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

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

Regular furnace maintenance is important to keep your equipment operating trouble-free. A regularly serviced furnace may heat more efficiently, which could decrease your heating 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 expenses and possibly lengthen the life of your unit.

So how much room should your system really have?

How Much Space Should My Furnace Have?

If you’re finishing your basement or sealing off your furnace room, you should consult manufacturer instructions and Bend ordinances for clearance requirements.

As a general recommendation, your furnace should be 30 inches away from furnace room walls on all sides. This allows our service professionals to easily repair it.

You also need to ensure the room has ample airflow and ventilation, especially if you have an older furnace with a metal flue.

Related: Furnace Service or Furnace Replacement: What to Consider

This kind of furnace draws combustion air from the adjacent space. If there’s not enough air, dangerous gas fumes and toxic carbon monoxide could flow back into your home.

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

You don’t need to assess airflow and ventilation as much if you have a modern, high-efficiency furnace with PVC piping. Your unit uses one pipe as an exhaust vent and the other to add air.

Keep Combustible Materials Separate 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 elsewhere. Cat urine contains ammonia, which could corrode your furnace’s heat exchanger. Plus, the furnace could circulate the unpleasant odors around your home.

You should also frequently vacuum by 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 need furnace replacement or regular maintenance in Bend, Tri County Climate Control LLC can expertly handle your needs. Our highly trained technicians can fix any furnace model or brand.

Call us at 541-238-2797 or use our online scheduler to get an appointment now.