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

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

Annual furnace maintenance is essential to keep your equipment working well. A routinely serviced furnace may heat more efficiently, which could lower your energy costs.

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

Maintenance often helps us spot problems before they become expensive. This could help lower future repair bills and potentially extend the life of your unit.

So how much room should your furnace really have?

How Much Space Will a Furnace Take Up?

If you’re updating your basement or enclosing your furnace room, you should consult manufacturer instructions and Lodi laws for clearance rules.

As a general rule of thumb, your furnace should be 30 inches away from furnace room walls on all sides. This allows our service professionals to comfortably work on it.

You also need to make sure the space has enough airflow and ventilation, especially if you have an outdated furnace with a metal flue.

Related: Furnace Service or Furnace Replacement: What to Consider

This model of furnace pulls combustion air from the adjacent location. If there’s not enough air, dangerous gas fumes and deadly carbon monoxide could flow back into your home.

If your furnace is positioned in a tiny room with a gas water heater, you may need to put in supplemental openings. This could involve a fully louvered door or vents in the walls.

You don’t need to assess airflow and ventilation as much if you have a up-to-date, high-efficiency furnace with PVC piping. Your system 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 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 spread the smelly odors throughout your home.

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

Related: Is it Time for Furnace Service or Replacement?

Trust the Local Pros for Furnace Service

Whether you want furnace replacement or annual maintenance in Lodi, Tokay can expertly take care of your needs. Our highly trained technicians can repair any heating equipment model or brand.

Call us at 209-257-3156 or use our online scheduler to request an appointment right away.