Natural gas furnaces need sufficient space and airflow to work correctly.
Your furnace can get too hot if it doesn’t have enough space. It also makes it difficult for our specialists to complete furnace repair.
Annual furnace maintenance is crucial to keep your system working smoothly. A routinely serviced furnace may run 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 lessen future repair expenses and possibly lengthen the life of your unit.
So how much area should your furnace really have?
How Much Space Does My Furnace Need?
If you’re updating your basement or sealing off your furnace room, you should take a look at manufacturer instructions and West Valley City laws for clearance requirements.
As a general rule of thumb, your furnace should be 30 inches away from furnace room walls on all sides. This permits our service professionals to conveniently replace it.
You also need to make sure 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 draws combustion air from the surrounding space. If there’s inadequate air, hazardous gas fumes and poisonous 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 put in supplemental openings. This could include a fully louvered door or vents in the walls.
Uncertain if your furnace or water heater has adequate ventilation? We can assist you!
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You don’t need to assess 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 add air.
Keep Combustible Materials Away from Your Furnace
Although furnace rooms are often also used for laundry and storage space, you should keep yours free of things 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 corrode your furnace’s heat exchanger. Plus, the furnace could spread the stinky odors around your home.
You should also regularly sweep around your furnace to stop dust from accumulating.
Related: Is it Time for Furnace Service or Replacement?
Request Expert Furnace Service
Whether you need furnace replacement or annual maintenance in West Valley City, Select Comfort Systems Heating & Air Conditioning can expertly handle your needs. Our highly trained technicians can fix any furnace model or brand.
Call us at 801-305-4777 or use our online scheduler to get an appointment now.