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Original poster

Is this gas safe? The Perfect House has the boiler in a main bedroom...

44 replies

Fairgrove · 10/08/2023 12:01

We've found our perfect house to buy and had our offer accepted. It's 100% ready to move into with no extension or renovation work needed as it's been done by the current owners recently. There's a loft conversion that's used as a main bedroom with a separate dressing room and shower room. But gas boiler is in the main bedroom and I can't stop worrying about this. It was sited there when the loft was just used for storage and wasn't moved elsewhere when the loft conversion was done. It's in an alcove with the correct space all around it and is located behind an insulated, lift off panel and is sited on the external wall of the loft. The bedroom is currently used by a child. Moving it now would be very costly and messy and would involve taking up lots of newly laid flooring. I've had a qualified gas engineer take a look at the property listing and that's what they've told me. They've also told me it's fine too have a room sealed boiler in a bedroom so long as is properly maintained etc. The boiler is over 10 years old and is annually serviced and we'd continue to do that, though might well replace it given its age. There are mains and battery CO2 alarms in the room. But I'm stressing about the albeit tiny risk of CO2 poisoning. And less so about noise. AIBU? Is an annual service by a qualified engineer and battery & mains CO2 alarms enough to protect us sleeping in there?

In our house now, the boiler is in the loft which is just used for storage, just inside the loft hatch and the loft hatch is right outside the doors to two of the first floor bedrooms so the boiler isn't far away from the bedrooms. Is this any different risk-wise as it's never bothered me.I can't work out if I'm worrying unnecessarily about the possible new house. But surely a boiler located in a utility room or garage is much safer in the unlikely event of a CO2 leak? Are CO2 alarms 100% reliable? My anxiety on this is getting out of hand. Am I losing perspective / being ridiculous?

OP posts:
PinkFootstool · 10/08/2023 12:03

Perfectly safe. My friend's son has the boiler in his bedroom owing to a cheapskate landlord.

Personally I'd hate the noise and wouldn't want it there solely for that reason. I know it really can disturb the sons sleep, especially as its a condenser so it kicks in at random times to clear the water from the system.

10yrs is also nothing in the age of a modern boiler these days, so unlikely you'll need to replace it on the near future unless they haven't maintained or serviced it.

ClematisBlue49 · 10/08/2023 12:10

It's odd that the previous owners didn't move it when they had the chance. I think having a boiler in a kitchen or utility room is more standard these days, but I could be wrong. A carbon monoxide detector and servicing should keep you safe, but I personally would want to sleep in one of the other bedrooms to avoid the noise, especially in winter when it will be on a lot of the time.

RuthW · 10/08/2023 12:14

I thought most boilers were in airing cupboard in bedrooms.

Original poster
Fairgrove · 10/08/2023 13:00

ClematisBlue49 · 10/08/2023 12:10

It's odd that the previous owners didn't move it when they had the chance. I think having a boiler in a kitchen or utility room is more standard these days, but I could be wrong. A carbon monoxide detector and servicing should keep you safe, but I personally would want to sleep in one of the other bedrooms to avoid the noise, especially in winter when it will be on a lot of the time.

I agree and that's what makes me think they had the same info as I got from the gas engineer who looked at it online for us. It's a real niggle for me. Obviously I can't know in advance how noisy or sleep-disturbing it might be.

OP posts:
GasPanic · 10/08/2023 13:00

It's a CO alarm, not a CO2 alarm.

If your gas safe engineer says its safe then there is no one better to make a judgement on it.

Certainly not anyone on the internet who has never seen the installation.

SpamhappyTootsie · 10/08/2023 13:06

We have the boiler in our main bedroom. It would be a major renovation to have it resited downstairs. We’ve recently replaced our 20 yr old boiler, partly because it was getting quite noisy. The new one is very quiet indeed - I have to listen really hard to tell if it’s on or not and I am very sensitive to noise. Always had boiler serviced annually, looked at if it was doing weird things, carbon monoxide monitors etc, so it’s never worried us at all.
So, in your shoes, I’d probably replace sooner rather than later, but otherwise I’d not be worried about it.

Original poster
Fairgrove · 10/08/2023 13:31

SpamhappyTootsie · 10/08/2023 13:06

We have the boiler in our main bedroom. It would be a major renovation to have it resited downstairs. We’ve recently replaced our 20 yr old boiler, partly because it was getting quite noisy. The new one is very quiet indeed - I have to listen really hard to tell if it’s on or not and I am very sensitive to noise. Always had boiler serviced annually, looked at if it was doing weird things, carbon monoxide monitors etc, so it’s never worried us at all.
So, in your shoes, I’d probably replace sooner rather than later, but otherwise I’d not be worried about it.

Thanks for that. Good to know it's not been an issue for you. A few friends I spoke to said they've had boilers moved during house renos relatively easily and cheaply even from a 1st floor to a ground floor utility room so I assumed moving this from loft to 1st floor spare room would be reasonably easy if not super cheap but it seems not based on the pro who saw it. Interesting that yours is a similarly tricky one to relocate.

OP posts:
Original poster
Fairgrove · 10/08/2023 13:32

GasPanic · 10/08/2023 13:00

It's a CO alarm, not a CO2 alarm.

If your gas safe engineer says its safe then there is no one better to make a judgement on it.

Certainly not anyone on the internet who has never seen the installation.

Face palming here now... The periodic table wasn't my strong point at school! You make a valid point. Not sure why I'm still uneasy though.

OP posts:
Ihatemondays1962 · 10/08/2023 13:34

The boiler was in the main bedroom in my last house, it's not uncommon and wouldn't bother me.

PurpleButterflyWings · 10/08/2023 13:35

Safe or not, no way in hell would I ever buy a house with the gas boiler in the main bedroom (or any bedroom for that matter.) It's a NO from me @Fairgrove

PurpleButterflyWings · 10/08/2023 13:36

ClematisBlue49 · 10/08/2023 12:10

It's odd that the previous owners didn't move it when they had the chance. I think having a boiler in a kitchen or utility room is more standard these days, but I could be wrong. A carbon monoxide detector and servicing should keep you safe, but I personally would want to sleep in one of the other bedrooms to avoid the noise, especially in winter when it will be on a lot of the time.

Exactly. The noise would do my head in tbh.

Sundaefraise · 10/08/2023 13:37

I wouldn’t like it, but I bought a house with a boiler in the bedroom and had a new one put in the kitchen - it wasn’t a massive job. I would not want to leave it.

Clefable · 10/08/2023 13:39

We had a carbon monoxide leak from our boiler (in utility room) and the alarm picked it up straight away, so I wouldn't be too worried about that. But they can be noisy and that kind of annoying not constant white noise but going on and off unpredictably. If the house was otherwise perfect, I'd try to negotiate a price that would allow me to fit a new boiler somewhere else or just suck it up and pay for it. We moved ours from one place to another and it was worth the cost.

Robbiesraft · 10/08/2023 13:42

It wouldn't stop me buying the otherwise perfect house, but I would plan to move it from the bedroom before someone is sleeping there. Batteries can be forgotten to be replaced in carbon monoxide alarms and something may go wrong between boiler services. Plus the additional heat and noise in a bedroom would be unwelcome.

Crazymadchickenlady · 10/08/2023 13:48

MIL had one in her bedroom for years. I think it's safe with all the usual services and alarms fitted. She was deaf so the noise didn't bother her. Not sure I would like it though!

Original poster
Fairgrove · 10/08/2023 13:50

Sundaefraise · 10/08/2023 13:37

I wouldn’t like it, but I bought a house with a boiler in the bedroom and had a new one put in the kitchen - it wasn’t a massive job. I would not want to leave it.

Can I ask if this was a stand alone job or was it done as part of other work all at the same time? Was there lots of disruption - taking up the floors etc - and then making good afterwards? Thanks

OP posts:
PosiePerkinPootleFlump · 10/08/2023 14:10

Ours is in a cupboard in my daughters bedroom. We have a CO alarm, it's a newish boiler so pretty quiet and muffled by the cupboard.

CatsOnTheChair · 10/08/2023 14:19

Very common round here to have the boiler in the cupboard above the stairs in bedroom 3.

Hecate01 · 10/08/2023 14:42

Most houses in my area have the boiler in the bedroom.

Biggest problem is the noise, my Dd hates it, it's better now in the summer because obviously the heating isn't on.

We have an alarm and you won't forget to change the batteries because it will start chirping like a smoke detector when they are due to die. We also have these strip things that change if anything is detected.

Sundaefraise · 10/08/2023 16:25

Fairgrove · 10/08/2023 13:50

Can I ask if this was a stand alone job or was it done as part of other work all at the same time? Was there lots of disruption - taking up the floors etc - and then making good afterwards? Thanks

Show quote history

@Fairgrove It was the only job we had done. The boiler had broken and we decided now was the time to move it. We wanted to start using the room as a child’s bedroom so there was no way I was happy leaving it. I don’t remember it being terribly messy either and it was done in a weekend.

Twiglets1 · 10/08/2023 19:19

I wouldn’t be happy with this at all and would have to get the cost of moving it factored into any price I agreed to pay.
Appreciate everyone’s different 🤷🏼‍♀️

Bellyblueboy · 10/08/2023 19:57

I would hate a boiler in a bedroom because of noise.

I have a new boiler and I can hear it fire up - and it’s in the hot press down the hall.

PetitPorpoise · 10/08/2023 20:01

My sister and I used to have the boiler in the airing cupboard in our bedroom when we were little. When the red light clicked in we used to say it was Rudoplh's nose.

Bearpawk · 10/08/2023 20:05

Of course it's ok, lots of boiler cupboards are in bedrooms. Just have it serviced every year and get a carbon monoxide alarm.
Might be noisy though, the spare room at my mum houses hers and it fires up every time someone runs a hot tap and drives me insane.

Original poster
Fairgrove · 13/08/2023 11:07

I'm starting to think I have issues with anxiety but equally I'm not alone in my concerns about boilers in bedrooms so I guess it may or may not be relevant here. Rationally I know it's legal to fit a boiler and safe if done and maintained properly but equally I worry that in the event of an issue an alarm might fail and being asleep next to the problematic appliance would surely.beworse than having it downstairs in the same scenario?
Noise I can't be sure of until I'm living there. Might not be an issue if I'm awake anyway worrying about CM poisoning? 😬😆

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