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 in another room. Cat urine contains ammonia, which could create wear on your furnace’s heat exchanger. Plus, the furnace could circulate the unpleasant odors all over your home.

You should also frequently vacuum around 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 routine maintenance in Greater Richmond, Herman Allen Plumbing, Heating & Cooling can expertly handle your needs. Our highly trained technicians can repair any heating equipment model or brand.

Call us at 804-302-6657 or use our online scheduler to get an appointment today.