Heating an airing cupboard

jennyjelly

We have a lovely big airing cupboard which was great for airing clothes, making wine and yoghurt, proving bread etc.

Last year we changed our old CH & HW water system to a combi boiler, so we no longer have a tank in the airing cupboard and it's now cold in there.

I really miss my useful warm all-purpose cupboard and wondered about putting one of those little tube shaped heaters in there and leaving it on all the time.

So please can I have some advice - Would this a) be safe, b) be effective and c) cost much to run? And can anyone recommend a particularly good one?

Thanks in advance for your help, I know I always get great advice on MSE!

Coveredinbees!!!!

Erm, why did you get a combi boiler then?

jennyjelly

Seemed like a good idea, cheaper to run and has saved us loads of dosh.

Any answer to the questions?

ormus

as long as it has a thermostat i dont see any problem with it.
maybe an idea to fit it with a timer socket too?

Debt_Free_Chick

jennyjelly wrote:

Seemed like a good idea, cheaper to run and has saved us loads of dosh.

Fair enough - but the downside is that you lose your warm airing cupboard.

And you're probably going to spend the savings you originally made by running a separate heater in the airing cupboard :mad:

Also, bear in mind that you now have no backup hot water supply, if the combi boiler fails or has a fault. So I wonder whether, in the long term, it would pay to put an immersion heater (hot water tank) back in the airing cupboard?

You need only turn it on when you need to, but it would warm the cupboard and supply hot water if you need it in an emergency.

Kinda defeats (some of) the point of switching to a combi boiler, but we all have different needs/desires

teb_2

we had the same thing but when the hot water tank got taken out we got a small radiator installed there instead. it's just the smallest one you can get but it keeps the cupboard really warm. dont know if thats worth considering for you or not?

jennyjelly

I really like the radiator idea. Lateral thinking - 10/10 VG!

ariba10

As part of the heating pipework ran near what was our airing cupboard we put a loop of pipe work through it.

It has worked no problem so far.

edthedead

We've got a combi boiler and put a rad in the airing cupboard - works fine. Seen this in a few new builds we look at too!