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 challenging for our professionals to accomplish furnace repair.
Routine furnace maintenance is essential to keep your unit working smoothly. A routinely serviced furnace may heat more efficiently, which could reduce your utility expenses.
Related: How Does Furnace Maintenance Impact the Energy Efficiency of Your Home?
Maintenance often helps us discover troubles before they become expensive. This could help lower future repair bills and likely lengthen the life of your unit.
So how much area should your equipment really have?
How Much Space Does My Furnace Need?
If you’re updating your basement or closing off your furnace room, you should research manufacturer specifications and Omaha ordinances for clearance guidelines.
As a general suggestion, your heater should be 30 inches away from furnace room walls on all sides. This lets our service professionals to comfortably replace it.
You also need to ensure the area has enough 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 pulls combustion air from the adjacent location. If there’s inadequate air, dangerous gas fumes and toxic carbon monoxide could flow back into your home.
If your furnace is located in a small 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.
Uncertain if your furnace or water heater has enough ventilation? We can assist you!
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You don’t need to assess 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 add 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, situate your litter box elsewhere. Cat urine contains ammonia, which could deteriorate your furnace’s heat exchanger. Plus, the furnace could spread the stinky odors around your home.
You should also frequently vacuum near your furnace to block dust from building up.
Related: Is it Time for Furnace Service or Replacement?
Request Expert Furnace Service
Whether you want furnace replacement or annual maintenance in Omaha, The Frazier Company can expertly take care of your needs. Our highly trained technicians can work on any HVAC model or brand.
Call us at 402-628-0206 or use our online scheduler to set up an appointment today.