Can anyone help me with my oil AGA?

[Muddy42]

Can anyone help me get my oil AGA burning better? Picture below.  I have serviced it myself for the past three years - cleaning out all the black carbon from the burner/pipes, replace wickes with cut outs etc.  I only normally only turn it on during the winter months (and even then very low) but recently the electric cooker broke and I needed to turn it up to cook properly.  However its not getting that hot.  Oil seems to be flowing fine, but the flame flickers and is an uneven shape. 

 

I suspect its something to do with level-ness.  I check with a spirit level, but the level is a bit big, maybe I need a smaller two directional level? Also sometimes the fuel line seems to push the burner out of level.  Any suggestions gratefully received.

[GarethM]

Is that just a glorified gravity fed smudge pot or is there an atomiser sprayer ?.

 

But yes, check you're levels but also check the flue, without knowing the setup the old solid fuel ones had the exhaust going up and under the simmer plate, often overlooked as it needed to be cold and bottle brushed and vacuum to remove soot.

Edited June 14, 2024 by GarethM

[Muddy42]

  On 14/06/2024 at 08:40, GarethM said:

Is that just a glorified gravity fed smudge pot or is there an atomiser sprayer ?.

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I suspect you are extracting urine, but the various wires are either the sensor for the temperature gauge above (the dial has clouded up so no use now) the flow control (works fine) or the safety shut off thingy.

[GarethM]

Actually I'm not, a smudge pot just uses the solenoid to go from a trickle to a flow.

 

The overheat at the bottom is usually a thermocouple that fires a shutoff valve on the oil line.

 

The temp sensor on the top left would go to the broken solenoid valve.

 

They aren't that advanced, hence my asking if it's gravity fed smudge pot or a pumped atomiser setup, it's from the 60/70s.

[monkeybusiness]

Have you got plenty of oil in your tank? We had one that ran badly when the oil was low (but the oil boiler fed from the same tank still ran perfectly). 

[Muddy42]

  On 14/06/2024 at 09:14, GarethM said:

Actually I'm not, a smudge pot just uses the solenoid to go from a trickle to a flow.

 

The overheat at the bottom is usually a thermocouple that fires a shutoff valve on the oil line.

 

The temp sensor on the top left would go to the broken solenoid valve.

 

They aren't that advanced, hence my asking if it's gravity fed smudge pot or a pumped atomiser setup, it's from the 60/70s.

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Please accept my apologies then, I thought you might be referring to the smudges of dirt or food !

 

I'm pretty sure its just a gravity fed smudge pot then (is that what I refer to as the regulator tank sitting next to the AGA?). Its a 1990s model, always was oil, not a converted.

 

There is plenty of oil in the tank and plenty of oil getting to the burner.

 

 

[GarethM]

There's a few names for smudge pots, puffing billy was one I thinks 🙂.

 

Think you can adjust the level the burner, as it's a frame within a frame, no doubt you can find the details online.

 

But would say if the flow is good then check the full flue system and clean everything, obviously birds this time of year.

 

As with all AGA's it's either low and slow or full bore heat wise, great for hot water and simmering stew's but awful for cooking anything delicate.

 

I had a lot of carbon in my diet as a kid from a solid fuel aga.

Edited June 14, 2024 by GarethM

[Muddy42]

  On 14/06/2024 at 09:40, GarethM said:

There's a few names for smudge pots, puffing billy was one I thinks 🙂.

 

Think you can adjust the level the burner, as it's a frame within a frame, no doubt you can find the details online.

 

But would say if the flow is good then check the full flue system and clean everything, obviously birds this time of year.

 

As with all AGA's it's either low and slow or full bore heat wise, great for hot water and simmering stew's but awful for cooking anything delicate.

 

I had a lot of carbon in my diet as a kid from a solid fuel aga.

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OK.  I did clean the flue at xmas, but will check again as I do have jackdaws.  I didn't realise that could send the flame off.

 

[GarethM]

It's a bit like running something with the choke on.

 

I'd also check you're air vents near the aga too, as if it's not getting enough air that will also choke it, easy way to check that is fire it up with a window open.

[Muddy42]

  On 14/06/2024 at 09:49, GarethM said:

It's a bit like running something with the choke on.

 

I'd also check you're air vents near the aga too, as if it's not getting enough air that will also choke it, easy way to check that is fire it up with a window open.

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Where do I look for air vents?

 

If I run it with the door off (supervised like the photo above) the flame still misbehaves and presumably it would get masses of air with the door off.