Kitchen/boiler best thing to do

[Linnet]

We need a new boiler, at the moment we have a back boiler but will get a new combi boiler. The only place the new boiler can go is in the kitchen where there is a cupboard. So the cupboard will need to come down to install the boiler. In order to hide all the pipe work behind the lower kitchen cabinets we’d need to rip them out too so have decided that we’d be as well to get a new kitchen at the same time.

I don’t know what would be the best thing to do. Do I get quotes from a plumber for the boiler, then go to b&q/magnet/wren to see about a kitchen. Then try to coordinate it so that the boiler is put in before the kitchen is installed? The kitchen company aren’t going to want anything to do with the boiler being installed are they? Will we need to rip out all the kitchen cabinets ourselves for the plumber to install the boiler? He wouldn’t do that himself would he?

Does anyone have any advice?

Speak with whoever is going to be fitting the new boiler, I cant see why they wouldn't remove whatever is needed to get access. It's fairly easy to remove counter tops and units, then refit.

Worst case is you remove a section of the kitchen where the pipes are being ran to have minimal disruption until the new kitchen is fitted.

It's handy to have the boiler fitted before you install a new kitchen. You can pull down and take to the tip (or use in the shed) any old cabinets that are in the way. There will be cables to run, as well as the pipes. Once boiler is fitted, you can assemble the cabinets round it (there will be clearance required for maintenance) and if you assemble them with a standard sized gap (e.g. 500mm wide) you can conceal the boiler behind a matching kitchen door. It doesn't need a full cabinet with a top and bottom, just a door.

Boilers are usually deeper than standard wall cabinets, but you get get extra-deep wall cabs for this purpose. My boiler is in a corner, and due to the cooker hood, has only one cabinet next to it, which I had made to fit. This looks better than having just one deep cabinet sticking out from a row of them.

BTW, put your boiler where it will be close to the waste pipes for the kitchen sink, so the condensate pipe can be plumbed internally. Many people end up with an extrernal pipe, quiicker and easier for the installer, but freezes in cold weather and your boiler stops workingt. This is very tiresome.

A modern combi will throw out a great cloud of steam in frosty weather, so try to place it where this will not blow across your window, or towards your neighbours house. Close to an external corner is handy as wind swirls around and disperses it. You can have an extended flue (like a chimney) or a plume diverter to carry the plume past windows and doors. Easier and cheaper if specified prior to boiler installation.

As for cabinets, they are usually hung with adjustable brackets onto steel plates screwed to the wall. You can get cabinet hanging rail which is installed in a long strip running all along the wall, and you then hang cabs whereever you want them. This is very handy as you can reposition them with ease and no more screws or drilling required. A bit like, if you have picture rail, you can move your pictures an inch or a yard with almost no effort. And they will all be level. It is very strong.

Thanks both.

Piglet John you have given me a lot to think about as we were maybe going to move the sink which may then change where the boiler will go.

Does anyone know if the kitchen company installation people would do things like lower ceilings/put in spot lights new sockets etc or would we have to organise an electrician/joiner separately to do these things?

If it’s a bog standard kitchen fitter they won’t do anything extra. You will have to get the kitchen design done then get plumber in to lay the pipes and electrician to do his/her bit. If it’s high end they may do the lot but of course you pay for this.
And no the boiler guy won’t remove kitchen cabinets you should do it beforehand.

plumbers are better at plumbing, electricians are better at electrics, and plasterers are better at plastering. if you can possibly find good tradesmen by personal recommendation (not on a disguised advertising website) I think you can get a better job done, after pulling out the old kitchen and before installing the new. You will need to be good at planning.

The hypothesis is that a kitchen fitter will take all the weight off your shoulders.

Much shoddy and non-compliant work is hidden away behind the cabinets where it isn't seen. No doubt there are also some excellent multi-skilled kitchen fitters.

Hmm ok, lots to think about. When we had our bathroom done a few years ago the plumber we used organised everything and brought in his own joiner and electrician. Ripped everything out right back to the bricks and then put everything new in. I was kind of hoping that when it came to kitchens it would be the same.

Does it have to be in the kitchen? Ours is in the bathroom (but I note you've recently had bathroom refitted so prob don't want to muck about with it)

No it has to be the kitchen, no space in the bathroom and don’t want to put it in a bedroom or the living room. So the only other room is the kitchen and it has to go on a certain wall as it needs to vent to outside.

You could consider using the loft. This has the big advantage of freeing up space in your kitchen/bathroom but this can be more expensive.
Your loft has to have enough space, be very well insulated for winter and with an attic fan for summer. It needs to be boarded out and have loft ladders so you can access the boiler easily eg to check boiler pressure. You can get a separate remote control for some boilers so you can alter timer etc without having to go into loft. Pipework may have to be changed/redirected too which can be more expensive and cause more issues ie lifting floor boards etc.

We don’t have a loft, it’s a ground floor flat.