Why Is The Basement The Best Place To Put A Boiler Room?

Boilers are a common and important appliance that are found in the majority of British homes. They perform the important function of heating water and providing heating. The central heating system of a home commonly consists of a boiler, various pipes and connections and radiators in the rooms. The boiler has the important role of heating water which then flows through all the various pipes to the radiators. When the hot water gets to the radiators the hot water warms the air which then warms the room via convection currents. The cooler water continues to flow around the central heating system until it returns once again to the boiler and then the whole process begins again. This is known as a closed healing system, the water that the boiler heats is not suitable for human consumption, so in this type of set up a second appliance is needed in order to heat water for consumption and to be used by members of the household. This is most often a hot water heater, whose function is solely to heat the water that comes out of the taps.

Boilers come in different shapes and sizes and have a lot of pipes and connections that are needed for them to function properly and safely. Because of this boilers and hot water heaters are often found in boiler rooms. A boiler room is a small room within your home where the boiler is housed. It also often contains any HVAC (Heating Ventilation Air Conditioning) equipment that you may have. A boiler room is somewhere safe that a boiler can be safely housed, out of the way. Boiler rooms are often found within the basement, boilers can be installed at other locations within your home, but there are many reasons that your basement really is the best place.

10 Benefits of having your boiler room in the basement.

1. Out of sight

Having your boiler in your basement means that it is away from the main body of the house and not on show. The boiler itself and all its associated connections and pipework are not very appealing to look at, so by having it out of the way you don’t need to worry about it running your interior decorating.

2. No strange noises

Boilers and their pipes make noises from time to time that can be quite loud. By having your boiler in your basement, no noises will disturb you or your day-to-day routines.

3. Good proximity and access for connecting pipework

All of the pipework and connections from outside that enter your home are in close proximity to the basement. So it is an ideal location for the boiler to be connected to the hot and cold water supply.

4. Good proximity to gas supply

The basement and your boiler are also close to the gas supply that your boiler also needs to be connected to.

5. Easy to supply power

Your boiler needs access to an electrical port. If you do not already have electrical outlets in your basement it is an easy task to have them installed.

6. Access to an external wall

Boilers need to be installed near to exterior walls, as the vents, chimneys and other outlets need to be passed through to the outside.

7. Pipe Discharging

The boiler flue and waste pipe have to be discharged to the outside, being in the basement allows this to happen.

8. Easy access to the soil stack.

The boiler’s pipework has to be discharged into a soil stack, the soil stack is a drainage pipe that passes through your home and connects to horizontal offsets. The soil stacks end in a stack vent that leads to the exterior.

9. Space for installation

Having the boiler in the basement ensures that there is ample space to carry out installation and to put all the pipework. In addition, if your boiler needs repair or inspection there is plenty of room for the heating engineers to move around.

10. Basements don’t typically freeze,

It is not usual for basements to freeze, so you don’t have to worry about your boiler or any of the piping freezing over the winter months

There are 10 good reasons why you should consider your basement as a good place to install your boiler. But, before you start, are there any safety regulations that need to be followed, does the boiler room need ventilation? Where should a room thermostat be located? These are very important questions, ventilation is very important and thermostats are usually placed by the door. It doesn’t matter where you put your boiler room, as long as you abide by several regulations.

Regulations that must be followed when installing a boiler in a basement

• The door of the boiler room has to open outwards.
• The door must be self-closing 
• A good fire rating is essential for the door
• The boiler room has to be fully enclosed with no gaps or windows. 
• The boiler has to be wrapped in fire-rated material
• Air vents must be present that bring in fresh air from the outside.
• The boiler must be set on either a concrete floor or concrete bricks.
• All hot water pipes have to be isolated and contain isolation valves.
• There has to be an emergency off switch, clearly labelled and by the stairs of the basement.

My Property Doesn’t Contain A Basement, What Do I Do?

There are many properties in the UK that don’t possess a basement, in this situation the boiler is installed near the bathroom or kitchen. As these two rooms will use the boiler the most. Traditionally an airing cupboard is built on the upstairs landing, with the boiler and also room for shelves. This houses the boiler and also can be used for drying clothes or storing towels as it is always warm.

If you are considering installing a new boiler or replacing your existing boiler, give us a call at Space Excavations we can give you professional advice and discuss with you all your possible options.