Natural gas furnaces need adequate space and airflow to run correctly.

Your furnace can shut down if it doesn’t have enough clearance. It also makes it difficult for our technicians to complete furnace repair.

Routine furnace maintenance is essential to keep your unit operating trouble-free. A routinely serviced furnace may heat more efficiently, which could reduce your heating costs.

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

Maintenance often helps us spot troubles before they become expensive. This could help reduce future repair expenses and likely prolong the life of your unit.

So how much room should your system really have?

How Much Space Should My Furnace Have?

If you’re finishing your basement or enclosing your furnace room, you should consult manufacturer instructions and Libertyville statutes for clearance rules.

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

You also need to ensure the room 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 pulls combustion air from the surrounding space. 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 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 up-to-date, high-efficiency furnace with PVC piping. Your unit uses one pipe as an exhaust vent and the other to draw in air.

Keep Flammable Items A Safe Distance from Your Furnace

Although furnace rooms are often also used for laundry and storage space, you should keep yours free of items 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 elsewhere. Cat urine contains ammonia, which could deteriorate your furnace’s heat exchanger. Plus, the furnace could move the unpleasant odors all over your home.

You should also frequently sweep near your furnace to block dust from building up.

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 Libertyville, TopTec can expertly handle your needs. Our highly trained technicians can fix any furnace model or brand.

Call us at 847-362-0262 or use our online scheduler to set up an appointment right away.