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

Your furnace can overheat if it doesn’t have enough clearance. It also makes it hard for our professionals to complete furnace repair.

Routine furnace maintenance is crucial to keep your system working well. An annually serviced furnace may run more efficiently, which could reduce your heating expenses.

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

Maintenance often helps us notice troubles before they become expensive. This could help reduce future repair costs and likely prolong the life of your system.

So how much room should your equipment really have?

How Much Space Will a Furnace Take Up?

If you’re updating your basement or enclosing your furnace room, you should take a look at manufacturer directions and Des Moines 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 experts to comfortably replace it.

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

Related: Furnace Service or Furnace Replacement: What to Consider

This model of furnace pulls combustion air from the surrounding area. If there’s insufficient air, hazardous gas fumes and poisonous carbon monoxide could flow back into your home.

If your furnace is placed 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 pull in air.

Keep Combustible Materials Separate from Your Furnace

Although furnace rooms are often also used for 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 in another room. Cat urine contains ammonia, which could deteriorate your furnace’s heat exchanger. Plus, the furnace could spread the stinky odors throughout your home.

You should also routinely vacuum near your furnace to stop 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 regular maintenance in Des Moines, Heartland Heating & Cooling can expertly handle your needs. Our highly trained technicians can fix any furnace model or brand.

Call us at 515-344-3579 or use our online scheduler to get an appointment right away.