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

Your furnace can overheat if it doesn’t have enough space. It also makes it hard for our technicians to accomplish furnace repair.

Routine furnace maintenance is important to keep your unit working smoothly. A routinely serviced furnace may work more efficiently, which could lower your utility costs.

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

Maintenance often helps us notice issues before they become expensive. This could help lessen future repair bills and potentially prolong the life of your furnace.

So how much room should your system really have?

How Much Space Will a Furnace Take Up?

If you’re remodeling your basement or closing off your furnace room, you should take a look at manufacturer directions and Mount Pleasant statutes for clearance requirements.

As a general recommendation, your system should be 30 inches away from furnace room walls on all sides. This permits our service experts to conveniently replace it.

You also need to check the area has enough airflow and ventilation, especially if you have an aging furnace with a metal flue.

Related: Furnace Service or Furnace Replacement: What to Consider

This model of furnace draws combustion air from the adjacent space. If there’s insufficient air, hazardous gas fumes and poisonous carbon monoxide could leak into your home.

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

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 draw in air.

Keep Hazardous Items Away from Your Furnace

Although furnace rooms are often also used for 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, situate your litter box elsewhere. Cat urine contains ammonia, which could create wear on your furnace’s heat exchanger. Plus, the furnace could move the smelly odors around your home.

You should also routinely clean around your furnace to prevent dust from accumulating.

Related: Is it Time for Furnace Service or Replacement?

Request a Free Quote for Furnace Service

Whether you have to have furnace replacement or regular maintenance in Mount Pleasant, Olde Towne Heating & Air can expertly meet your needs. Our highly trained technicians can fix any furnace model or brand.

Call us at 843-485-0967 or use our online scheduler to set up an appointment today.