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

Your furnace can get too hot if it doesn’t have enough room. It also makes it difficult for our technicians to complete furnace repair.

Routine furnace maintenance is crucial to keep your system operating well. An annually 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 problems before they start. This could help reduce future repair expenses and potentially lengthen the life of your system.

So how much area 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 consult manufacturer specifications and Norco and St. Charles Parish ordinances for clearance rules.

As a general suggestion, your system should be 30 inches away from furnace room walls on all sides. This lets our service professionals to comfortably repair it.

You also need to check the space has plentiful airflow and ventilation, especially if you have an aging furnace with a metal flue.

Related: Furnace Service or Furnace Replacement: What to Consider

This model of furnace pulls combustion air from the adjacent location. If there’s not enough air, dangerous gas fumes and deadly carbon monoxide could back draft into your home.

If your furnace is positioned in a tiny 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 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 Hazardous Items Separate 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, situate your litter box elsewhere. Cat urine contains ammonia, which could deteriorate your furnace’s heat exchanger. Plus, the furnace could move the unpleasant odors throughout your home.

You should also routinely clean by your furnace to block dust from developing.

Related: Is it Time for Furnace Service or Replacement?

Trust the Local Pros for Furnace Service

Whether you need furnace replacement or annual maintenance in Norco and St. Charles Parish, Mayeuxs AC & Heating can expertly handle your needs. Our highly trained technicians can fix any HVAC model or brand.

Call us at (985) 764-2426 or use our online scheduler to get an appointment right away.