solid fuel Aga

[angrybird]

Do any of you have any advice on solid fuel Aga's?
I want to buy one to use for cooking, dhw and heating.I am hoping to run 9 rads is this going to be possible?
I also have 1 woodburner and 1 open fire as another form of heating

 

[FamilyWiggs]

Do any of you have any advice on solid fuel Aga's?
I want to buy one to use for cooking, dhw and heating.I am hoping to run 9 rads is this going to be possible?
I also have 1 woodburner and 1 open fire as another form of heating

Agas don't do central heating. You want a Rayburn for that.

 

[Flyfisher]

Yep, although I believe Aga have an add-on boiler. Not sure if there is a solid fuel option.

We had an old solid fuel rayburn in the house, which had been converted to oil. We sold it on eBay and it was bought by someone in Wales for £450, which we thought was a good price for them to disconnect and take it away.

We thought it was a long way to drive but it turned out that they had a small business refurbishing Rayburns and regularly made circular tours of the UK collecting their purchases. Apparently ours commanded a good price because it was originally solid fuel, could easily be converted back and there is a big demand for such things (well, there was a few years ago).

 

[jocelyn plummer]

Have a look at the Rayburns, they do heating and cooking.
Don't think Aga do heating as well now. Check out www.classycookers.co.uk

 

[FamilyWiggs]

Yep, although I believe Aga have an add-on boiler. Not sure if there is a solid fuel option.

I think the backboiler is for DHW only. It's a Rayburn or other if you want heating on solid fuel.

 

[angrybird]

Thank you everyone once again for all your advice I am definitely going to have a rethink, I think I was only wanting an Aga on looks alone

 

[Coz]

We purchased a Rayburn for our cottage it was solid fuel and was for water heating, central heating and cooking. The first two it did great. As for cooking - try as I might I could never get it to stay up to temperature. Thankfully - we no longer have it as we have oil central heating at our new place but i have just ordered an Everhot cooker. It is solely for cooking but although electric works on the same principals as an AGA. The good thing is it runs off a 13amp plug. Everyone on here is correct in that Agas don't run central heating. If you want it to do the central heating you have to get an add on.

 

[FamilyWiggs]

Agas and Rayburns work on the principle of stored heat - you heat a whacking great lump of cast iron which is then slowly and consistently released and requires a small ongoing constant heat input to maintain temperature.

The moment you also start using the heat store for other demands like water or central heating, you will upset that balance and take energy away, leading to problems for cooking. Unlike gas or electric cookers, you can't quickly turn up the energy input when you need a quick boost to finish off your roast potatoes.

To be honest I wouldn't try to mix the the functions.

 

[madworthy]

Hi, we've just got an old Aga for our 'future home' only 6 months since the original offer was accepted and still ongoing. We have gone with oil as the tanks are already in place feeding a Rayburn which does the hot water too. (Also I could see arguments over who let the aga go out ).We have chosen an Aga with the back boiler for hot water, but this will only be used to augment the hot water supply. Our reasoning has been :-

1) we are used to cooking on an Aga, more space for pans and oven trays
2) we will have a boiler, eventually, for our main hot water needs

Things to consider when buying a 2nd hand Aga with dhw is get the boiler pressure tested prior to installation, just in case. Agas should be built up in place, were as Rayburns generally come as one big lump.

 

[skier-hughes]

Abi loves her Esse which is solid fuel and keeps trying to get me to buy one to replace our rayburn.
I've never had a porlblem with cooking with the rayburn, but it'd never heat any rads, maybe because it was rated for 8 small ones and we had 19 giant ones :roll:

 

[Feltwell]

Thank you everyone once again for all your advice I am definitely going to have a rethink, I think I was only wanting an Aga on looks alone

You're not alone in that one. True Aga devotees (of which there are many) may pour scorn on it, but if you like the look of an Aga, have deep enough pockets but want the operation of a "normal" cooker, have a look at an Aga "total control" - and do your heating with a conventional central heating system. Prepare that wallet for a very hefty hit though.......

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/foodandd...tion-Aga-turns-on-in-8-minutes-by-iPhone.html
http://www.agaliving.com/our-products/aga-total-control/aga-total-control.aspx

The Aga works are very near me and I know a few of their employees. Given the inherent longevity of their cookers, you may be disappointed to learn what happens to old Agas that are traded in for brand new ones. No matter what their condition is (and some are apparently very good indeed - rich owners just wanting a change!) they are smashed up and put in the furnaces at the foundry to make new cookers.

 

[jocelyn plummer]

Or, better still they are sold through www.classycookers.co.uk who will advertise your aga for you, taking just a small commission. I sold my 6/4 through them.
I am not fond of my Esse, but my son has a Everhot with which he is very pleased.

Nothing wrong with desiring an Aga for the looks alone if pockets are deep enough! . I miss my oil fired 4 oven aga desparately, but am pleased to see that it is still in place in the first of my houses in NN which has just recently sold.

 

[middi]

The rayburn 345w is a wood burning cooker that will also run 8 radiators

Middi

 

[angrybird]

Thank you all once again for your valuable advice ,I think I need to have a long hard think about what would be right for this big old house.

 

[jocelyn plummer]

Wamsler is another make that springs to mind-- I dont know anything more except the solid fuel bit.

 

[angrybird]

I have decided to get a Rayburn 345w not as nice looking as the Aga but will give me cooking, dhw and the heating of up to 9 rads

 

[middi]

I have decided to get a Rayburn 345w not as nice looking as the Aga but will give me cooking, dhw and the heating of up to 9 rads

It may not be as nice looking but it does the same efficient job, and more, at half the price.

Middi

 

[jocelyn plummer]

Sorted! I'm sure you will be pleased with it!