Natural gas furnaces need adequate space and airflow to work correctly.
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 essential to keep your equipment working trouble-free. A regularly serviced furnace may work more efficiently, which could lower your heating expenses.
Related: How Does Furnace Maintenance Impact the Energy Efficiency of Your Home?
Maintenance often helps us discover problems before they begin. This could help lessen future repair costs and potentially extend the life of your unit.
So how much area should your furnace really have?
How Much Space Does My Furnace Need?
If you’re remodeling your basement or closing off your furnace room, you should research manufacturer directions and Lodi statutes for clearance requirements.
As a general rule of thumb, your heater should be 30 inches away from furnace room walls on all sides. This lets our service professionals to easily work on it.
You also need to check the area has ample airflow and ventilation, especially if you have an outdated furnace with a metal flue.
Related: Furnace Service or Furnace Replacement: What to Consider
This kind of furnace draws combustion air from the surrounding area. If there’s insufficient air, dangerous gas fumes and toxic carbon monoxide could leak into your home.
If your furnace is positioned 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.
Unsure if your furnace or water heater has adequate ventilation? We can help!
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You don’t need to assess airflow and ventilation as much if you have a modern, 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 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, put your litter box elsewhere. Cat urine contains ammonia, which could create wear on your furnace’s heat exchanger. Plus, the furnace could circulate the smelly odors throughout your home.
You should also regularly clean by your furnace to block dust from building up.
Related: Is it Time for Furnace Service or Replacement?
Request Expert Furnace Service
Whether you need furnace replacement or routine maintenance in Lodi, Tokay Heating and Air Conditioning can expertly handle your needs. Our highly trained technicians can fix any furnace model or brand.
Call us at 209-257-3156 or use our online scheduler to set up an appointment today.