How to hide a boiler in the kitchen
Boilers are extremely useful appliances that no home in the UK should be without, however they can look unsightly. For many people, this isn’t usually an issue, particularly if their boiler is stored in a cupboard. But what if it’s the first thing you see as you come through the front door or as you walk into the kitchen? If your boiler is on show and you’d prefer it not to be, there are some ways in which you can tuck it out of sight.
Depending on where your boiler is positioned in your home, you could try some quirky, budget-friendly ways to hide it. How about hanging a chalkboard in front of it? The chalkboard could be used to write your shopping list on or it could even be used as a calendar. However you use your chalkboard, it’ll keep your boiler concealed while allowing easy access to your boiler when it needs a service.
Alternatively, if you’re brave enough, you could add some artwork to the front of your boiler. Doityourself suggest painting your boiler cover. If you want to do this, you’ll need to purchase paint that will be safe for use on an appliance such as a boiler. This means the paint may need to be heat and moisture resistant.
You could choose a pretty pattern to make your boiler stand out. Or in complete contrast, you can make your boiler blend into its surroundings. To do this, paint it the same colour as your kitchen units or as the wall.
Either a chalkboard or paint will help to make your boiler look more attractive. But what if you want to conceal it completely?
Can you put a boiler in a kitchen cupboard?
Your boiler can be put inside a kitchen cabinet, however there are some regulations that you will need to adhere to. For example, the boiler needs to be fully accessible for servicing, maintenance or repairs. This means that a kitchen cupboard is the perfect thing to house your boiler because it will have a door that can open.
- Always check the installation guide that comes with your boiler. It is crucial that:
- There is sufficient ventilation for combustion and cooling air
- There is sufficient room for servicing and maintenance of the appliance
- The cupboard meets the necessary fire standards
As standard, most boilers will require a gap of at least 50 mm between the appliance and the cupboard. In addition, the unit you put your boiler in shouldn’t be airtight as air will need to circulate around the boiler.
If you’re looking at moving your boiler’s current position, but you’re not sure it’ll fit in the space you have in mind, there are gas boilers that are small enough to fit into a standard kitchen cupboard. These boilers can also go into a small bathroom, an unused airing cupboard or a bedroom wardrobe. They’re compact, making them ideal for smaller homes while maintaining an efficient heating system.
If you don’t have a spare kitchen unit to house your compact boiler, you may consider building your own boiler cupboard.
How to build a cupboard to hide a boiler
Perhaps you don’t have a spare kitchen cupboard or your new boiler won’t fit in one because of complicated pipe work. If this is the case, you can build your own customised cupboard that will store your boiler - and it may be easier to build than it sounds.
First, you need to decide what size you want the cupboard to be. Remember that there needs to be at least a 50 mm gap between the boiler and the cupboard. Use a tape measure to see what size your cupboard will be.
You can use basic plywood to build the box. You should build a frame first, and then add the plywood to the outside. If you paint the box the same colour as your walls or current kitchen units, you would never know that your boiler was there. This kind of unit can be ideal for boilers situated in bathrooms too.
The box needs to be easy to open so that your boiler can be serviced or repaired. You could easily add hinges to create a door that opens, or you can do what Jen from Love Chic Living has done and add magnets to the door. These will be hidden, but you can put spare kitchen cupboard handles on to really make the cupboard blend in.
How to hide boiler pipes in your kitchen
Now that you’ve hidden your boiler from view, you may also want to hide the copper pipes that lead to and from the appliance.
There are many ways that you can do this and it’s usually an easier job than hiding the boiler itself. The simplest option is to paint your pipes the same colour as your walls or tiles. The paint should be heat resistant as these pipes may carry the hot water to and from your radiators.
You could also box in the pipes and paint the casing the same colour as your walls or tiles.
If you want to, you could work the pipes into your decor. For example, if you have an industrial style kitchen, you may have other copper elements within the room, such as copper taps. Some people even install fake copper pipes to achieve the industrial design effect. Copper goes well with exposed brick and bare lightbulbs, so make the most of the design and see what it looks like. If you don’t like it, you can always paint the pipes later.
These images should provide some inspiration on how you can incorporate pipework into your decor: