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

Your furnace can overheat if it doesn’t have enough space. It also makes it challenging for our technicians to complete furnace repair.

Regular furnace maintenance is important to keep your system operating smoothly. A regularly serviced furnace may heat 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 problems before they become expensive. This could help lessen future repair costs and potentially prolong the life of your furnace.

So how much area should your furnace really have?

How Much Space Will a Furnace Take Up?

If you’re finishing your basement or sealing off your furnace room, you should take a look at manufacturer directions and Milledgeville and Middle Georgia 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 lets our service professionals to conveniently repair it.

You also need to make sure the space has ample airflow and ventilation, especially if you have an outdated furnace with a metal flue.

Related: Furnace Service or Furnace Replacement: What to Consider

This kind of furnace draws combustion air from the surrounding space. If there’s not enough air, unsafe gas fumes and toxic carbon monoxide could flow back into your home.

If your furnace is positioned 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 furnace uses one pipe as an exhaust vent and the other to pull in air.

Keep Flammable Items Separate from Your Furnace

Although furnace rooms are often also used for 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 deteriorate your furnace’s heat exchanger. Plus, the furnace could spread the stinky odors all over your home.

You should also routinely clean around your furnace to prevent dust from accumulating.

Related: Is it Time for Furnace Service or Replacement?

Trust the Local Pros for Furnace Service

Whether you want furnace replacement or annual maintenance in Milledgeville and Middle Georgia, Air Concepts of Middle Georgia can expertly take care of your needs. Our highly trained technicians can work on any HVAC model or brand.

Call us at 478-200-5689 or use our online scheduler to request an appointment right away.