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

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

Regular furnace maintenance is crucial to keep your unit working trouble-free. A regularly serviced furnace may run more efficiently, which could lower your energy bills.

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

Maintenance often helps us discover problems before they begin. This could help lower future repair bills and possibly lengthen the life of your system.

So how much area should your system really have?

How Much Space Does My Furnace Need?

If you’re remodeling your basement or closing off your furnace room, you should consult manufacturer directions and Bishop ordinances for clearance requirements.

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

You also need to check the area has plentiful airflow and ventilation, especially if you have an aging furnace with a metal flue.

Related: Furnace Service or Furnace Replacement: What to Consider

This model of furnace draws combustion air from the adjacent area. If there’s not enough air, unsafe gas fumes and deadly carbon monoxide could leak 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 include 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 furnace uses one pipe as an exhaust vent and the other to add air.

Keep Flammable Items Away from Your Furnace

Although furnace rooms double as laundry and storage space, you should keep yours free of clutter 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 create wear on your furnace’s heat exchanger. Plus, the furnace could circulate the stinky odors throughout your home.

You should also routinely clean around your furnace to prevent dust from accumulating.

Related: Is it Time for Furnace Service or Replacement?

Request Expert Furnace Service

Whether you want furnace replacement or regular maintenance in Bishop, Bishop Heating & Air Conditioning can expertly take care of your needs. Our highly trained technicians can fix any furnace model or brand.

Call us at 760-784-9034 or use our online scheduler to get an appointment today.