Natural gas furnaces need enough space and airflow to heat properly.
Your furnace can shut down if it doesn’t have enough space. It also makes it difficult for our technicians to perform furnace repair.
Routine furnace maintenance is essential to keep your unit operating smoothly. An annually 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 notice troubles before they begin. This could help lessen future repair expenses and possibly prolong the life of your furnace.
So how much area should your system really have?
How Much Space Does My Furnace Need?
If you’re updating your basement or closing off your furnace room, you should consult manufacturer directions and Rapid City ordinances 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 work on 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 surrounding area. If there’s insufficient air, unsafe gas fumes and toxic carbon monoxide could flow back into your home.
If your furnace is located in a small room with a gas water heater, you may need to put in supplemental openings. This could include a fully louvered door or vents in the walls.
Unsure if your furnace or water heater has enough ventilation? We can assist you!
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You don’t need to consider airflow and ventilation as much if you have a up-to-date, high-efficiency furnace with PVC piping. Your unit 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 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, place your litter box in another room. Cat urine contains ammonia, which could deteriorate your furnace’s heat exchanger. Plus, the furnace could move the smelly odors around your home.
You should also routinely clean near your furnace to stop dust from accumulating.
Related: Is it Time for Furnace Service or Replacement?
Request Expert Furnace Service
Whether you need furnace replacement or annual maintenance in Rapid City, Street Heating and Cooling can expertly take care of your needs. Our highly trained technicians can fix any furnace model or brand.
Call us at 605-206-3915 or use our online scheduler to set up an appointment today.