Anyone got an Aga...?

[bloobree]

We've recently been to view a period property which we love, however, it is in serious need of updating. There is no central heating at all so this would need to be put in, but there is an Aga. I know these are used as part of a heating system but I just don't know how they work. Could anyone explain? Would anyone recommend getting rid and having a normal boiler instead? Are they efficient at all?

I apologise if this is a daft question, I just genuinely have no idea.

I don’t have any first hand experience with AGAs but chances are from your description of the property that there’s a good chance the AGA is quite old and possibly doesn’t have a back boiler to heat the water needed to run the heating? If it’s not running any form of water heating at the moment then there’s probably a good reason why although I have heard of back boilers being filled with sand to ‘disable’ them, although that was with log burning stoves not on an AGA, so it may have one? Do you know what fuel it runs on?

I have an Aga (gas, but it doesn't heat my water etc), and it's pretty rare now to find them that still heat hot water etc (Rayburns are more common for this). Sounds like this is an old one, but they do last generations, so I wouldn't be put off. Ask what fuel it runs on, and if you are interested in the property, head over to the I Love My Aga, or I Love My Aga Engineer Facebook pages as you'll get lots of advice on feasibility for conversion to something more adaptable to your needs (there are quite a few options).

I had a gas Aga (converted from coal) and it did heat the water for the top part of the house (backed up by an immersion heater tank) and a condenser boiler.

We were forever running out of hot water (6 of us) and it never got really hot, so I got rid and replaced it with a gas aga. The old one was really inefficient and expensive. But the new one is expensive too.

Much as I love it for warmth, drying laundry and cooking on, i’m Not switching it on this year as I’ll half my fuel bills.

We have both an Aga and a Rayburn, although the Aga is not currently running. We're fairy new to them but I've learned to love slow cooking!

The Rayburn will run a few radiators but I wouldn't bother trying this with the Aga - when we get it up and running again (after major refurb) we'll be blocking off the water heating part and simply using it as cooker. We'll go for an oil boiler for our heating. I know someone who has a single radiator running from their Aga and it never gets very hot - just about good enough for a towel rail in the bathroom.

I have lived with quite a few Agas, but I have never known any of them to run all the heating as well, i.e. acting as a boiler. My parents one heated the water, and then they had an extra radiator added because they had too much hot water. They had a separate boiler for the heating.
If it's an old house, this, and probably open fires, were the only source of heating. Ah, takes me back to my youth!
Agas can run on wood, coal (usually anthracite) oil or gas. I love them, some people hate them. They are principally only used for cooking, although they have a hundred and one other uses and are a real heart of the kitchen. If you buy and decide to get rid of it, don't smash it up with a sledgehammer, like someone I know. There is a second hand market for them, and they can be refurbed to look like new.

Ahh,

Thank you all so much for the replies.

From what I remember there weren't any radiators and all the fires were open, although I was only aware of one of them actually working. So I guess it was only used for cooking and maybe the hot water, as there was a hot water tank in the bathroom. I've no idea what fuel it runs on though so this is something to ask the estate agent.

Thanks everyone

My aga is oil fired and does not heat water but it does provide a good heat in the house. However my house is well insulated and the aga is on an internal wall which absorbs the heat and acts like a storage heater.at present I do not have heating on in the house, just the aga which is on all the time, and I light a wood burning stove in the sitting room if i find it cold.

I have an oil fired Stanley that does all the heating, and hot water for my house in the UK. I also cook on it and it cooks to temperature, and any spills on the inside just form into carbon and can be swept out, so you never have to clean the oven. Bargain!

It heats a 4 bed, 3 reception room house, plus the kitchen and bathroom with ease and can run more radiators if needed.