Any sound absorbing products for a kitchen cabinet?

The seemingly never ending Kitchen build continues into the summer of '24 😅. Recently purchased an underbench water chiller / filter to replace our Britta in the fridge (we wanted the space back). Installation has gone well, some vents are needed to assist with heat, my current issue with it is sound while maintaining the temp we have it set to.

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It's not too bad with the drawer above it closed (it houses both panels that covers the unit), but it's still something I'd like to minimise if at all possible so it just becomes background noise throughout the day. Does Bunnings have any sound absorbing products that would be suitable for something like this that is mindful of heat, mold & moisture? I can soundproof a room but a kitchen cabinet is beyond my understanding lol

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EricL

Hi @Remarka6le

I would probably suggest having a look at the Bastion 1200 x 600 x 30mm XPS Multi Use Foam Board. Easy to cut and shape and provides excellent sound absorption. I propose putting one on the inside of the door so that when you close it, it sits tight against the sides of the cabinet. I also suggest one under the drawer itself so that it absorbs noise in that direction as well.

However, before you begin, I suggest referring to your manual about ventilation. Does the unit require to be at a certain temperature to operate? Will it overheat if enclosed too well in an airless box. How far does it need to be from the top and the walls?

Once you've checked for safety you can then plan on where to put more insulation.

If you need further assistance, please let me know.

Eric

Remarka6le

Hey @EricL ,

There is quite a lot of gap between the top of the unit and the top of the cabinet, it's warm in there, but the suppliers said this is within normal operating parameters. Regardless, the heat is why we're putting the additional vents in to assist with cooling, drawing in cool air from the kicker and pushing out some air into the larger unit (underneath our sink) next to it.

I'll let you know how this goes,

Regards,

Remarka6le

Hey @EricL ,

Going back through some older posts I realised I never came back to give an update on this, so thought I’d share where we ended up in case it helps someone else.

The Bastion foam board worked brilliantly. I installed it along the top under the bench and across the front of the panel, and it made a noticeable difference straight away. The noise from the unit dropped significantly, which was a big win given how constant that background hum can be in a working space. Simple fix, but very effective. We also improved the ventilation around the unit, which made a bigger difference than expected. We added four small circular vents coming up from underneath the kicker area, plus one larger vent from the right-hand side near the sink. That extra airflow allowed the heat to disperse properly instead of building up inside the cabinet. Once the space could breathe, the unit ran cooler and didn’t seem to labour as much.

The chiller itself stopped cooling in October 2025 and it turned out the condenser fan had failed. We replaced it with a higher-quality aftermarket fan and the improvement was immediate. It runs far quieter now and cools much more effectively than it ever did with the original fan.

For anyone looking at these, it’s an Aqua Cooler H2ONow Under Bench Chiller. Retail is around $1,154, but they regularly drop to about $500 during Boxing Day or Black Friday sales, which makes them far better value. If you do buy this model, it’s well worth asking about their upgraded aftermarket fan and having an electrician install it properly from the start. The difference it makes to both cooling performance and overall noise is massive.

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