Can You Put a Tumble Dryer in a Boiler Cupboard?

If you’re a bit short on space, you might be toying with the idea of putting your tumble dryer in the boiler cupboard.

Don’t do it—putting a tumble dryer in a boiler cupboard is a bad idea.

Placing a tumble dryer in a tight spot, where a gas boiler is housed is a bad idea because if the dryer caught fire, the fire and the gas would mix together and they’d create an explosion in your home.

You should house a tumble dryer in an appropriate spot, and you can find out where this is below!

 

Can You Put a Tumble Dryer in a Boiler Cupboard?

You should not put a tumble dryer in a boiler cupboard if there is a boiler already occupying the space.

This would be a reckless move because tumble dryers have been known to catch fire. And if the tumble dryer in question caught fire when it was in the cupboard next to the boiler (that typically runs on gas), a huge explosion would erupt from the room. The whole house could be erased in the process!

Mixing gas, fire, and a small cupboard space together isn’t going to work out well. And it’s not worth taking the risk.

In addition to this, boiler cupboards aren’t usually very big. So, it’s unlikely that you’d have sufficient room to house a tumble dryer properly and far enough away from the boiler.

Plus, tumble dryers need excellent ventilation to work effectively, which again is something the dryer wouldn’t get if it were packed into a small cupboard space.

You’d likely end up covering some vents up or squishing some pipework in the process, and this could work out dangerous for you and your home too.

There are far better places to store a tumble dryer, and a boiler room is not one of them.

If, on the other hand, a boiler used to be housed in the boiler cupboard, but it has since been removed and all the pipework has been disconnected and taken out, the boiler cupboard should resemble a regular cupboard.

In this case, it would be okay to house a tumble dryer in the former boiler cupboard because the risk of an explosion is significantly reduced as there’s no boiler or gas piping present.

You would, of course, need to make sure that the small space was well ventilated, and had the right outlets in place, so the tumble dryer could work properly before popping it in the cupboard.

 

Can You Put a Tumble Dryer in a Cupboard?

It is possible to put a tumble dryer in a cupboard. However, this can be a tad tricky because you’ve got to make sure that you cover the following points!

First of all, you’ve got to buy the right type of dryer. Condenser dryers are typically the tumble dryers that get stored in a cupboard because they don’t require an external vent. They come with a water tank that needs to be emptied after every drying session instead.

You just need to leave the cupboard door open when the dryer is in action to ensure sufficient airflow.

If you stick a vented dryer in a cupboard that doesn’t have a vent, the machine isn’t going to work properly. There won’t be anywhere for the air to go, so it’ll sit and heat up the cupboard.

Further to this, you need to purchase a tumble dryer that fits into the cupboard in question. If you buy a dryer that’s too big, you’ll have trouble slotting the machine in place, and you won’t be able to move it out easily when you clean/maintain it.

In addition to this, if you’ve squeezed your tumble dryer into the cupboard, it’s unlikely that there’ll be sufficient airflow in the cupboard and around the machine to keep it cool and working effectively.

A lack of airflow, in turn, will hinder how the machine works because it’ll get too hot and this is when the machine becomes dangerous.

And finally, you need to be able to use and maintain the appliance correctly while it’s in the cupboard.

If you cannot do this, you’ll face issues along the way, namely the machine will become clogged with dirt and could become a fire hazard.

So, while it is possible to store a tumble dryer in a cupboard when you take all of the above into consideration, it may be better to put your tumble dryer somewhere else in your home, where there is sufficient room and airflow to be had.

Read our dedicated post on putting a tumble dryer in a cupboard for more information.

 

Where Is the Best Place to Put a Tumble Dryer?

The best place to put a tumble dryer depends on what dryer you have, and what space you have available. You also need to make sure that the tumble dryer has enough airflow around it!

If you have a vented tumble dryer, you need to put it near a wall where there is a vent to allow air to escape. Or near a window, so you can stick the hot air hose out through the window, so you allow the heat to escape.

If you have a condenser tumble dryer, whereby the hot air is collected and is kept as water inside the appliance in a tank, you can put this machine in more locations because it doesn’t have to be near a vented wall or a window.

If you have a heat pump tumble dryer, you’ll also be able to place it in various locations in a home because it works much the same as a condenser dryer. The significant difference between the two machines is that a heat pump dryer reheats the hot air that passes through the appliance.

Once you know what tumble dryer you have, you’ll know what type of environment your dryer needs (to be near a vent for example). After this, you can decide where best to put it based on what space you have available.

In most homes in the UK, a tumble dryer is kept in the kitchen or utility room, and it is traditionally near the washing machine. This means that you swiftly move your clothes from one appliance to another with minimal effort.

These areas are popular with appliance users because the water outlet, vents, and electricity sockets are usually already in place in these zones. So, it’s typically a case of hooking the appliance up and it starts to work immediately.

If you want to move appliances around in a home, it usually means more cost and money because the vents, outlets, and sockets have to be fitted by a specialist.

This added hassle and expense doesn’t always appeal, and that’s why people stick to having their appliances in the kitchen or utility room.

However, in recent years a new trend has appeared whereby people put their washing machines and dryers in the bathroom.

Given that there are strict guidelines on having electricity sockets in UK bathrooms, popping a dryer in a bathroom isn’t going to work out for a lot of homes.

You need to have at least 3 meters of space between a shower/bath and an electricity socket, so if you don’t have this amount of room, you won’t be able to house any appliance in the bathroom.

If you do have sufficient space in the bathroom for a washing machine and a tumble dryer, you might find doing the laundry easier because you’ll be closer to the dirty piles of washing.

You can, therefore, wash, dry, and store clothes in one go, and there’ll be no lugging laundry up and down the stairs.

In addition to the above, it’s not uncommon for washing machines and tumble dryers to sit side-by-side in garages and outbuildings. As long as you make sure that the temperature in these areas doesn’t go below 5°C, the appliances should still work effectively.

Find a space that suits your dryer, has plenty of ventilation, is convenient, and can be accessed easily by you.

 

Do Tumble Dryers Need Ventilation?

All tumble dryers need good ventilation. Poor airflow can cause long term problems and issues like overheating.

In general, most appliances work better when they’re subjected to good airflow and are not packed into tiny spaces.

 

Can a Condenser Dryer Go Anywhere in a House?

Condenser dryers work differently to other dryers because they collect hot air and store this air as water in a tank. They, therefore, don’t need to be near a vent to work properly, so they can be placed in more areas in a home.

That being said, you can’t just stick a condenser dryer anywhere. This type of dryer needs to be housed where there is good ventilation, on a sturdy floor, and in a room that doesn’t get too cold in the winter.

Ideally, a condenser tumble dryer should be housed in a kitchen or utility room.

Read our full article on  whether a condenser dryer can go anywhere for more information.

  

Where Should You Put a Tumble Dryer in a Small House?

If you’ve got a small home, you don’t really want to waste any of the precious room you have on housing appliances. So, check out some of these space-saving ideas:

• Stack your appliances – You can stack a washing machine and a tumble dryer together. Just make sure you buy the right fixtures to secure the appliances in place. Also, if you’re living in a flat, for example, consider how much vibration and noise pollution such a stacking could create.
• If you’ve got a garage that’s nice and toasty you could pop your tumble dryer in there.
• Bathrooms are also an option, just make sure that all the outlets, vents and sockets adhere to UK rules and regulations before going ahead with this one. You cannot put an electric socket too close to a bath/shower, for example.
• As long as the ambient temperature is kept above 5°C you could put a tumble dryer in a shed or outbuilding. Just make sure that the floor is even, and that the dryer is set up correctly and has a vent (if one is required).

Check out our guide on where to put a tumble dryer in a small house if you need more tips!