Aga boiler

[FG.]

The Aga has suddenly developed a water leak.
Turned aga off and drained cold tank.
Turned water back on in morning, with cold Aga and we don't seem to have water appearing.
I'm guessing it's a Direct hot water tank, as the cold supply is tee'd into Aga pipes, with no cold supply to hot tank.
Got a bit of a dilemma as what direction to take...
Fit new in-direct tank and run supply pipes to it from central heating boiler?.(about 70+')
Fit hot tank next to boiler and run hot supply (under mains pressure) to appropriate/similar point.(with a return)

If I go down those routes, can I leave the Aga boiler/heat exchanger insitu with open pipes?, as it's going to be some job to extract the Aga, to remove it, with the added joy of fuller's earth.

Final option...fiddle with pipework, carry on with immersion heater, get Aga out, fit new boiler to aga and anything else that might need doing, reinstall (which makes better use of the amount of oil the Aga burns)

 

[Hampton]

Do you have a separate heating system? Is your main heating system gravity or mains pressurised?

 

[FG.]

Do you have a separate heating system? Is your main heating system gravity or mains pressurised?

The Aga and immersion heater are what produces the hot water, at the moment on a gravity system.
Separate boiler for central heating, that is capable of doing the hot water.

 

[Hampton]

The Aga and immersion heater are what produces the hot water, at the moment on a gravity system.
Separate boiler for central heating, that is capable of doing the hot water.

I’d forget the back boiler, use the boiler for hot water, get rid of gravity tank and cylinder.
I’d then just have the Aga coming on in winter for cooking and a bit of kitchen warmth. Aga won’t work as hard and will use less fuel, hot water will be more efficient and at mains pressure.
Welcome to the 21st century

 

[Oliveau]

The Aga has suddenly developed a water leak.
Turned aga off and drained cold tank.
Turned water back on in morning, with cold Aga and we don't seem to have water appearing.
I'm guessing it's a Direct hot water tank, as the cold supply is tee'd into Aga pipes, with no cold supply to hot tank.
Got a bit of a dilemma as what direction to take...
Fit new in-direct tank and run supply pipes to it from central heating boiler?.(about 70+')
Fit hot tank next to boiler and run hot supply (under mains pressure) to appropriate/similar point.(with a return)

If I go down those routes, can I leave the Aga boiler/heat exchanger insitu with open pipes?, as it's going to be some job to extract the Aga, to remove it, with the added joy of fuller's earth.

Final option...fiddle with pipework, carry on with immersion heater, get Aga out, fit new boiler to aga and anything else that might need doing, reinstall (which makes better use of the amount of oil the Aga burns)

Should be an indirect system. The AGA boiler is supplied from its own header tank and the hot water circulates through the heating coil in the hot water cylinder, which in turn is directly fed from the cold water pipe.
so yes, you can blank off the pipes to/from the AGA and leave the boiler in situ. You should also have a heat leak radiator somewhere which can be drained and removed.

 

[Derrick Hughes]

spokesperson for Nottingham Fire and Rescue Service urged anyone who believes they have a disused solid-fuel back boiler to receive professional advice about venting and protecting the system, or to get the boiler removed completely

 

[thesilentone]

Should be an indirect system. The AGA boiler is supplied from its own header tank and the hot water circulates through the heating coil in the hot water cylinder, which in turn is directly fed from the cold water pipe.
so yes, you can blank off the pipes to/from the AGA and leave the boiler in situ. You should also have a heat leak radiator somewhere which can be drained and removed.

I would advise not to blank off the pipes if you decide to leave it in place.

 

[FG.]

I’d forget the back boiler, use the boiler for hot water, get rid of gravity tank and cylinder.
I’d then just have the Aga coming on in winter for cooking and a bit of kitchen warmth. Aga won’t work as hard and will use less fuel, hot water will be more efficient and at mains pressure.
Welcome to the 21st century

That's where I'm thinking.
As my place is all on mains pressure.
I personally would of done that 2 years ago when new boiler and some plumbing was fitted.
Mother and sisters family live in main house and they resisted.

 

[Hampton]

That's where I'm thinking.
As my place is all on mains pressure.
I personally would of done that 2 years ago when new boiler and some plumbing was fitted.
Mother and sisters family live in main house and they resisted.

As @thesilentone said above, remove the back boiler completely and fill it with insulation.
Then do what I did and convert the Aga to electric

 

[Hampton]

Saves on flue and all sorts of other nonsense

 

[Timbo]

The Aga has suddenly developed a water leak.


If I go down those routes, can I leave the Aga boiler/heat exchanger insitu with open pipes?, as it's going to be some job to extract the Aga, to remove it, with the added joy of fuller's earth.

Leave back boiler pipes both open in a safe position - they will steam for some while.

Enjoy 70% reduction in oil consumption !

 

[nelson]

As @thesilentone said above, remove the back boiler completely and fill it with insulation.
Then do what I did and convert the Aga to electric

we have one and its not being switch on as costing to much to run

 

[thesilentone]

we have one and its not being switch on as costing to much to run

Yes, at this time they are quite expensive, approx prices per week below for a 4 oven:

Gas (natural) £52.70
E7 Electric £57.54
Normal electric £91.80
Oil £51.49
LPG £74.74

We have an oil 4 oven set on No 4 on the thermostat, it uses about 5.5-6.5ltrs per day. (last oil was 0.93p)

Although it heats the water, we leave the immersion on all the time, and it often trips out due to temp of the water. We find the AGA runs and maintains heat better and uses less oil with the immersion for back-up if a large volume of hot water is used.

 

[Hampton]

we have one and its not being switch on as costing to much to run

13 amp or modern style?

 

[BBC]

If you are thinking of converting your Aga to electric look at an Electrickit conversion as it is far more economical. The conversion allows you to control the two top plates separately and also independently of the ovens for which you can also control the temperature. We have had the Aga running just under a month and electricity use is over half what it was using having previously converted it to 13amp AIM’s. Early days and still getting plenty of solar power so a fairer comparison will be over the winter, but never the less it is noticeably less.

Range Cooker Conversion Kits, Parts & Accessories

OilWarm are suppliers of Gas & Oil conversion kits, spare parts and accessories for the AGA range of cookers, ovens and stoves.

www.oilwarm.co.uk

We converted our oilaholic Aga to 13amp Aims 12 years ago, which worked well. However discovered this summer that it was working too well and because it had been running so hot, the cast iron chamber under the hot ring had expanded and was breaking up! Rather than just replace the chamber, out local Aga man recommended we do the Electrickit conversion, which apparently has been around for years, but obviously AGA and their service agents did not talk about it.

 

[BBC]

This is probably a better explanation of the conversion.

Electrickit Electric 13amp Conversion | Walter Dix & Co

www.wdix.co.uk

 

[pycoed]

I would advise not to blank off the pipes if you decide to leave it in place.

I know a bloke that was almost killed, & spent extremely painful months in hospital after capping a Parkray solid fuel back boiler. House destroyed as well as neighbour's car parked outside
Our Rayburn has run quite happily for a couple of decades with the back boiler unconnected & left open. I fitted a steel plate in front of the v=back boiler & it has seemed quite happy. Used mostly with wood in cold weather only.

 

[thesilentone]

AGA Running Costs - TN Cook Limited

www.tncook.co.uk

 

[nelson]

13 amp or modern style?

13 amp

 

[Hampton]

13 amp

Yes, those are expensive