Natural gas furnaces need enough space and airflow to work right.
Your furnace can overheat if it doesn’t have enough space. It also makes it challenging for our professionals to accomplish furnace repair.
Annual furnace maintenance is crucial to keep your unit operating smoothly. An annually serviced furnace may work more efficiently, which could decrease your heating 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 likely prolong 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 enclosing your furnace room, you should consult manufacturer instructions and Libertyville ordinances for clearance requirements.
As a general rule of thumb, your heater should be 30 inches away from furnace room walls on all sides. This permits our service experts to conveniently work on it.
You also need to ensure the area has plentiful airflow and ventilation, especially if you have an outdated furnace with a metal flue.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 type of furnace draws combustion air from the adjacent area. If there’s not enough air, hazardous gas fumes and deadly carbon monoxide could back draft into your home.
If your furnace is placed in a tiny room with a gas water heater, you may need to install extra openings. This could consist of a fully louvered door or vents in the walls.
Uncertain if your furnace or water heater has proper ventilation? We can assist you!
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You don’t need to assess airflow and ventilation as much if you have a newer, high-efficiency furnace with PVC piping. Your unit uses one pipe as an exhaust vent and the other to draw in 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 spread the smelly odors around your home.
You should also routinely clean near your furnace to block dust from developing.
Related: Is it Time for Furnace Service or Replacement?
Request Expert Furnace Service
Whether you have to have furnace replacement or routine maintenance in Libertyville, TopTec Heating, Cooling, Plumbing & Electrical can expertly take care of your needs. Our highly trained technicians can repair any furnace model or brand.
Call us at 847-362-0262 or use our online scheduler to set up an appointment right away.