Natural gas furnaces need adequate space and airflow to work correctly.
Your furnace can shut down if it doesn’t have enough space. It also makes it hard for our professionals to perform furnace repair.
Regular furnace maintenance is essential to keep your unit operating well. A routinely serviced furnace may work more efficiently, which could decrease your energy costs.
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 bills and potentially prolong the life of your furnace.
So how much area should your system really have?
How Much Space Does My Furnace Need?
If you’re updating your basement or enclosing your furnace room, you should consult manufacturer instructions and Norco and St. Charles Parish laws for clearance rules.
As a general rule of thumb, your system should be 30 inches away from furnace room walls on all sides. This lets our service professionals to conveniently repair it.
You also need to make sure the space has plentiful airflow and ventilation, especially if you have an outdated furnace with a metal flue.
Related: Furnace Service or Furnace Replacement: What to Consider
This model of furnace draws combustion air from the adjacent space. If there’s insufficient air, hazardous gas fumes and poisonous carbon monoxide could flow back into your home.
If your furnace is located in a tiny room with a gas water heater, you may need to put in more openings. This could involve a fully louvered door or vents in the walls.
Uncertain if your furnace or water heater has adequate ventilation? We can help!
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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 system uses one pipe as an exhaust vent and the other to draw in air.
Keep Combustible Materials Away from Your Furnace
Although furnace rooms function as 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, place your litter box elsewhere. Cat urine contains ammonia, which could corrode your furnace’s heat exchanger. Plus, the furnace could spread the smelly odors all over your home.
You should also regularly clean near your furnace to stop dust from accumulating.
Related: Is it Time for Furnace Service or Replacement?
Request Expert Furnace Service
Whether you need furnace replacement or regular maintenance in Norco and St. Charles Parish, Mayeuxs AC & Heating can expertly meet your needs. Our highly trained technicians can work on any heating equipment model or brand.
Call us at (985) 764-2426 or use our online scheduler to request an appointment right away.