Page 2 | Is this gas safe? The Perfect House has the boiler in a main bedroom...

Fairgrove · 2023-08-10T11:01:00+00:00

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?

PurpleButterflyWings · 13/08/2023 11:18

Serious question - I really generally don't know this/get this ... Why does anybody put a boiler in the bedroom? Just why?

I have lived in about a dozen different properties in my 50 odd years of life, including the 6 properties that I've lived in with DH (4 that we've owned,) and not once have I ever, ever come across a boiler in a bedroom ever. In fact, I don't know anybody personally who has a boiler in the bedroom.

Obviously it's a thing - as people aren't making it up - but I've never known of it personally... Never EVER seen a boiler in anyone's bedroom.

I do know a few cases of boilers in the loft, which I think is really, really weird and I would absolutely hate that. A housing association in my town has started to put boilers in the loft - and they're stopping people using the loft. All the storage space that you get in there, they're completely taking it away, as they're locking it up so you can't use it. Fuck that for a game of soldiers. No use of the loft space, and the boiler in the loft. NOPE!

sleepyscientist · 13/08/2023 11:23

@PurpleButterflyWings people want the kitchen storage space in smaller kitchens and often have spare space in the master that can be used for it. Our current boiler is in the loft but we own, it's boarded and used for storage with proper roof vents to stop anything getting mouldy or overheating. Last house was tighter on space and when we fitted a combi boiler we put it in the space the hot water tank had been to get the space back in the kitchen

ShowOfHands · 13/08/2023 11:23

PurpleButterflyWings · 13/08/2023 11:18

Serious question - I really generally don't know this/get this ... Why does anybody put a boiler in the bedroom? Just why?

I have lived in about a dozen different properties in my 50 odd years of life, including the 6 properties that I've lived in with DH (4 that we've owned,) and not once have I ever, ever come across a boiler in a bedroom ever. In fact, I don't know anybody personally who has a boiler in the bedroom.

Obviously it's a thing - as people aren't making it up - but I've never known of it personally... Never EVER seen a boiler in anyone's bedroom.

I do know a few cases of boilers in the loft, which I think is really, really weird and I would absolutely hate that. A housing association in my town has started to put boilers in the loft - and they're stopping people using the loft. All the storage space that you get in there, they're completely taking it away, as they're locking it up so you can't use it. Fuck that for a game of soldiers. No use of the loft space, and the boiler in the loft. NOPE!

I've never lived in a house with the boiler anywhere other than in the bedroom 🤷‍♀️

Usually, above the stairs, in a cupboard off the smallest bedroom.

PurpleButterflyWings · 13/08/2023 11:29

sleepyscientist · 13/08/2023 11:23

@PurpleButterflyWings people want the kitchen storage space in smaller kitchens and often have spare space in the master that can be used for it. Our current boiler is in the loft but we own, it's boarded and used for storage with proper roof vents to stop anything getting mouldy or overheating. Last house was tighter on space and when we fitted a combi boiler we put it in the space the hot water tank had been to get the space back in the kitchen

Is it newer houses then? Like, say, 1990 onwards, because quite honestly I've never lived in any house that was built after the mid 1980s so it must be a newer house thing maybe?

My parents house, my grandparents house, aunties, uncles, cousins all built like 1980s or earlier - and the one I am in now in now is a 1960s one. Then again. I do know quite a few people living in 2000s houses (about 10 people,) but they have their boiler in the kitchen ... Again I still don't know anybody with a boiler in the bedroom. Obviously it's a thing but I genuinely don't know anybody with it.

ladeluge · 13/08/2023 11:33

I have mine in MY bedroom. It is in one of the sections of the built in wardrobe on the external wall. It is new, it is sealed, it is quiet, I never hear it.

It was moved there from a very old system that was back of the fireplace. It's an older house and gas piping and plumbing (and an awkward kitchen that I could not fit it in!) meant this was the only place for it.

So far so good. All the neighbours along the street have similar, as the engineer pointed out to me by the number of external flues in the exact same position as mine.

Do not worry. Obviously belt and braces with carbon monoxide detectors and yearly servicing is a given.

ShowOfHands · 13/08/2023 11:34

PurpleButterflyWings · 13/08/2023 11:29

Is it newer houses then? Like, say, 1990 onwards, because quite honestly I've never lived in any house that was built after the mid 1980s so it must be a newer house thing maybe?

My parents house, my grandparents house, aunties, uncles, cousins all built like 1980s or earlier - and the one I am in now in now is a 1960s one. Then again. I do know quite a few people living in 2000s houses (about 10 people,) but they have their boiler in the kitchen ... Again I still don't know anybody with a boiler in the bedroom. Obviously it's a thing but I genuinely don't know anybody with it.

Show quote history

Current house is 1931, last house 1900, house before 1890, all had boilers in bedrooms....

Original poster

Fairgrove · 13/08/2023 11:35

In this case the house isn't new(ish) and isn't small so kitchen space isn't the reason the boiler is in the bedroom. I think it's simply that the boiler was at some point moved to the loft and sometime after that the loft was converted to master bedroom and the boiler was left where it was. I'm guessing because moving it was prohibitively expensive or involved too much mess and work.

I've moved a few times in the past 20 years and have viewed lots of houses and flats in that time but only a tiny minority have had boilers in a bedroom.

A spare bedroom would feel less of an issue but this bedroom will be in daily use.

OP posts:

Lucyloo1011 · 13/08/2023 11:43

I had major concerns regarding a boiler in my sons room when we bought our house.
It’s now 5 years on and hardly ever thought of . We have a Worcester Bosh combi boiler .
Just make sure you get it serviced every year ( you should anyway ) and get a carbon monoxide alarm .

ladeluge · 13/08/2023 11:49

Also, remember that most boilers are not in use in the middle of the night when we are all asleep. OK, occasionally in freezing weather if your thermostat kicks in. So noise is rarely an issue.

Gas installers will not place a boiler in an unsafe place. Your survey could include a gas safety check if you want reassurance.

Original poster

Fairgrove · 14/08/2023 08:27

ladeluge · 13/08/2023 11:49

Also, remember that most boilers are not in use in the middle of the night when we are all asleep. OK, occasionally in freezing weather if your thermostat kicks in. So noise is rarely an issue.

Gas installers will not place a boiler in an unsafe place. Your survey could include a gas safety check if you want reassurance.

Not heard of a gas safety check, I'll look into that, thanks.

OP posts:

Original poster

Fairgrove · 14/08/2023 08:28

Lucyloo1011 · 13/08/2023 11:43

I had major concerns regarding a boiler in my sons room when we bought our house.
It’s now 5 years on and hardly ever thought of . We have a Worcester Bosh combi boiler .
Just make sure you get it serviced every year ( you should anyway ) and get a carbon monoxide alarm .

Thanks, it is boxed off or in a cupboard? No noise issues ?

OP posts:

NewCracker · 14/08/2023 08:37

I had a boiler in my childhood bedroom at my family home and honestly I barely heard it, and it was an old one. I'm a good sleeper so maybe I just didn't really hear it, but it never woke me up.
It definitely wouldn't be a deal breaker for me.

lovewoola · 14/08/2023 08:49

I've seen houses with a boilers in bedrooms but it's not something I would want so i'd either move it or find another house.

Punkyskullyy · 14/08/2023 08:57

There was a boiler in the airing cupboard in the bedroom I shared with my sister growing up. I lived in that room till my 20s when I moved out and it never bothered me sound or safety wise. There was a carbon monoxide alarm inside the cupboard, in my bedroom and in the hallway 😅

It personally wouldn’t be a deal breaker for me, but I would replace the boiler for a new/quieter model and perform annual gas checks if I were in your shoes now.

Housebuyingfamily · 14/08/2023 09:34

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.

Sorry but I wouldn’t be ok with this at all.

Lucyloo1011 · 14/08/2023 10:15

I believe there is a button ( something to do with energy saving) you press so that boiler doesn’t fire up randomly .
However we don’t have heating on at night.

Lucyloo1011 · 14/08/2023 11:32

Lucyloo1011 · 14/08/2023 10:15

I believe there is a button ( something to do with energy saving) you press so that boiler doesn’t fire up randomly .
However we don’t have heating on at night.

Sorry forgot to add it is boxed in . The previous owner cleverly converted a wardrobe to be open backed and added storage for towels too .
You wouldn’t know it was there just looks like the other wardrobe .

CasperGutman · 14/08/2023 12:41

Our house had the boiler in the smallest bedroom when we moved in. It was just on the wall, but we had a cupboard built round it. If you do this, pay careful attention to the requirements for clearance around the boiler. We once rented a house where a kitchen cupboard had to be cut apart because it didn't allow the boiler to be opened up and serviced!

We've since taken the opportunity to move it to a new utility room in an extension, but it didn't cause any real issues in the bedroom. It was no more likely to wake a sleeping child than a vehicle passing on the road outside.

Any safety risk with a modern "room sealed" boiler that's regularly serviced is minimal. Fit a good quality carbon monoxide detector and stop worrying.

JessicaPeach · 14/08/2023 17:33

This wouldn't worry me at all, I've lived in houses with boilers in various places, including bedroom and loft and not really given it a thought, and no noise problems.

We've recently had a new boiler fitted and it's extremely quiet, cant hear it going on and off, so if I had one in the bedroom I'd maybe change it to something quieter if the noise was an issue.