Converting an airing cupboard to a drying room.

Stephen H · 2011-12-31T10:34:23+00:00

As part of converting heating & hot water to a condensing combi boiler in the house, the HW cylinder will be redundant.SWMBO wants me to convert the airing cupboard into a drying rooom....I don't disagree with her thoughts, I have a game plan worked up and want to share it if (a) anyone has any better ideas or suggestions or (b) from those who have been there and done that.....My game plan is:Take out the three sheets of plasterboard off air cupboard walls, fit Celotex from floor to ceiling, replace plasterboard back in. This is to (a) keep the heat energy in within the cupboard anf (b) avoid heating the rest of the house up.Fit a extractor fan in ceiling controlled by a humidstat, so that if there is humid air in the cupboard, the fan will turn on to pump it out.Cut a rectangular hole in bottom of the door, fit grilles on both sides of the door. (this is so that we can shut the door and the fan will not be trying to suck against a sealed airing cupboard, creating a vacuum and that dry air can get into the "drying room" to replace the humid air being removed.Fit two tall and narrow towel rail radiators, one on the left wall and the other on the right wall.Make some waterproof wood lattice shelving that can be positioned at any height between the two towel radiators, a sort of flexible clothes horse arrangement.Fit a push button timer that when pressed will open a zone valve for these two radiators and send a signal to boiler to start heating. When push button timer runs out, zone valve closes and boiler is told to stop. (There will be a bathroom radiator permanently open to the boiler for boiler pump over-run)We have thought of tumble dryers but we see two problems, one is static electricity on the clothes and electricity is four times the cost of gas for the same amount of energy.Are there anything else I need to be aware of? What about washable anti-mould paints for the interior surfaces?RegardsStephen

Dec 31, 2011 21 Replies

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Andrew Gabriel 14 years ago

Mine look identical to a (now obsolete) EBAC model, but were no-names from Homebase about 10 years ago, probably OEM'ed from EBAC.

They've worked well, and still do.

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NT 14 years ago

A heat alarm wont give any protection from smoke damage from a stalled fan, go with ionisation or optical.

Theres absolutely no reason for additional heat. Dont insulate or seal up the cupboard and you dont need a thermostat either.

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