Natural gas furnaces need sufficient space and airflow to heat right.
Your furnace can get too hot if it doesn’t have enough clearance. It also makes it hard for our professionals to accomplish furnace repair.
Regular furnace maintenance is essential to keep your unit working trouble-free. A regularly serviced furnace may heat 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 issues before they start. This could help lower future repair expenses and potentially extend the life of your unit.
So how much clearance 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 take a look at manufacturer specifications and Cambridge statutes for clearance requirements.
As a general suggestion, your furnace should be 30 inches away from furnace room walls on all sides. This permits our service experts to easily work on it.
You also need to ensure the space has plentiful airflow and ventilation, especially if you have an outdated furnace with a metal flue.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 draws combustion air from the adjacent space. If there’s not enough air, hazardous gas fumes and toxic carbon monoxide could leak into your home.
If your furnace is placed in a little room with a gas water heater, you may need to install supplemental openings. This could consist of a fully louvered door or vents in the walls.
Uncertain if your furnace or water heater has enough ventilation? We can take a look!
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You don’t need to think about airflow and ventilation as much if you have a up-to-date, high-efficiency furnace with PVC piping. Your furnace uses one pipe as an exhaust vent and the other to draw in air.
Keep Combustible Materials Away 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, situate your litter box elsewhere. 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 frequently clean by your furnace to block dust from building up.
Related: Is it Time for Furnace Service or Replacement?
Request Expert Furnace Service
Whether you need furnace replacement or annual maintenance in Cambridge, Pliescott HVAC Services LLC can expertly handle your needs. Our highly trained technicians can work on any HVAC model or brand.
Call us at 410-228-4822 or use our online scheduler to get an appointment right away.