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

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

Routine furnace maintenance is important to keep your unit working well. An annually serviced furnace may heat more efficiently, which could lower your heating expenses.

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

Maintenance often helps us notice problems before they begin. This could help reduce future repair bills and potentially lengthen the life of your system.

So how much area should your equipment really have?

How Much Space Does My Furnace Need?

If you’re finishing your basement or closing off your furnace room, you should consult manufacturer directions and Manassas ordinances for clearance rules.

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

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

Related: Furnace Service or Furnace Replacement: What to Consider

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

If your furnace is positioned in a small room with a gas water heater, you may need to put in more 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 modern, high-efficiency furnace with PVC piping. Your furnace uses one pipe as an exhaust vent and the other to pull in air.

Keep Combustible Materials Away from Your Furnace

Although furnace rooms double as 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 corrode your furnace’s heat exchanger. Plus, the furnace could move the smelly odors throughout your home.

You should also regularly sweep by your furnace to block dust from accumulating.

Related: Is it Time for Furnace Service or Replacement?

Request Expert Furnace Service

Whether you want furnace replacement or regular maintenance in Manassas, Woody's Sudden Service can expertly handle your needs. Our highly trained technicians can repair any heating equipment model or brand.

Call us at 703-278-2036 or use our online scheduler to get an appointment right away.