Natural gas furnaces need sufficient space and airflow to heat properly.
Your furnace can shut down if it doesn’t have enough clearance. It also makes it hard for our professionals to complete furnace repair.
Regular furnace maintenance is important to keep your system running trouble-free. A regularly serviced furnace may run 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 costs and possibly prolong the life of your system.
So how much area should your equipment really have?
How Much Space Does My Furnace Need?
If you’re finishing your basement or sealing off your furnace room, you should research manufacturer directions and Siloam Springs ordinances for clearance guidelines.
As a general rule of thumb, your furnace should be 30 inches away from furnace room walls on all sides. This allows our service technicians to conveniently replace it.
You also need to make sure the space has enough airflow and ventilation, especially if you have an outdated furnace with a metal flue.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 pulls combustion air from the surrounding space. If there’s inadequate air, dangerous gas fumes and poisonous carbon monoxide could back draft 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 consist of a fully louvered door or vents in the walls.
Uncertain if your furnace or water heater has proper ventilation? We can take a look!
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You don’t need to consider airflow and ventilation as much if you have a newer, high-efficiency furnace with PVC piping. Your furnace uses one pipe as an exhaust vent and the other to pull in air.
Keep Combustible Materials Away from Your Furnace
Although furnace rooms are often also used for 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, place your litter box elsewhere. Cat urine contains ammonia, which could corrode your furnace’s heat exchanger. Plus, the furnace could move the smelly odors throughout your home.
You should also routinely vacuum around your furnace to prevent dust from accumulating.
Related: Is it Time for Furnace Service or Replacement?
Request Expert Furnace Service
Whether you need furnace replacement or regular maintenance in Siloam Springs, Siloam Springs Heating & AC can expertly take care of your needs. Our highly trained technicians can work on any heating equipment model or brand.
Call us at 479-308-8176 or use our online scheduler to set up an appointment today.