Choosing the best location for your new boiler

Deciding where to have your boiler installed will greatly influence its cost, efficiency and longevity. You may only be deciding on a new boiler because you want to free up space in its current location.

There are several options you can consider depending on the size and layout of your property, with each one presenting its own benefits and drawbacks.

Keep it where it is

The easiest solution may be to simply keep your new boiler in the same place as your old one.

This area is already likely to be primed to facilitate boiler components such as the flue and condensate pipe, which not all locations in your property will be able to facilitate easily.

Consider clearing space around the same area and cleaning it thoroughly before having your new boiler installed. This will improve airflow and prevent a number of common issues without the need for extensive work.

Boilers in airing cupboards

Hot water tanks are often situated in airing cupboards, which make them great spots for boilers.

Much of a tank’s pipework can be efficiently routed to the boiler when it’s close by. And as airing cupboards are often out of sight, they’re ideal places for a boiler’s flue to exit through a wall or roof with minimal disruption.

Installing your boiler in an airing cupboard will save room in the rest of your property, however it may limit space for storage and extra components, especially if you’ve selected a large boiler. Contact our experts for the best solution if space is a problem in your home. This also tends to be a better solution for Gas boilers rather than Oil boilers.

Garages and annexes

Detached or semi-detached spaces from your home, such as garages and annexes, offer boilers huge flexibility, especially for Oil boilers which can have an odour problem.

Boilers outside main living areas can be quickly accessed and repaired with little disruption to residents. During installation, we can carry out extensive work before needing to shut off and switch over your existing system, making the transition period as short as possible.

Most modern boilers are reasonably quiet however an area separate from the home also guarantees complete silence while residents are trying to sleep or work.

If you have the room, a garage or annexe can be seamlessly transformed into a mini ‘boiler plant’ with a heating cylinder and more.

Boilers and hot water tanks in lofts and attics

Lofts are another popular place to situate boilers, although there are challenges.

The entrance or hatch must first be big and accessible enough to bring the unit through during installation, which may slow down the process, increase labour costs and restrict your choice to medium or small boilers.

Limited access, such as through a ladder, may also cause delays when your boiler needs repairs or replacing over the years, as well as make basic customer maintenance difficult to perform.

However, in return you will be maximising the space in your property with the potential for a room dedicated to your heating system.

What a lot of customers are increasingly doing off the mains gas grid is having their oil boiler located outside in a weatherproof freestanding unit and the hot water tank and pumping elements located in their loft, to free up space. You will even create extra space in a cupboard in front of the large hot water pipes that will run down from the loft, which was previously used as an airing cupboard.