Natural gas furnaces need adequate space and airflow to run right.

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

Annual furnace maintenance is crucial to keep your system working smoothly. A routinely serviced furnace may heat more efficiently, which could reduce your heating expenses.

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

Maintenance often helps us spot troubles before they start. This could help reduce future repair expenses and possibly extend the life of your furnace.

So how much area should your furnace really have?

How Much Space Does My Furnace Need?

If you’re updating your basement or enclosing your furnace room, you should research manufacturer directions and Wausau ordinances for clearance rules.

As a general rule of thumb, your heater should be 30 inches away from furnace room walls on all sides. This lets our service experts to comfortably repair it.

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

Related: Furnace Service or Furnace Replacement: What to Consider

This model of furnace pulls combustion air from the surrounding space. If there’s inadequate air, hazardous gas fumes and toxic carbon monoxide could back draft into your home.

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

You don’t need to consider airflow and ventilation as much if you have a newer, 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 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, place your litter box elsewhere. Cat urine contains ammonia, which could deteriorate your furnace’s heat exchanger. Plus, the furnace could spread the smelly odors throughout your home.

You should also frequently clean around your furnace to prevent dust from developing.

Related: Is it Time for Furnace Service or Replacement?

Request Expert Furnace Service

Whether you want furnace replacement or regular maintenance in Wausau, Gilray Heating and Cooling can expertly take care of your needs. Our highly trained technicians can work on any HVAC model or brand.

Call us at 715-301-0727 or use our online scheduler to set up an appointment now.