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 challenging for our professionals to accomplish furnace repair.

Regular furnace maintenance is important to keep your unit running smoothly. An annually 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 spot problems before they become expensive. This could help reduce future repair costs and potentially prolong the life of your unit.

So how much room should your system 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 instructions and The Bay Area ordinances for clearance requirements.

As a general recommendation, your heater should be 30 inches away from furnace room walls on all sides. This lets our service technicians to conveniently repair it.

You also need to ensure the room has ample airflow and ventilation, especially if you have an aging furnace with a metal flue.

Related: Furnace Service or Furnace Replacement: What to Consider

This type of furnace needs combustion air from the adjacent location. If there’s not enough air, hazardous gas fumes and toxic carbon monoxide could back draft into your home.

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

You don’t need to consider airflow and ventilation as much if you have a up-to-date, high-efficiency furnace with PVC piping. Your unit uses one pipe as an exhaust vent and the other to draw 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, put your litter box in another room. Cat urine contains ammonia, which could corrode your furnace’s heat exchanger. Plus, the furnace could move the unpleasant odors throughout your home.

You should also frequently vacuum by your furnace to stop dust from accumulating.

Related: Is it Time for Furnace Service or Replacement?

Request a Free Quote for Furnace Service

Whether you need furnace replacement or annual maintenance in The Bay Area, Contra Costa Heating & AC can expertly take care of your needs. Our highly trained technicians can repair any HVAC model or brand.

Call us at 510-343-9841 or use our online scheduler to request an appointment now.