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

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

Regular furnace maintenance is important to keep your equipment operating well. A regularly serviced furnace may heat more efficiently, which could decrease your energy bills.

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

Maintenance often helps us discover issues before they become expensive. This could help lower future repair expenses and potentially prolong the life of your unit.

So how much clearance should your system really have?

How Much Space Should My Furnace Have?

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

As a general rule of thumb, your furnace should be 30 inches away from furnace room walls on all sides. This lets our service experts to conveniently replace it.

You also need to make sure the area has plentiful airflow and ventilation, especially if you have an outdated furnace with a metal flue.

Related: Furnace Service or Furnace Replacement: What to Consider

This type of furnace draws combustion air from the nearby location. If there’s not enough air, hazardous gas fumes and poisonous carbon monoxide could back draft into your home.

If your furnace is positioned in a little room with a gas water heater, you may need to add extra openings. This could include a fully louvered door or vents in the walls.

You don’t need to assess airflow and ventilation as much if you have a newer, high-efficiency furnace with PVC piping. Your unit 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 function 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, put your litter box elsewhere. Cat urine contains ammonia, which could create wear on your furnace’s heat exchanger. Plus, the furnace could spread the stinky odors around your home.

You should also frequently vacuum around your furnace to stop dust from accumulating.

Related: Is it Time for Furnace Service or Replacement?

Trust the Local Pros for Furnace Service

Whether you need furnace replacement or annual maintenance in West Valley City, Select Comfort Systems can expertly handle your needs. Our highly trained technicians can work on any furnace model or brand.

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