Natural gas furnaces need adequate space and airflow to run correctly.

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

Annual furnace maintenance is crucial to keep your system working well. A routinely serviced furnace may work more efficiently, which could lower your utility bills.

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

Maintenance often helps us notice issues before they start. This could help reduce future repair expenses and potentially lengthen the life of your unit.

So how much clearance should your equipment really have?

How Much Space Will a Furnace Take Up?

If you’re finishing your basement or sealing off your furnace room, you should consult manufacturer instructions and West Columbia ordinances for clearance guidelines.

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 easily work on it.

You also need to ensure the area 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 pulls combustion air from the surrounding location. If there’s not enough air, hazardous gas fumes and deadly carbon monoxide could flow back into your home.

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

You don’t need to think about airflow and ventilation as much if you have a up-to-date, high-efficiency furnace with PVC piping. Your furnace uses one pipe as an exhaust vent and the other to draw in air.

Keep Flammable Items A Safe Distance 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, place 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 clean by your furnace to prevent dust from building up.

Related: Is it Time for Furnace Service or Replacement?

Request a Free Quote for Furnace Service

Whether you need furnace replacement or routine maintenance in West Columbia, Tri City Fuel & Heating can expertly meet your needs. Our highly trained technicians can repair any furnace model or brand.

Call us at 803-265-4208 or use our online scheduler to request an appointment right away.