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

Your furnace can shut down if it doesn’t have enough clearance. It also makes it challenging for our professionals to perform furnace repair.

Routine furnace maintenance is crucial to keep your unit running well. A routinely serviced furnace may heat more efficiently, which could lower your utility expenses.

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

Maintenance often helps us notice troubles before they become expensive. This could help lessen future repair costs and possibly lengthen the life of your furnace.

So how much room should your equipment really have?

How Much Space Should My Furnace Have?

If you’re updating your basement or sealing off your furnace room, you should research manufacturer specifications and Omaha statutes for clearance guidelines.

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

You also need to check the space has enough airflow and ventilation, especially if you have an outdated furnace with a metal flue.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 needs combustion air from the surrounding area. If there’s insufficient air, hazardous gas fumes and deadly carbon monoxide could leak into your home.

If your furnace is placed in a small room with a gas water heater, you may need to add supplemental openings. This could include a fully louvered door or vents in the walls.

You don’t need to assess airflow and ventilation as much if you have a modern, high-efficiency furnace with PVC piping. Your unit uses one pipe as an exhaust vent and the other to add air.

Keep Flammable Items Separate from Your Furnace

Although furnace rooms function 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 deteriorate your furnace’s heat exchanger. Plus, the furnace could circulate the unpleasant odors throughout your home.

You should also regularly sweep by your furnace to stop dust from building up.

Related: Is it Time for Furnace Service or Replacement?

Trust the Local Pros for Furnace Service

Whether you have to have furnace replacement or routine maintenance in Omaha, Interstate Heating & Air Conditioning can expertly meet your needs. Our highly trained technicians can fix any HVAC model or brand.

Call us at 402-509-5940 or use our online scheduler to set up an appointment right away.