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

Your furnace can get too hot if it doesn’t have enough space. It also makes it hard for our technicians to perform furnace repair.

Annual furnace maintenance is essential to keep your unit working well. A routinely serviced furnace may heat more efficiently, which could decrease your heating costs.

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 reduce future repair expenses and potentially prolong the life of your system.

So how much clearance should your system really have?

How Much Space Should My Furnace Have?

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

As a general suggestion, your furnace should be 30 inches away from furnace room walls on all sides. This allows our service technicians to conveniently 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 pulls combustion air from the surrounding space. If there’s inadequate air, hazardous gas fumes and poisonous carbon monoxide could leak into your home.

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

You don’t need to think about 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 draw in air.

Keep Flammable Items 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 elsewhere. Cat urine contains ammonia, which could deteriorate your furnace’s heat exchanger. Plus, the furnace could move the unpleasant odors around your home.

You should also routinely clean by your furnace to block dust from accumulating.

Related: Is it Time for Furnace Service or Replacement?

Request a Free Quote for Furnace Service

Whether you have to have furnace replacement or routine maintenance in Pocatello, Vogts Heating & Air can expertly handle your needs. Our highly trained technicians can repair any furnace model or brand.

Call us at 208-621-0129 or use our online scheduler to set up an appointment right away.