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

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

Annual furnace maintenance is essential to keep your equipment running smoothly. An annually 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 discover issues before they start. This could help lower future repair expenses and potentially prolong the life of your system.

So how much room should your system 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 specifications and Mason City ordinances for clearance rules.

As a general rule of thumb, your system 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You also need to make sure the room has plentiful airflow and ventilation, especially if you have an outdated furnace with a metal flue.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 model of furnace needs combustion air from the surrounding area. If there’s insufficient air, hazardous gas fumes and deadly carbon monoxide could leak into your home.

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

You don’t need to consider airflow and ventilation as much if you have a modern, high-efficiency furnace with PVC piping. Your system 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 function as laundry and storage space, you should keep yours free of things 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 somewhere else. Cat urine contains ammonia, which could create wear on your furnace’s heat exchanger. Plus, the furnace could spread the stinky odors all over your home.

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

Related: Is it Time for Furnace Service or Replacement?

Request a Free Quote for Furnace Service

Whether you have to have furnace replacement or annual maintenance in Mason City, Mechanical Air Systems Co can expertly take care of your needs. Our highly trained technicians can work on any heating equipment model or brand.

Call us at 641-243-4654 or use our online scheduler to get an appointment today.