Boxing in above a boiler…..

[Pat "5mph"]

@sevenfourate you've got the same boiler as me, mine will be 4 years old in August.
The same engineer that installed it does the yearly service.
I am in a similar predicament as you, but as I'm getting a new kitchen, the fitters will box it in.

in terms of servicing: access to the filter and top (?) of the flue (To probe / take readings)

My guy just takes the front panel off to do his thing, to do a flue reading he does it from outside - I'm ground floor.

that black thing sticks out beyond the edge of the boiler but I suppose it could be rotated.

This is the filter (did cost £100 extra), a quite important component according to the fitter.
Mine sticks out too, there is a window next to it, I will take a picture tomorrow in the light.
Not sure if it can be rotated, otherwise they would have straighten it at installation?

How about a nice curtain?

If there is no other solution when I get my new kitchen, that is what I will do - in the old days we used to hide the "under the sink" with a gingham curtain

Drain valve over the top of the boiler?

My boiler's valves are below, the old boiler was the same.

 

[newts]

18mm mdf stuck to the wall with polymer adhesive, will prise off easily if required. Kept the required gap between boiler & combustible material. Our plumber moved the pipes in the floor above so they came down vertically to the connection points.

 

[sevenfourate]

@sevenfourate you've got the same boiler as me, mine will be 4 years old in August.
The same engineer that installed it does the yearly service.
I am in a similar predicament as you, but as I'm getting a new kitchen, the fitters will box it in.

My guy just takes the front panel off to do his thing, to do a flue reading he does it from outside - I'm ground floor.

This is the filter (did cost £100 extra), a quite important component according to the fitter.
Mine sticks out too, there is a window next to it, I will take a picture tomorrow in the light.
Not sure if it can be rotated, otherwise they would have straighten it at installation?


If there is no other solution when I get my new kitchen, that is what I will do - in the old days we used to hide the "under the sink" with a gingham curtain

My boiler's valves are below, the old boiler was the same.

Interesting info ! I was recommended this boiler due to being ‘overpowered’ and therefore under stressed for us. And it having all Stainless internals. I was told we have hard / corrosive water here - and Stainless would of course resist that. Plus this very model was reduced at the time - and of course comes with 10 year guarantee.

Thanks for you info. All helpful. And yes I’d love to see your pics.

Thanks again !

 

[fossyant]

Ours were a little closer to the wall, so a bit of mdf to box in enough to not look a mess and painted the same colour as the wall.Just pulls off if needed.

 

[Adam4868]

Id box that in the full length of the boiler...up to the ceiling with a removable front panel/door.
Sure you could adapt a kitchen cabinet or the like to fit ..depending on your skills.
Edited to add..something similar to this

 

[CXRAndy]

Having looked again at the photos

The plumber has done a very poor job. Now it may have been due to budget constraints from the owner. He has fitted the boiler much lower to access the existing flue outlet, not re piped the copper to make a tidy job.

Ideally he should have used a different boiler to fit better or core drilled a new flue outlet, fitted magnetic filter in a different location

 

[newts]

The plumber has made a right pigsear with the filter/return pipework. It would have been easier to fit the filter vertically where brass compression fitting is & then offset the pipe to the boiler return connection. It would have been 1 less connection & given more room to offset the pipe. Was it A British Gas plumber or one of their contractors?

 

[Pat "5mph"]

Plus this very model was reduced at the time - and of course comes with 10 year guarantee.

Mine is 7 years guarantee only.
A the time, the fitter gave me 3 choices of boiler, there was a big difference in price between the 7 years guaranteed one and the one guaranteed for 10 years.
Yes, tomorrow I will take pictures.

 

[sevenfourate]

Mine is 7 years guarantee only.
A the time, the fitter gave me 3 choices of boiler, there was a big difference in price between the 7 years guaranteed one and the one guaranteed for 10 years.
Yes, tomorrow I will take pictures.

This wasn’t cheap all in. And installer was recommended. Both those facts have made what should have been a once in 20 year install slightly sour. I’m not going to re-visit. And the installer / plumber was left in no uncertain terms how I felt about his lack of workmanship from me before he left.

Unsightliness aside: if it performs as intended: once boxed in it will hopefully be a distant memory.

 

[Gunk]

A good independent kitchen fitter should be able to completely hide that, ours is hidden away.

 

[presta]

My boiler's valves are below, the old boiler was the same.

The drain valve for my heating is a few inches off the floor, but those valves leak like a sieve even with the hose on tight, so I wouldn't want one above the boiler.

18mm mdf stuck to the wall with polymer adhesive, will prise off easily if required.

If you make stuff that unscrews or unclips easily you don't end up having to redecorate just because you needed maintenance access.

Mine is 7 years guarantee only.
A the time, the fitter gave me 3 choices of boiler, there was a big difference in price between the 7 years guaranteed one and the one guaranteed for 10 years.
Yes, tomorrow I will take pictures.

My Worcester Bosch comes with 7 years guarantee as standard, but they increased it to 10 years because I bought a WB programmer as well. I chose WB because they're always top of the Which reliability surveys. The old one was 36 years old, so I still think of this one as new, but the guarantee expires in a couple of years.

 

[MichaelW2]

You could nibble out the inside of the panel around the wonky black thing, to get a closer fit.

 

[PaulSB]

A good independent kitchen fitter should be able to completely hide that, ours is hidden away.

View attachment 760569

While it isn't as smart as this our boiler is installed in the same way. Boiler in the top half of the cupboard, shelves in the bottom half. Our is just a standard kitchen unit.

In the OP's shoes this is what I'd do. Worktop to ceiling kitchen unit.

 

[Pat "5mph"]

@sevenfourate hi, here is my boiler.
As you can see, when I'll get my new kitchen it will be a problem to hide the boiler.
The "hiding" unit will have to be attached to the window frame.
I'm not planning to have any top units, like the one that is there just now.
Maybe they could run a double unit just for the boiler, pipes and switch, who knows.
I'm planning to get the new kitchen done in the summer sometimes, I'll post updates then.
Edit: mind to get it serviced every year, or the guarantee is invalid.

 

[newts]

Presta - 'If you make stuff that unscrews or unclips easily you don't end up having to redecorate just because you needed maintenance access.'

>40 years in the trade & project managment tell me that I nor my clients want to see screw caps or dirty shadow lines where the boxing meets the wall/ceiling, it looks cr*p. No need to re-decorate if it has to be removed, just cut the paint line in the corners with sharp knife & it'll go back nice & tidy (although you could easily re-caulk the corners & touch up the paint if required). In my picture we'd planned the pipe runs & left the filter on show which kept the boxing to the minimum size.