How to hide a gas boiler in the kitchen: the best design options and masking tips

If you are not an ardent supporter of the loft or techno style, then the appearance of the heating unit is unlikely to be a pleasure. After all, it is released, focusing on the mass consumer, and not on your personal taste. Naturally, you will think about how to hide a gas boiler in the kitchen so that it fits perfectly into the interior picture.

However, with regard to camouflage of gas equipment, everything is not so simple. In addition to finding the most suitable design option, you also need to take into account the standards. Compliance with the rules ensuring normal operation guarantees safety when using a gas supplier of hot water.

We will tell you how best to hide the presence of far from the most attractive object in the kitchen, taking into account the requirements of gas services and fire departments. In our article, the rules for the location of gas equipment are described in detail. Here you will find interesting and practical solutions for decorating kitchens with gas boilers.

Standards for premises and equipment

Before you start developing a unique design for arranging a kitchen with a gas boiler or choosing a ready-made solution for its design, you should find out how the premises for operating gas equipment should be equipped.

It is important to pre-determine the option of a boiler that can be used in a private or multi-story building. You should find out what needs to be done to ensure complete security. Only then will it be possible to select a masking method that does not violate regulatory requirements.

Gas Supply Requirements

The regulations state that:

• The installation of a gas processing boiler for the preparation of coolant or sanitary water is allowed only in buildings with a floor of up to five inclusive.
• In the kitchen belonging to a separate apartment of a high-rise building, boilers with a capacity of up to 35 kW are installed. These are mainly wall-mounted flow-through heat generators (columns) supplying sanitary hot water.
• In the kitchens of private houses, if it is impossible to create a separate boiler room, it is allowed to install a boiler with a capacity of more than 35 kW, subject to all the means and safety measures regulated by the standards.

In private homes with autonomous communications, it is recommended to organize boiler rooms separate from the kitchen with a pair of boilers. It is best that the preparation of the coolant floor boiler. But it is advisable to entrust the heating of water for sanitary purposes gas column or a hot water tank (boiler).

It should be remembered that the total heat output of two involved boilers located in one cubic meter must not exceed the technical limit of 100 kW. Note that the installation of gas boilers is allowed in the corridors, if they have transoms for ventilation. No gas boilers can now be installed in bathrooms.

Rules for the arrangement of the kitchen space

Installation and subsequent operation of gas water heating equipment is allowed in kitchens with a ceiling height not lower than the limit of 2.0 m, indicated in building codes. If the room height is reduced due to the installation of a false / suspended ceiling, it is dismantled or switched to the electric type of hot water preparation.

If in addition to the gas boiler in the kitchen there will also be a gas stove, the smallest ceiling height should be 2.2 m. The same should be the distance from the plane of the floor to the ceiling in the installation area of ​​the boiler, if the ceiling in the kitchen is sloped.

Installation of a gas boiler can be carried out in the premises:

• 7.5 m³ if only one unit is to be operated;
• volume of 13.5 m³, if two heat generators are involved in the preparation of the heat carrier and water heating.

The cubic capacity of kitchens equipped with both boilers and gas stoves is calculated as the sum of 6.3m³ plus 8, 12 or 15 m³ depending on the number of burners (2, 3 or 4 pieces).

Wall mounted gas columns are hung on hooks mounted in advance in the wall. On the sides and on the front of the device there should be free space required for regular inspection, scheduled and unscheduled maintenance

The room for the location of gas equipment of any type should have its own source of natural light, i.e. window. The window must have a freely open window. It is necessary for ventilation with a natural motivation for the movement of air mass.

The room in which the gas water heater is installed must have its own source of natural light, equipped with a transom. There should be a door separating the kitchen / boiler room from the living area, and a ventilation gap or grille in its canvas

There must certainly be a door that limits the kitchen space. However, it should not impede the movement of air flow.

Therefore, in the lower part of the canvas, it is necessary to provide a ventilation grill or leave a gap between the door leaf and the floor. The total area of ​​the ventilation gap is at least 0.2 m².

If there is no ventilation gap between the floor plane and the door leaf, a ventilation grill must be provided

In kitchens with a gas water heating unit, especially equipped with atmospheric gas burners, there can only be natural ventilation. Forced options with mechanical stimulation and a mixture of heated air are permissible only in the northern regions.

Features of the selection of the boiler

For installation in the kitchen, individual heat generators are suitable - factory-made water heating units. Both flow-through wall-mounted models and floor-mounted paired with boilers are applicable.

Automated equipment should be purchased that can function without ongoing maintenance by the operator / owner.

In the arrangement of apartment buildings, such water heating units can be used:

• turbocharged, i.e. equipped with a sealed (closed) chamber for processing blue fuel;
• capable of heating the treated medium to 95º;
• working under pressure of 1 MPa;
• equipped safety automation.

Safety automation is needed to interrupt the flow of gas to the burner in the event of a threatening situation. Among the threats are a malfunction of the protection circuits, a drop in the pressure of the heated water or coolant, the extinction of the flame, malfunctions in the smoke exhaust system.

Automation of the gas apparatus will turn off the gas supply to the burner in case of pressure drop in the gas or water main, stop the operation of the device if the flame goes out, etc. Access to the security control buttons should always be free

In the same way, an automatic device will stop the boiler if the heated medium reaches the temperature set by the owner or the maximum permissible temperature.

In the kitchens of apartment buildings in our country, heat generators with an atmospheric (open) combustion chamber are traditionally installed.They heat water for owners of apartments of the old housing stock, in which a centralized hot water supply was not previously provided.

Fire Prevention Standards

Before deciding how and what is better to close the gas boiler installed in the kitchen, we will analyze the rules for eliminating the accidental fire of adjacent or adjacent surfaces and structures.

To warn and prevent danger, you need to:

• Provide a 2 cm spacing from the walls of the flow-through wall-mounted boiler to all adjacent surfaces along the perimeter.
• Indent from the floor boiler and the DHW cylinder to 10 cm surfaces.
• Protect the walls of the building from flammable material with plaster or cladding of non-combustible / flame-resistant types of finishes. In this case, there must be at least 3 cm between the boiler and the wall.

When using tiles in wall decoration, it is allowed to reduce the indent from the walls when arranging floor equipment. The geyser can be hung close to the tiled wall.

The insulation function of flammable walls will be successfully performed by roofing sheet on asbestos sheet with a thickness of at least 3 mm. A similar tandem made of asbestos sheet metal is laid on the floor before installing the floor model. The protective finish must be at least 10 cm larger than the outline of the equipment to be insulated.

All of these types of gaps and indents are necessary for continuous cooling of water heating equipment.

The specifics of the location of the gas unit

Gas heating equipment is located according to the project, which takes into account the type of wiring, the position of the expansion tank and circulation pump. If a wall-mounted device, for example, is only engaged in the preparation of hot water for hygienic use, then they are placed in the closest proximity to the point of drawing.

According to regulatory requirements:

• The distance between the column and the kitchen sink can be at least 30 cm.
• The distance between the wall-mounted water heater and gas hob can be at least 10 cm.
• The distance between the floor heat generator and the refrigerator is agreed upon by the boiler manufacturer. Usually at least 30 cm is indicated. The same size is acceptable for other household electrical appliances.
• The distance from the upper edge of the parapet boiler to the ceiling is at least 80 cm.
• The distance to the outlet required to power volatile gas boiler systems must be at least 100 cm.

The most important rule that must be observed when installing any type of boiler is to ensure unhindered access both directly to the unit itself and to the most important components requiring regular inspection and maintenance.

It is strictly forbidden to lay pipes through which blue fuel is transported to the instruments in gates or close it with non-separable boxes. Allowed to use camouflage constructions with hinged or sliding sashes, shutters, blinds.

Disguise Design Achievements

In all cases and masking options it is necessary to observe the technological indentation and ensure the boiler is fully ventilated. This means that those who want to hide the heating equipment need to consider options for the formation of convective flows that cool the case.

Standard cabinet furniture for installation in the kitchen is usually not designed for the floor or wall model of the boiler to be hidden in one of its cabinets. True, there are headsets with a module designed just for this task. However, we are interested in other cases.

Let’s figure out whether it is possible to ideally hide a gas boiler in a home-made kitchen cabinet, and consider the best options that suggest how to do this work better and more correctly.   

How to hide a wall boiler?

What if you need to combine a kitchen cabinet that is not designed to mask the boiler? The simplest answer involves disassembling it by cutting holes at the bottom to connect the communications, at the top to exhaust the chimney. However, these activities are usually not enough.

Before upgrading a kitchen module, you should decide whether it is suitable for locating a gas heating or water heating unit inside. To do this, you should study and, in fact, measure the overall dimensions.

Between all walls of a kitchen cabinet planned for remodeling and wall mounted gas appliance should be at least 2 cm. If the unit will be hung on hooks close to the tiled or plastered wall, you will need to remove the back panel of the cabinet.

The best solution would be a frame specially made for the gas apparatus, taking into account the necessary technological gaps and dimensions of the equipment. It is better to make this base metal welded, although it is easier and more affordable for the home foreman to work with lumber.

It is enough to attach the doors from the kitchen cabinet to the frame. But it is better to make or order sashes with a grate or lamellas installed as blinds. As a result, the body will always be blown by air currents, cooled, and the device will function without interruptions.

How to hide outdoor equipment?

Improving kitchen furniture to mask the floor unit is often not possible. The dimensions of the furniture module are usually too far from the ideal required to place the heat generator with the full range of necessary gaps and indents. In the home version, you will have to build a frame.

The indicated supporting structure must take into account that at a distance of 10 cm from the casing of the floor boiler, a distance of at least 30 cm should be between the upper panel of the casing and the upper edge of the frame. It is advisable to attach only doors to the frame.

It is absolutely forbidden to close the floor boiler with airtight panels. For normal operation of the burner, a continuous flow of air must be ensured. Therefore, doors made of solid wood or chipboard must be equipped with ventilation holes.

Ideally, doors for a camouflage cabinet should be lattice or blinds made in the form of wooden louvres installed at an angle. The top panel mounted on the frame must also have ventilation holes. They are needed to exit convective air currents.

If combustible materials are used in the manufacture of a camouflage box for a boiler, measures must be taken to eliminate the slightest threat. It is recommended that the side walls of the structure be upholstered with asbestos and roofing sheets. Unprotected areas must be treated with flame retardants.

If there is no space to build a partition or a finished niche in the kitchen, think about assembling a pencil case from chipboard with a non-combustible inner lining

In addition to the above, I must admit, not the easiest options to implement, there are methods available for most. This is gluing and painting the boiler body in compliance with the color scheme of the kitchen interior. It is possible to use decoupage technique in the design.

What to do with communications and chimney flue?

Do not forget about plumbing, gas, chimney pipes and wiring. The listed communications required for the operation of equipment for heating water or a coolant look rather unattractive. Especially if they were built by an inexperienced and insecure performer.

If the appearance of the water-heating apparatus is quite satisfactory to you, but it irritates the eyeliner section with valves and taps, you can simply close it with a rigid screen

For the most part, communications for the operation of gas equipment cannot be masked due to the need for regular inspection and maintenance. The easiest method is to paint with a suitable paint color or turn into an original art object.

Adherents of non-standard design solutions will probably come up with their own option, but as a non-trivial design, we suggest considering the option in the photo

If the kitchen is equipped in a new building “from scratch”, you can think about the location of the boiler and furnishings in advance. In this case, it is possible to make a partial change of the communications route. And the electrical wiring line in any case will have to be laid separately.

In the kitchen, which managed to serve, the pipes for supplying water and gas are decorated in a different way. Only ducts are applicable here, providing unhindered access directly to the pipes. Access to shut-off valves should not cause any difficulties. The best choice for this frame blinds.

It is permissible to hide the coaxial chimney for a boiler with a closed burner behind a stationary duct. An example of assembling a two-tier box will be demonstrated by the following photo gallery:

Do not forget that even to such a reliable system as coaxial smoke duct access must be guaranteed in case of replacement or repair. That is, you must leave the opportunity to disassemble the camouflage structure if necessary. It is advisable to use materials in the decoration, which it will not be a pity to part with before a complete replacement.

Conclusions and useful video on the topic

A clear demonstration of the process of masking a double-circuit boiler and pipes will help to understand the essence of the work:

The following video introduces an elegant and stylish decoration option:

Using a furniture facade to hide a gas boiler is a great tip for those who would like to “fit” equipment into a headset cabinet:

You can mask the boiler located in the kitchen by any of the following methods. The main thing is not to forget about ventilation indents and regular air intake for an atmospheric burner. And it is important to create conditions for safe operation of the gas apparatus for others.

It is possible that your arsenal has a more interesting or simple method of masking gas equipment. Share useful information in the box below. Leave comments there, ask questions, publish photos on the topic of the article.