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

Your furnace can shut down if it doesn’t have enough room. It also makes it hard for our specialists to complete furnace repair.

Regular furnace maintenance is crucial to keep your system operating smoothly. An annually serviced furnace may work more efficiently, which could lower your energy costs.

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

Maintenance often helps us discover problems before they become expensive. This could help reduce future repair expenses and potentially extend the life of your unit.

So how much room should your furnace really have?

How Much Space Does My Furnace Need?

If you’re finishing your basement or closing off your furnace room, you should consult manufacturer directions and Neptune City ordinances for clearance guidelines.

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

You also need to ensure the area has enough airflow and ventilation, especially if you have an older furnace with a metal flue.

Related: Furnace Service or Furnace Replacement: What to Consider

This model of furnace needs combustion air from the nearby area. If there’s inadequate air, hazardous gas fumes and deadly carbon monoxide could leak into your home.

If your furnace is located in a little room with a gas water heater, you may need to add more openings. This could consist of a fully louvered door or vents in the walls.

You don’t need to consider 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 pull in air.

Keep Combustible Materials Away from Your Furnace

Although furnace rooms function as 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, place your litter box somewhere else. Cat urine contains ammonia, which could deteriorate your furnace’s heat exchanger. Plus, the furnace could circulate the smelly odors throughout your home.

You should also frequently clean around your furnace to block dust from developing.

Related: Is it Time for Furnace Service or Replacement?

Request Expert Furnace Service

Whether you want furnace replacement or regular maintenance in Neptune City, Aggressive Mechanical can expertly take care of your needs. Our highly trained technicians can repair any furnace model or brand.

Call us at 732-806-5536 or use our online scheduler to request an appointment now.