Natural gas furnaces need enough space and airflow to work right.

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

Regular furnace maintenance is essential to keep your equipment running smoothly. A routinely serviced furnace may work 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 troubles before they become expensive. This could help lower future repair expenses and possibly prolong the life of your system.

So how much room should your system really have?

How Much Space Does My Furnace Need?

If you’re finishing your basement or enclosing your furnace room, you should take a look at manufacturer directions and Phoenix ordinances for clearance rules.

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

You also need to check 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 type of furnace pulls combustion air from the adjacent area. If there’s inadequate air, hazardous gas fumes and deadly carbon monoxide could leak into your home.

If your furnace is located in a tiny room with a gas water heater, you may need to add supplemental 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 draw in air.

Keep Combustible Materials A Safe Distance 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 elsewhere. Cat urine contains ammonia, which could corrode your furnace’s heat exchanger. Plus, the furnace could circulate the smelly odors all over your home.

You should also frequently sweep near your furnace to stop dust from accumulating.

Related: Is it Time for Furnace Service or Replacement?

Request a Free Quote for Furnace Service

Whether you want furnace replacement or regular maintenance in Phoenix, Dial One Mears Air Conditioning & Heating Inc can expertly handle your needs. Our highly trained technicians can fix any heating equipment model or brand.

Call us at 602-789-3315 or use our online scheduler to request an appointment right away.