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

Your furnace can shut down if it doesn’t have enough clearance. It also makes it hard for our specialists to perform furnace repair.

Annual furnace maintenance is important to keep your system running well. An annually serviced furnace may work more efficiently, which could lower your heating expenses.

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

Maintenance often helps us discover issues before they begin. This could help reduce future repair costs and likely prolong the life of your furnace.

So how much clearance should your equipment really have?

How Much Space Should My Furnace Have?

If you’re finishing your basement or closing off your furnace room, you should consult manufacturer specifications and Muskogee statutes for clearance guidelines.

As a general recommendation, your furnace should be 30 inches away from furnace room walls on all sides. This permits our service experts to comfortably repair it.

You also need to make sure the space 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 insufficient air, hazardous gas fumes and deadly carbon monoxide could leak into your home.

If your furnace is positioned in a little room with a gas water heater, you may need to install more 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 furnace uses one pipe as an exhaust vent and the other to draw in air.

Keep Hazardous 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, put your litter box in another room. Cat urine contains ammonia, which could corrode your furnace’s heat exchanger. Plus, the furnace could move the stinky odors around your home.

You should also routinely sweep around your furnace to stop dust from building up.

Related: Is it Time for Furnace Service or Replacement?

Request Expert Furnace Service

Whether you have to have furnace replacement or routine maintenance in Muskogee, Hix Air Conditioning Service, Inc. can expertly take care of your needs. Our highly trained technicians can repair any heating equipment model or brand.

Call us at 918-682-8238 or use our online scheduler to get an appointment right away.