British Gas engineer shares 4 items you should 'avoid' putting near your boiler

There are four items that you should never store in the boiler cupboard (Image: Getty)

Your boiler will likely be working overtime as a cold spell continues to descend on the UK, leaving much of the country covered in snow, ice and frost.

If storage space is limited in your home, you may find that the boiler cupboard doubles up as a convenient storage space, but there are a number of items that should never be kept here - especially during this time of year.

Joanna Flowers, a British Gas Service and Repair Engineer, has shared expert advice on the items you should avoid storing in a boiler cupboard.

She explained: "First and foremost, flammable items such as clothes, linens, paint tins or even cleaning supplies should never be stored in close proximity to a boiler.

"These items can pose a fire risk, especially in the enclosed space of a boiler cupboard where temperatures can fluctuate."

Clothes should not be stored alongside the boiler (Image: Getty)

She continued: "One specific danger to be aware of is hanging clothes over or around the boiler. It may seem convenient to drape jackets, coats, or even towels over the boiler or on the back of its cupboard door, but this poses a serious fire risk.

"Hanging clothes or fabrics could accidentally fall onto the boiler which could lead to overheating, creating the perfect conditions for a fire.

"Even if the items don’t fall directly onto the boiler, they could block essential ventilation or airflow, making it harder for the boiler to function efficiently. For safety reasons, it’s best to avoid storing or hanging any clothes near the boiler entirely."

Sharing further advice, Joanna added that the best way to ensure that your boiler operates properly is to make sure that nothing is in direct contact with it or in the immediate surrounding area.

She continued: "In terms of proximity to other items, each boiler model will have manufacturer-specific guidelines. These can be found in your boiler’s product manual.

"Most boilers require at least 50mm of clearance between the boiler itself and the walls of the cupboard to ensure safe operation and proper ventilation. There should also be at least 600 mm of clear space in front of the boiler to allow for proper access by technicians during maintenance.

"For storing other items nearby within the cupboard, a general rule of thumb is to keep these at least 600mm away from the boiler itself."