Natural gas furnaces need sufficient space and airflow to work right.
Your furnace can shut down if it doesn’t have enough clearance. It also makes it hard for our specialists to perform furnace repair.
Regular furnace maintenance is essential to keep your system working well. A routinely serviced furnace may heat 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 become expensive. This could help lower future repair expenses and possibly extend the life of your unit.
So how much area should your furnace really have?
How Much Space Does My Furnace Need?
If you’re finishing your basement or sealing off your furnace room, you should research manufacturer specifications and Hasbrouck Heights ordinances for clearance guidelines.
As a general recommendation, your furnace should be 30 inches away from furnace room walls on all sides. This lets our service technicians to conveniently replace it.
You also need to ensure the area has plentiful airflow and ventilation, especially if you have an outdated furnace with a metal flue.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 kind of furnace needs combustion air from the nearby location. If there’s not enough air, hazardous gas fumes and poisonous carbon monoxide could back draft into your home.
If your furnace is positioned in a small room with a gas water heater, you may need to put in more openings. This could consist of a fully louvered door or vents in the walls.
Not sure if your furnace or water heater has enough ventilation? We can help!
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You don’t need to assess 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 draw in air.
Keep Combustible Materials Away from Your Furnace
Although furnace rooms double as laundry and storage space, you should keep yours free of items 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 circulate the stinky odors all over your home.
You should also frequently sweep by your furnace to block dust from developing.
Related: Is it Time for Furnace Service or Replacement?
Request Expert Furnace Service
Whether you need furnace replacement or routine maintenance in Hasbrouck Heights, ACE Solutions can expertly handle your needs. Our highly trained technicians can repair any HVAC model or brand.
Call us at 201-579-2562 or use our online scheduler to request an appointment today.