Natural gas furnaces need sufficient space and airflow to run right.

Your furnace can shut down if it doesn’t have enough room. It also makes it difficult for our specialists to accomplish furnace repair.

Regular furnace maintenance is important to keep your unit working trouble-free. An annually serviced furnace may work more efficiently, which could decrease your heating costs.

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

Maintenance often helps us discover troubles before they start. This could help reduce future repair bills and likely lengthen the life of your furnace.

So how much clearance should your furnace really have?

How Much Space Should My Furnace Have?

If you’re finishing your basement or sealing off your furnace room, you should take a look at manufacturer specifications and West Valley City ordinances for clearance guidelines.

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

You also need to check the area has ample airflow and ventilation, especially if you have an aging 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 insufficient air, hazardous gas fumes and poisonous carbon monoxide could leak into your home.

If your furnace is placed in a small room with a gas water heater, you may need to install more 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 up-to-date, high-efficiency furnace with PVC piping. Your furnace uses one pipe as an exhaust vent and the other to add air.

Keep Hazardous Items A Safe Distance 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 somewhere else. Cat urine contains ammonia, which could create wear on your furnace’s heat exchanger. Plus, the furnace could circulate the unpleasant odors around your home.

You should also routinely vacuum by 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 annual maintenance in West Valley City, Select Comfort Systems can expertly take care of your needs. Our highly trained technicians can repair any heating equipment model or brand.

Call us at 801-305-4777 or use our online scheduler to set up an appointment today.