Natural gas furnaces need adequate space and airflow to heat right.

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

Annual furnace maintenance is important to keep your system running smoothly. A regularly serviced furnace may work more efficiently, which could reduce your utility costs.

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

Maintenance often helps us spot problems before they become expensive. This could help lower future repair bills and likely prolong the life of your system.

So how much area should your furnace really have?

How Much Space Does My Furnace Need?

If you’re remodeling your basement or closing off your furnace room, you should consult manufacturer instructions and Columbus ordinances for clearance requirements.

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

You also need to ensure the area has plentiful 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 area. If there’s not enough air, unsafe gas fumes and deadly carbon monoxide could back draft 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 newer, high-efficiency furnace with PVC piping. Your unit uses one pipe as an exhaust vent and the other to add air.

Keep Flammable Items Separate 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, situate your litter box elsewhere. Cat urine contains ammonia, which could deteriorate your furnace’s heat exchanger. Plus, the furnace could circulate the unpleasant odors throughout your home.

You should also frequently sweep around your furnace to prevent dust from developing.

Related: Is it Time for Furnace Service or Replacement?

Request Expert Furnace Service

Whether you want furnace replacement or routine maintenance in Columbus, Classic Air can expertly take care of your needs. Our highly trained technicians can repair any furnace model or brand.

Call us at 614-210-3041 or use our online scheduler to set up an appointment right away.