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

Your furnace can get too hot if it doesn’t have enough room. It also makes it difficult for our technicians to perform furnace repair.

Regular furnace maintenance is important to keep your equipment operating trouble-free. A regularly serviced furnace may run more efficiently, which could decrease your energy costs.

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

Maintenance often helps us spot problems before they become expensive. This could help reduce future repair expenses and likely extend the life of your system.

So how much room should your equipment really have?

How Much Space Does My Furnace Need?

If you’re finishing your basement or closing off your furnace room, you should consult manufacturer instructions and Lincoln statutes for clearance requirements.

As a general rule of thumb, your furnace should be 30 inches away from furnace room walls on all sides. This allows our service technicians to easily work on it.

You also need to check the space has enough airflow and ventilation, especially if you have an outdated furnace with a metal flue.

Related: Furnace Service or Furnace Replacement: What to Consider

This type of furnace draws combustion air from the nearby area. If there’s not enough air, unsafe gas fumes and toxic 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 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 modern, 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 clutter 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, place 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 smelly odors around your home.

You should also routinely sweep by your furnace to stop dust from accumulating.

Related: Is it Time for Furnace Service or Replacement?

Request Expert Furnace Service

Whether you have to have furnace replacement or annual maintenance in Lincoln, AW Heating & Air Conditioning can expertly take care of your needs. Our highly trained technicians can repair any furnace model or brand.

Call us at 402-438-7992 or use our online scheduler to set up an appointment today.