Natural gas furnaces need sufficient space and airflow to work properly.

Your furnace can get too hot if it doesn’t have enough space. It also makes it challenging for our professionals to accomplish furnace repair.

Regular furnace maintenance is essential to keep your system working well. An annually serviced furnace may heat more efficiently, which could decrease your energy costs.

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

Maintenance often helps us notice troubles before they begin. This could help lessen future repair expenses and likely extend the life of your system.

So how much area 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 instructions and Albuquerque statutes for clearance requirements.

As a general suggestion, your heater should be 30 inches away from furnace room walls on all sides. This permits our service professionals to comfortably work on it.

You also need to ensure the space 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 draws combustion air from the nearby area. If there’s not enough air, dangerous gas fumes and toxic carbon monoxide could flow back into your home.

If your furnace is located in a little room with a gas water heater, you may need to install supplemental openings. This could consist of 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 add air.

Keep Flammable Items Separate 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 deteriorate your furnace’s heat exchanger. Plus, the furnace could move the stinky odors around your home.

You should also regularly vacuum around your furnace to prevent 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 annual maintenance in Albuquerque, I-Deal HVAC can expertly take care of your needs. Our highly trained technicians can repair any furnace model or brand.

Call us at 505-445-1250 or use our online scheduler to set up an appointment right away.