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

Your furnace can get too hot if it doesn’t have enough space. It also makes it difficult for our professionals to complete furnace repair.

Routine furnace maintenance is essential to keep your equipment working well. An annually serviced furnace may heat more efficiently, which could lower your heating costs.

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

Maintenance often helps us notice troubles before they begin. This could help lower future repair costs and potentially lengthen the life of your furnace.

So how much room should your furnace really have?

How Much Space Should My Furnace Have?

If you’re remodeling your basement or sealing off your furnace room, you should take a look at manufacturer specifications and Manassas ordinances for clearance requirements.

As a general rule of thumb, your heater should be 30 inches away from furnace room walls on all sides. This permits our service experts to easily repair it.

You also need to make sure 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 model of furnace needs combustion air from the adjacent space. If there’s inadequate air, hazardous gas fumes and deadly carbon monoxide could leak into your home.

If your furnace is positioned in a tiny room with a gas water heater, you may need to put in extra openings. This could consist of 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 add air.

Keep Combustible Materials 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, situate your litter box somewhere else. Cat urine contains ammonia, which could deteriorate your furnace’s heat exchanger. Plus, the furnace could move the unpleasant odors all over your home.

You should also regularly vacuum around your furnace to block dust from accumulating.

Related: Is it Time for Furnace Service or Replacement?

Request Expert Furnace Service

Whether you have to have furnace replacement or routine maintenance in Manassas, Woody's Sudden Service can expertly meet your needs. Our highly trained technicians can fix any HVAC model or brand.

Call us at 703-278-2036 or use our online scheduler to set up an appointment today.