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

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

Annual furnace maintenance is important to keep your system working smoothly. A routinely serviced furnace may run more efficiently, which could reduce your utility bills.

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

Maintenance often helps us discover issues before they start. This could help lower future repair costs and possibly lengthen the life of your system.

So how much clearance should your system really have?

How Much Space Does My Furnace Need?

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

As a general rule of thumb, your system should be 30 inches away from furnace room walls on all sides. This lets our service technicians to comfortably work on it.

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

Related: Furnace Service or Furnace Replacement: What to Consider

This kind of furnace pulls combustion air from the adjacent space. If there’s not enough 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 install extra openings. This could consist of a fully louvered door or vents in the walls.

You don’t need to consider airflow and ventilation as much if you have a modern, high-efficiency furnace with PVC piping. Your system 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 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, situate your litter box elsewhere. Cat urine contains ammonia, which could deteriorate your furnace’s heat exchanger. Plus, the furnace could circulate the stinky odors throughout your home.

You should also regularly clean near your furnace to block dust from developing.

Related: Is it Time for Furnace Service or Replacement?

Request Expert Furnace Service

Whether you want furnace replacement or annual maintenance in Port St. Lucie, Custom Air Systems Inc can expertly meet your needs. Our highly trained technicians can fix any heating equipment model or brand.

Call us at 772-247-2283 or use our online scheduler to set up an appointment now.