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

Your furnace can overheat if it doesn’t have enough clearance. It also makes it challenging for our specialists to perform furnace repair.

Routine furnace maintenance is crucial to keep your equipment working well. A routinely serviced furnace may run more efficiently, which could lower your energy bills.

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

Maintenance often helps us spot troubles before they become expensive. This could help lower future repair bills and potentially lengthen the life of your system.

So how much room should your furnace really have?

How Much Space Does My Furnace Need?

If you’re finishing your basement or closing off your furnace room, you should take a look at manufacturer specifications and Lafayette ordinances for clearance guidelines.

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

You also need to check the space has enough 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 pulls combustion air from the adjacent space. If there’s inadequate air, hazardous gas fumes and deadly carbon monoxide could flow back into your home.

If your furnace is placed in a small 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 newer, high-efficiency furnace with PVC piping. Your system uses one pipe as an exhaust vent and the other to add 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, situate your litter box in another room. Cat urine contains ammonia, which could corrode your furnace’s heat exchanger. Plus, the furnace could move the stinky odors around your home.

You should also regularly vacuum near your furnace to prevent dust from developing.

Related: Is it Time for Furnace Service or Replacement?

Request Expert Furnace Service

Whether you need furnace replacement or annual maintenance in Lafayette, AC Sales can expertly handle your needs. Our highly trained technicians can repair any heating equipment model or brand.

Call us at (337) 234-2345 or use our online scheduler to set up an appointment right away.