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

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

Regular furnace maintenance is essential to keep your unit operating smoothly. A routinely serviced furnace may run more efficiently, which could lower your utility bills.

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

Maintenance often helps us notice problems before they begin. This could help lessen future repair expenses and potentially prolong the life of your system.

So how much area should your furnace really have?

How Much Space Will a Furnace Take Up?

If you’re finishing your basement or sealing off your furnace room, you should take a look at manufacturer directions and McAllen statutes for clearance rules.

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

You also need to make sure the room has plentiful airflow and ventilation, especially if you have an outdated furnace with a metal flue.

Related: Furnace Service or Furnace Replacement: What to Consider

This type of furnace needs combustion air from the nearby location. If there’s insufficient air, unsafe gas fumes and deadly carbon monoxide could flow back into your home.

If your furnace is located in a tiny 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 modern, high-efficiency furnace with PVC piping. Your furnace uses one pipe as an exhaust vent and the other to pull in air.

Keep Hazardous Items A Safe Distance from Your Furnace

Although furnace rooms double as laundry and storage space, you should keep yours free of clutter 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 elsewhere. Cat urine contains ammonia, which could deteriorate your furnace’s heat exchanger. Plus, the furnace could circulate the smelly odors all over your home.

You should also routinely vacuum around your furnace to stop 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 regular maintenance in McAllen, Cytech Heating & Cooling L.C. can expertly meet your needs. Our highly trained technicians can repair any HVAC model or brand.

Call us at 956-553-3265 or use our online scheduler to get an appointment today.