Servicing an Aga

[geordief]

I just cleaned my Aga. As some will know , the paraffin is normally gravity fed into the burner under the main hotplate.

This burner has 4 concentric cylinders standing in circular grooves and between these cylinders are 2 circular wicks.

Now these wicks are not necessary to the functioning of the burner and their purpose is to facilitate relighting the stove.

This last occasion I forgot to replace these wicks but the stove was able to be relit owing to the vapour in the area.

I realize that this was not a clever thing to do but I would like to ask an expert whether I should go to the trouble of dismantling the burner again seeing as the flame seems perfect.

Should I just hold onto the wicks for now and just remember to put them (or other newer wicks) back the next time I service the Aga?

I am fairly confident that the burner will work equally well (if not better) in the meantime.

Edit : perhaps there was one wick left in which helped the ignition since I seem to recall there may have been 3 wicks (makes sense with 4 cylinders) and I can only see 2 that I did not put back....

 

[oilboffin]

Wow lucky you didn't get a massive pop or a bang fumes can be lethal in these things I'd put the wicks in but think shouldn't you get it done properly by a guy who's got the right gear to check it's not chucking out carbon monoxide there's a lot of people who've done that and paid the ultimate price for cost cutting.Bob

 

[geordief]

I know what you mean ,but I have some familiarity with this range as I have cleaned it for the past 25 years and that would not be the first mini explosion I have had. There is a warning sign never to relight a very hot burner. I would only do it if the kerosene had been switched on for only ,say 5 to 10 minutes and I was confident there was not a lot of fumes in the area(and ,of course if the burner wasn't too hot)

Of course I will put the wicks back but I think I will wait for the next occasion I have to clean it since it seems to be burning very nicely. I even wonder whether it may be burning bluer for the lack of the wicks (of no real practical importance,just an observation)

 

[mcmoby69]

I know what you mean ,but I have some familiarity with this range as I have cleaned it for the past 25 years and that would not be the first mini explosion I have had. There is a warning sign never to relight a very hot burner. I would only do it if the kerosene had been switched on for only ,say 5 to 10 minutes and I was confident there was not a lot of fumes in the area(and ,of course if the burner wasn't too hot)

Of course I will put the wicks back but I think I will wait for the next occasion I have to clean it since it seems to be burning very nicely. I even wonder whether it may be burning bluer for the lack of the wicks (of no real practical importance,just an observation)

seriously?

 

[oilboffin]

Haaaaaaaaa

 

[oilhead]

As a service technician of vaporising appliances, I have declined to comment on this thread until now. Vaporising appliances are simple pieces of equipment, but when simple people attend to them, they become very dangerous. Every 'mini explosion' that such a person experiences brings it one occasion closer to the 'big one'. I have witnessed the aftermath of ignorance of these appliances, which fortunately has only resulted in extreme cleaning and furniture replacement. The O.P.'s statement about the appliance working better without wicks indicates that something different is happening with this unit, presumably a bigger flame.
I can only hope it does not end in tears.

 

[oilboffin]

Co springs to mind.Bob

 

[durhamplumber]

Co springs to mind.Bob

"You were only supposed to blow the bloody doors off" springs to my mind..Jet engine fuel kicking about.. What could possibly go wrong!?

 

[Gasguru]

A close family member had their Aga "serviced" and the very next day went away on holiday for a few weeks.
On arrival back home they discovered the whole house was smoke damaged...all soft furnishings had to be replaced, all clothing dry cleaned, a complete top to bottom re-decoration required....a huge claim.
The cause....an incorrectly adjusted oil level leading to excessive sooting which then led to the combustion products entering the room.

 

[oilboffin]

I had a Shout when I was a retained fireman an aga + numty flame out tried to relight and boooom
it blew one end off and put him in hospital for a fortnight and the damage was to be seen to be believed.Bob

 

[durhamplumber]

I had a Shout when I was a retained fireman an aga + numty flame out tried to relight and boooom
it blew one end off and put him in hospital for a fortnight and the damage was to be seen to be believed.Bob

Lol....indeed..i imagine bits of cast iron flying about make one hell of a mess

 

[oilboffin]

It's a good job no one was stood at that end doesn't bear thinking about.Bob