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

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

Annual furnace maintenance is important to keep your unit working trouble-free. A regularly serviced furnace may heat more efficiently, which could decrease your utility expenses.

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

Maintenance often helps us spot issues before they become expensive. This could help lower future repair costs and likely lengthen the life of your system.

So how much clearance should your equipment really have?

How Much Space Should My Furnace Have?

If you’re finishing your basement or closing off your furnace room, you should research manufacturer instructions and Los Angeles statutes for clearance rules.

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

You also need to make sure the room 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 kind of furnace needs combustion air from the nearby area. If there’s inadequate air, dangerous gas fumes and deadly carbon monoxide could leak into your home.

If your furnace is placed in a little room with a gas water heater, you may need to add more openings. This could include 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 add air.

Keep Flammable Items Away from Your Furnace

Although furnace rooms function 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, place your litter box in another room. Cat urine contains ammonia, which could deteriorate your furnace’s heat exchanger. Plus, the furnace could circulate the stinky odors throughout your home.

You should also routinely sweep by 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 routine maintenance in Los Angeles, AZ Air Conditioning and Heating can expertly take care of your needs. Our highly trained technicians can work on any HVAC model or brand.

Call us at 800-296-5088 or use our online scheduler to get an appointment today.