Natural gas furnaces need enough space and airflow to heat correctly.

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

Annual furnace maintenance is important to keep your unit running smoothly. An annually serviced furnace may heat more efficiently, which could reduce your energy bills.

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

Maintenance often helps us discover troubles before they become expensive. This could help reduce future repair costs and potentially extend the life of your unit.

So how much clearance should your furnace really have?

How Much Space Should My Furnace Have?

If you’re finishing your basement or closing off your furnace room, you should consult manufacturer specifications and Lansing statutes for clearance requirements.

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

You also need to ensure the room has enough airflow and ventilation, especially if you have an outdated furnace with a metal flue.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 surrounding location. If there’s insufficient air, unsafe gas fumes and toxic carbon monoxide could back draft 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 newer, high-efficiency furnace with PVC piping. Your unit uses one pipe as an exhaust vent and the other to draw in air.

Keep Flammable Items A Safe Distance 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, put your litter box somewhere else. Cat urine contains ammonia, which could deteriorate your furnace’s heat exchanger. Plus, the furnace could spread the unpleasant odors all over your home.

You should also regularly clean near your furnace to block dust from developing.

Related: Is it Time for Furnace Service or Replacement?

Trust the Local Pros for Furnace Service

Whether you want furnace replacement or routine maintenance in Lansing, Everest Heating & Cooling can expertly meet your needs. Our highly trained technicians can work on any heating equipment model or brand.

Call us at 913-845-9463 or use our online scheduler to set up an appointment right away.