Natural gas furnaces need adequate space and airflow to work right.

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

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

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

Maintenance often helps us notice problems before they start. This could help lower future repair expenses and likely extend the life of your system.

So how much area should your system really have?

How Much Space Should My Furnace Have?

If you’re updating your basement or sealing off your furnace room, you should consult manufacturer specifications and Neptune City ordinances for clearance rules.

As a general suggestion, your heater should be 30 inches away from furnace room walls on all sides. This lets our service experts to conveniently repair it.

You also need to ensure the space has ample airflow and ventilation, especially if you have an outdated furnace with a metal flue.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 adjacent area. If there’s insufficient air, hazardous gas fumes and toxic carbon monoxide could flow back into your home.

If your furnace is placed in a little room with a gas water heater, you may need to add more 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 up-to-date, high-efficiency furnace with PVC piping. Your system uses one pipe as an exhaust vent and the other to draw in air.

Keep Combustible Materials A Safe Distance 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 create wear on your furnace’s heat exchanger. Plus, the furnace could move the smelly odors around your home.

You should also routinely clean by your furnace to block dust from accumulating.

Related: Is it Time for Furnace Service or Replacement?

Trust the Local Pros for Furnace Service

Whether you have to have furnace replacement or regular maintenance in Neptune City, Aggressive Mechanical can expertly handle your needs. Our highly trained technicians can fix any HVAC model or brand.

Call us at 732-806-5536 or use our online scheduler to set up an appointment right away.