Natural gas furnaces need enough space and airflow to run correctly.
Your furnace can get too hot if it doesn’t have enough room. It also makes it hard for our specialists to perform furnace repair.
Annual furnace maintenance is essential to keep your system operating smoothly. A routinely serviced furnace may run more efficiently, which could reduce your energy expenses.
Related: How Does Furnace Maintenance Impact the Energy Efficiency of Your Home?
Maintenance often helps us discover troubles before they become expensive. This could help lessen future repair expenses and likely prolong the life of your system.
So how much room should your system really have?
How Much Space Does My Furnace Need?
If you’re updating your basement or enclosing your furnace room, you should take a look at manufacturer instructions and Macon ordinances for clearance requirements.
As a general rule of thumb, your furnace should be 30 inches away from furnace room walls on all sides. This allows our service professionals to conveniently work on it.
You also need to ensure the room has enough airflow and ventilation, especially if you have an outdated furnace with a metal flue.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 draws combustion air from the surrounding area. If there’s inadequate air, hazardous gas fumes and deadly carbon monoxide could back draft into your home.
If your furnace is positioned in a tiny room with a gas water heater, you may need to put in more openings. This could include a fully louvered door or vents in the walls.
Not sure if your furnace or water heater has enough ventilation? We can help!
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You don’t need to assess 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 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, 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 around your home.
You should also frequently sweep by your furnace to prevent dust from developing.
Related: Is it Time for Furnace Service or Replacement?
Request Expert Furnace Service
Whether you need furnace replacement or annual maintenance in Macon, Air Temperature Control can expertly meet your needs. Our highly trained technicians can repair any HVAC model or brand.
Call us at 478-202-3170 or use our online scheduler to set up an appointment today.