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

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

Routine furnace maintenance is important to keep your system operating trouble-free. A routinely serviced furnace may run more efficiently, which could reduce your heating bills.

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

Maintenance often helps us discover troubles before they become expensive. This could help lessen future repair costs and possibly lengthen the life of your furnace.

So how much area should your system really have?

How Much Space Will a Furnace Take Up?

If you’re remodeling your basement or closing off your furnace room, you should consult manufacturer instructions and Temple/Belton ordinances for clearance rules.

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

You also need to make sure the area has plentiful airflow and ventilation, especially if you have an aging furnace with a metal flue.

Related: Furnace Service or Furnace Replacement: What to Consider

This type of furnace draws combustion air from the surrounding space. If there’s insufficient air, dangerous gas fumes and toxic carbon monoxide could flow back into your home.

If your furnace is located in a little room with a gas water heater, you may need to install supplemental openings. This could involve 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 unit uses one pipe as an exhaust vent and the other to pull 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, place your litter box somewhere else. Cat urine contains ammonia, which could create wear on your furnace’s heat exchanger. Plus, the furnace could move the unpleasant odors around your home.

You should also frequently vacuum near your furnace to block dust from accumulating.

Related: Is it Time for Furnace Service or Replacement?

Request a Free Quote for Furnace Service

Whether you want furnace replacement or regular maintenance in Temple/Belton , Bell Air Conditioning Inc can expertly take care of your needs. Our highly trained technicians can work on any furnace model or brand.

Call us at 254-307-9572 or use our online scheduler to get an appointment today.