Natural gas furnaces need adequate space and airflow to run correctly.

Your furnace can overheat if it doesn’t have enough space. It also makes it difficult for our specialists to perform furnace repair.

Routine furnace maintenance is crucial to keep your system operating trouble-free. A routinely serviced furnace may work more efficiently, which could lower your energy 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 lessen future repair costs and potentially lengthen the life of your unit.

So how much area should your system really have?

How Much Space Should My Furnace Have?

If you’re remodeling your basement or enclosing your furnace room, you should research manufacturer instructions and Pflugerville laws for clearance guidelines.

As a general suggestion, your furnace should be 30 inches away from furnace room walls on all sides. This lets our service professionals to easily repair it.

You also need to ensure the space has plentiful 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 toxic carbon monoxide could back draft into your home.

If your furnace is placed in a tiny room with a gas water heater, you may need to put in extra openings. This could include 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 modern, high-efficiency furnace with PVC piping. Your unit uses one pipe as an exhaust vent and the other to add air.

Keep Flammable Items Away 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 elsewhere. Cat urine contains ammonia, which could corrode your furnace’s heat exchanger. Plus, the furnace could circulate the smelly odors throughout your home.

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

Related: Is it Time for Furnace Service or Replacement?

Trust the Local Pros for Furnace Service

Whether you have to have furnace replacement or routine maintenance in Pflugerville, Evenaire Heating & Air Conditioning can expertly meet your needs. Our highly trained technicians can work on any heating equipment model or brand.

Call us at 512-355-1482 or use our online scheduler to request an appointment now.