Benthejockey Posted July 17, 2019 Report Share Posted July 17, 2019 Evening gentle folks I've been on the road since 7 this morning so forgive any driving addled ramblings. We've got a Rayburn, it's due a service but we're leaving it till the autumn before servicing and lighting it. We haven't used it yet since we moved in. Its oil fired and I understand they can chomp through oil like a fat kid and cake! I saw a rather elegant ESSE solid fuel thingy and thought it was a sexy looking beast and we might buy one but at £4500 I quickly changed my mind. A hundred miles later I had the thought what about converting our Rayburn to solid fuel. Were having some massive out of control trees taken down so well have years of firewood. So has anyone converted one? Ditchy I imagine you've built one in your garage when you were bored one night. Pitfalls? Is it easy? A job for a pro or DIY? Any ideas would be cool. Like i said it's a driving addled brain **** so it could be a stupid idea! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aga man Posted July 17, 2019 Report Share Posted July 17, 2019 If the Rayburn does the central heating it will probably have pressure jet oil burners (400 series). It is not possible to convert these to solid fuel due to the internal flueways and combustion chamber. If it is the old wick burning type it should be possible to convert to solid fuel (good chance it was converted from that to oil). You may have to buy a few parts to convert it back though. Speaking as a Aga/Rayburn repair man.👍 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Benthejockey Posted July 17, 2019 Author Report Share Posted July 17, 2019 I'll put my wine down and check..... It's got the big wick burny thing in the bottom left compartment. It's got the rayburn royal logo on the front which was originally red by the looks. And inside the bottom left door it says rayburn of 601. Its definitely done the hot water before but I dont know about radiators. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aga man Posted July 17, 2019 Report Share Posted July 17, 2019 I am not familiar with of 601 usually of 7 or 22. Does the bottom left door have a chrome air damper wheel? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Benthejockey Posted July 17, 2019 Author Report Share Posted July 17, 2019 No theres no wheel just a slot in the bottom of the door that's not adjustable...which I'm guessing means it's designed to be oil fired as you cant open it up or shut it down? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aga man Posted July 17, 2019 Report Share Posted July 17, 2019 Yes it sounds like a purpose built oil model. If you contact Barry@agafixspares.com and maybe send him some pics he will tell you if it is possible to convert it to solid fuel but i suspect not. For the record it will use probably 40 litres of oil per week during the winter but is much more than a cooker. Wont need its chimney sweeping as often as a solid fuel and is totally independent of electric, so power cuts wont affect it. A leg of lamb or rabbit caserole cooked in one of these is something else. If you're engineer is worth his salt he will give you useful pointers at the service. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Benthejockey Posted July 18, 2019 Author Report Share Posted July 18, 2019 Cheers aga man. We had a tirolia when I was a kid which was solid fuel and ab absolute monster if a thing. Well it seemed like it when I was 7. I remember the Tom cat disappearing for a few days one day and reappearing after a bit with a nest of kittens. Turned out he wasnt fat he was a she! I am looking forward to getting it going, itll make sitting up to do late night checks during lambing much more bearable! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cardigun Posted July 18, 2019 Report Share Posted July 18, 2019 Those of us who had solid fuel AGA's and Rayburns years ago, couldn't switch to oil fast enough. The chore of Riddling, taking the ash out, bringing the coal in, getting it up to heat in time for cooking dinner, chopping logs and sweeping chimney, and dust everywhere, was well left behind. You can regulate oil burners if you want to save oil, but the convenience of having it hot, ready to go, whenever you want it, is marvelous. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WestonSalop Posted July 18, 2019 Report Share Posted July 18, 2019 We've got a 30 yr old Aga, inherited when we moved in 3 yrs ago. Oil-fired. We knock it off in late spring and back on again in Autumn - kitchen gets far too hot otherwise (we have an electric cooker as well). I honestly believed that the hype surrounding these beasts to be some sort of airy-fairy snobby twaddle but I have been converted. I have seen the light! Much more than just a cooker - absolutely brilliant even if as agaman suggests, they rink oil at an alarming rate. Wouldn't do without it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohnfromUK Posted July 18, 2019 Report Share Posted July 18, 2019 I used to have a (gas) AgA (cooking and kitchen warming only). It was lovely to have a kitchen that was always warm - however, despite having been installed by the main AgA agent (50 years ago) and despite having worked well all that time, the flue didn't conform to modern regulations (multiple reasons). When it required a new burner (which was beyond repair having multiple issues), it could not legally be fixed. I did various researches (new flu conforming to rules was impractical and to meet listed building requirements ridiculously costly), electric powered conversion (expensive to run), re-plan kitchen with (reconditioned) balanced flu gas AgA on another wall (expensive), I reluctantly scrapped the AgA and installed a modern electric induction range (actually also by AgA) and additional (from the central heating boiler) radiators in the kitchen. I still miss the AgA ........... but I am amazed at how much less gas I use now. On average over the winter period, the AgA used almost as much gas as the whole of the rest of the house (central heating for a large house, water heating and 3 x gas fires). I would not go back to an AgA now I realise just how horribly expensive it was to run. I think where the AgA is very centrally mounted within the house - and it's heat can spread through the house, and it's flue is internal, so that heat loss from the flu goes into the house - it may be better, but sadly mine was in a single story kitchen, on the rear wall of the house - and not much heat found it's way into the main house. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
norfolk dumpling Posted July 18, 2019 Report Share Posted July 18, 2019 We have an old AGA (70-80yrs old we were informed) which is an oil burner converted from solid fuel 30yrs ago. Absolutely love it. Although it is rather thirsty it heats a big chunk of our little cottage and heats a good tank of water overnight. We also have one radiator connected just to disipate some of the heat. It sits in a big inglenook fireplace and after servicing/lighting in the late autumn it also warms the whole chimney breast so our secondary oil boiler rarely cuts in. There is always a kettle on top of hot plate so cuppers are only a few seconds away and I must say wife's whole demeanour improves 100% once lit. Dogs too love this huge lump of hot iron and our (****) mobile phone signal improves when it's up to temperature!! Our repairman has a huge supply of discarded AGAs so spares very cheap. He tells me he does 27 different conversions so when we move - thinking about this as we are getting old and have a huge garden - he says he can sort something out for our new(er) property that will keep 'her indoors' happy. Do we like AGAs....... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
figgy Posted July 20, 2019 Report Share Posted July 20, 2019 No aga or Rayburn is cheap to run, but they are on all the time so not bad if your always cooking and use the hot water and heating. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tadorna Posted July 20, 2019 Report Share Posted July 20, 2019 We have an electric Aga and the meter spins off its bearings when charging. But I like it and money is a renewable resource. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SpringDon Posted July 23, 2019 Report Share Posted July 23, 2019 Agas are an expensive luxury. Those of you still running vaporising burners are lucky that it doesn’t go out or need servicing 4 times a year since the sulphur level was lowered. Electric ranges are ridiculously expensive to run as room heater. If you must have oil, get a pressure jet Rayburn or one from Thornhill (who also convert agas) or heritage. We have a wood burning Rayburn which is cheap to run if wood can be sourced cheaply. But we are now starting to want a bit more control so are getting a wood pellet cooker. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
B725 Posted July 23, 2019 Report Share Posted July 23, 2019 There is I believe an EU directive that in 2025 oil boiler's are to be phased out. I am waiting for clarity on this as we fit oil boiler's. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohnfromUK Posted July 23, 2019 Report Share Posted July 23, 2019 1 minute ago, B725 said: There is I believe an EU directive that in 2025 oil boiler's are to be phased out. Well, at the present rate of progress we will still have to follow the EU regulations .......... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dodgy dave Posted July 25, 2019 Report Share Posted July 25, 2019 i heard that about gas makes you think only six years to go Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
B725 Posted July 25, 2019 Report Share Posted July 25, 2019 All new house's are soon going down the no gas route. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SpringDon Posted July 25, 2019 Report Share Posted July 25, 2019 I wonder where this is going. Off grid new builds with no fossil fuels by 2025? We are looking to replace a wood burning Rayburn and all the fuels (oil, pellets or wood) work out around the same cost. Except electricity which is around 5 times the cost. Electricity is not an energy source, it’s a means of transmission. Some of the energy it transmits is fossil based anyway. Are they going to force country dwellers to heat with electricity? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
old man Posted July 25, 2019 Report Share Posted July 25, 2019 16 minutes ago, SpringDon said: I wonder where this is going. Off grid new builds with no fossil fuels by 2025? We are looking to replace a wood burning Rayburn and all the fuels (oil, pellets or wood) work out around the same cost. Except electricity which is around 5 times the cost. Electricity is not an energy source, it’s a means of transmission. Some of the energy it transmits is fossil based anyway. Are they going to force country dwellers to heat with electricity? You don't need me to answer that surely? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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