How to dismantle a solid fuel aga?
Discussion
I am looking to acquire a solid fuel aga as I have a free supply of wood and the stye would really fit my home. You can pick them up quite cheap second hand, but any idea how to dismantle them for moving? There are quite a few video tutorials for dismantling the oil ones, such as this:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dDxx0xyWw1M
It looks pretty straightforward, but I can't find anything regarding the solid fuel ones. Is it exactly the same?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dDxx0xyWw1M
It looks pretty straightforward, but I can't find anything regarding the solid fuel ones. Is it exactly the same?
I’d assume the bulk of it would be pretty much the same but depending on what access is like (and what size you’re going for) you might be able to get it out/in without dismantling: certainly we did with one that I have currently sat on a pallet* and that I’ve been trying to give away.
Admittedly it wasn’t the lightest but if you’ve got 3 or 4 blokes and some rollers available it can be done.
Admittedly it wasn’t the lightest but if you’ve got 3 or 4 blokes and some rollers available it can be done.
- ivory, two oven, converted (I think) to electric, untested, chrome now needs some attention, getting weighed in as soon as I get round to it (which seems like a waste but I need rid of it).
First off, an AGA solid fuel is not designed to burn wood. Basically the airflow for the solid fuel is designed to burn phurnacite which needs more air than wood to burn efficiently.
I haven't done one for many years. We've had 3 altogether. One of them was solid fuel, which we converted to LPG after a few years The hot plates come off first, then the top, then start scooping out the insulation. Early ones used crushed coral (pink sandy stuff) later ones used vermiculite.
Once you get that out, it's just mechanical stuff. Heavy castings. The fire barrel lifts out, unless there's a boiler which will be a water jacket strapped to the fire barrel.
If there's crushed coral, it used to be worth saving as it was a better insulator than the later materials.
I haven't been inside an AGA for 40+ years, so maybe someone will correct any errors.
I haven't done one for many years. We've had 3 altogether. One of them was solid fuel, which we converted to LPG after a few years The hot plates come off first, then the top, then start scooping out the insulation. Early ones used crushed coral (pink sandy stuff) later ones used vermiculite.
Once you get that out, it's just mechanical stuff. Heavy castings. The fire barrel lifts out, unless there's a boiler which will be a water jacket strapped to the fire barrel.
If there's crushed coral, it used to be worth saving as it was a better insulator than the later materials.
I haven't been inside an AGA for 40+ years, so maybe someone will correct any errors.
Adam32 said:
I am looking to acquire a solid fuel aga as I have a free supply of wood and the stye would really fit my home. You can pick them up quite cheap second hand, but any idea how to dismantle them for moving? There are quite a few video tutorials for dismantling the oil ones, such as this:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dDxx0xyWw1M
It looks pretty straightforward, but I can't find anything regarding the solid fuel ones. Is it exactly the same?
1: You'll need a range cooker designed to burn wood, Agas aren't. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dDxx0xyWw1M
It looks pretty straightforward, but I can't find anything regarding the solid fuel ones. Is it exactly the same?
2: You'll need to add night staff to the estate as the staff keeping it fuelled during daylight hours demand being allowed to have some sleep these days.
They're a pain in the arse unless you never go anywhere and never need to do anything else and love unpaid labouring.
Just get stoves and enjoy burning the wood via them.
The neighbours when I was a child had a rayburn that they burnt wood in because he had a job which gave him access to infinite free wood which he split and stacked in a manner likely to induce jealousy on the "got wood?" thread; it had a back boiler and sort-of heated the house and hot water, but it looked like a lot of work lighting it every morning and stoking it.
I'd be looking at a dedicated wood burning range. As others have posted an aga is not designed to burn wood and with the airflow you're likely to have various issues. La Nordica, Esse and Thermorossi do some really nice looking stoves, designed to burn wood only. It's probably worth having a look at this review of a small oven - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bxzku-vOFRQ
Edited by AndyTR on Sunday 23 November 08:53
We had one a few decades ago
They need a slow burning smokeless coal based fuel to function such as phurnacite topped up twice a day if I remember correctly
Nothing else will work
Transporting, we hired a 7.5 tonne lorry with a tail lift and moved it ‘whole’ on ‘scaffold’ rollers
Turning corners wasn’t easy ! Not to be recommended plus it was the 4 oven version, duck egg blue and cost £75 secondhand - loved it when it was working but it had a tendency to go out if not riddled regularly
It took a while to get it restarted and I recall forgetting part of the roast being regularly left in one of the 4 ovens - happy days before air fryers came along
Lovely to come home to at the end of the day
Paul Drawmer said:
First off, an AGA solid fuel is not designed to burn wood. Basically the airflow for the solid fuel is designed to burn phurnacite which needs more air than wood to burn efficiently.
Thanks for the info I did not know that. But doing some more research I see that there were a number of Rayburns designed to burn wood. So I guess I would be looking at one of those.AndyTR said:
I'd be looking at a dedicated wood burning range. As others have posted an aga is not designed to burn wood and with the airflow you're likely to have various issues. La Nordica, Essex and Thermorossi do some really nice looking stoves, designed to burn wood only. It's probably worth having a look at this review of a small oven - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bxzku-vOFRQ
Thanks stove looks nice, but if I am honest I like the ascetics of the older stuff. I guess I could go for a Rayburn as there are a few designed to burn wood. RGG said:
Transporting, we hired a 7.5 tonne lorry with a tail lift and moved it whole on scaffold rollers
That was brave as everything I have read indicates they are not really designed to be moved whole, as it can stress the frame etc. Also if you watch that video, it does look a fairly easy job to take apart, definitely something that could be done in a few hours even with stubborn fasteners.Edited by Adam32 on Saturday 22 November 11:19
Adam32 said:
RGG said:
Transporting, we hired a 7.5 tonne lorry with a tail lift and moved it whole on scaffold rollers
That was brave as everything I have read indicates they are not really designed to be moved whole, as it can stress the frame etc. Also if you watch that video, it does not looks a fairly easy job to take apart, definitely something that could be done in a few hours even with stubborn fasteners.If you are looking for alternatives, secondhand, it s the fire box that needs to be in best possible condition I would suggest
Edited by RGG on Saturday 22 November 11:23
Edited by RGG on Saturday 22 November 11:24
These are beautiful. Probably a nightmare to cook reliably on, but a lovely thing to have in a nice old kitchen.
https://www.esse.com/wood-fired-cook-stoves/ironhe...
https://www.esse.com/wood-fired-cook-stoves/ironhe...
craigthecoupe said:
These are beautiful. Probably a nightmare to cook reliably on, but a lovely thing to have in a nice old kitchen.
https://www.esse.com/wood-fired-cook-stoves/ironhe...
We have had one for the last 11 years, splendid thing.https://www.esse.com/wood-fired-cook-stoves/ironhe...
The currant Mrs Sultana wont countenance her beef cobbler in any new fangled electricery.
However as we dont light the bugger in summer one finds the incessant salads tiresome.
AlvinSultana said:
We have had one for the last 11 years, splendid thing.
The currant Mrs Sultana wont countenance her beef cobbler in any new fangled electricery.
However as we dont light the bugger in summer one finds the incessant salads tiresome.
Well, if the currant Mrs Sultana won't countenance other options then it stands to raisin you'd stick with it. Is this something she told you on a date?The currant Mrs Sultana wont countenance her beef cobbler in any new fangled electricery.
However as we dont light the bugger in summer one finds the incessant salads tiresome.
Out of interest, how good is the temperature regulation when using wood? It's a very inconsistent fuel compared to coal. Do you have to muck about a bit with air controls to keep things relatively constant or do you just modify the cook times etc?
I loved our Aga. The ritual of firing it up in October and how the family switched to be in the kitchen more in the evenings. Hugely sociable things because they become the heart of the home.
Always like those Esse Ironhearts.
Gas BBQ with a side burner ring is the answer for warm weather cooking - we have an ancient Stanley range in the kitchen and often BBQ instead of roasting ourselves alive indoors. With a bit of creativity you can cook almost anything.
Gas BBQ with a side burner ring is the answer for warm weather cooking - we have an ancient Stanley range in the kitchen and often BBQ instead of roasting ourselves alive indoors. With a bit of creativity you can cook almost anything.
Edited by Snow and Rocks on Wednesday 26th November 09:59
w1bbles said:
You can probably find something freely available if you google the right thing - dismantle aga filetype:pdf
top result - https://www.agaliving.com/sites/default/files/user...
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