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

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

Annual furnace maintenance is crucial to keep your unit working smoothly. An annually serviced furnace may run 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 lower future repair expenses and potentially prolong the life of your furnace.

So how much area should your equipment really have?

How Much Space Will a Furnace Take Up?

If you’re finishing your basement or closing off your furnace room, you should consult manufacturer specifications and Bedford ordinances for clearance rules.

As a general recommendation, your system should be 30 inches away from furnace room walls on all sides. This allows our service experts to easily repair it.

You also need to ensure 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 needs combustion air from the surrounding space. If there’s insufficient air, unsafe gas fumes and deadly carbon monoxide could flow back into your home.

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

You don’t need to assess airflow and ventilation as much if you have a newer, 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 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 corrode your furnace’s heat exchanger. Plus, the furnace could move the stinky odors throughout your home.

You should also routinely sweep by your furnace to block dust from accumulating.

Related: Is it Time for Furnace Service or Replacement?

Request a Free Quote for Furnace Service

Whether you have to have furnace replacement or regular maintenance in Bedford, JBR Mechanical can expertly handle your needs. Our highly trained technicians can fix any furnace model or brand.

Call us at 812-266-9785 or use our online scheduler to request an appointment right away.