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Hot Water
With most models of Aga, you have the option of obtaining domestic hot water.
This provides an economic way of producing 410 litres (90 gallons) of hot water, spread out over a 24 hour period, regardless of how much cooking is carried out.
With the 2 oven oil fired Aga only, there is an optional larger boiler available, which will increase the domestic hot water output to 614 litres (135 gallons) over the same 24 hour period.
Hot water is generated within the Aga and circulates through a conventional, open vented, gravity system into a 190 litre storage cylinder, located within 5 metres of the Aga. With the larger 135 boiler, a correspondingly increased, 280 litre, storage cylinder is required.
Does
the Aga produce domestic hot water for free?
There is a slight increase in the fuel consumption of a
boiler model, but it is still an economic way of
obtaining hot-water.
Will
the hot water demands affect the Aga’s cooking
performance?
No. The boiler draws its heat indirectly from the
burner chamber/ fire-barrel.
What
happens if we do not use all the hot water produced by
the Aga?
There will be an increase in the temperature of the
domestic hot water, but overheating is unlikely under
normal circumstances.
What
if we need more hot water than the Aga will produce?
There is no reason why an electric immersion heater
cannot be fitted to the cylinder, for occasions when
top-ups are required. Alternatively, it is sometimes
possible to interconnect the Aga into a ‘shared
system’ with another boiler or heat source. Special
controls and plumbing arrangements will be required, and
the Aga must be allowed to contribute the bulk of the
heat required. A special ‘ twin coil’ cylinder
is often used in such circumstances.
Can
we fit a thermostat to the Aga to control the hot water
temperature?
No. If there are concerns regarding the upper temperature
limit, then consider fitting a mixing valve at the
cylinder outlet.
Can
the Aga be used to supply a radiator?
The Aga is designed to release just enough heat from
its boiler to generate 90 or 135 gallons of hot water
over 24 hours, dependent on the model. Fitting even a
small radiator would seriously reduce the amount of
domestic hot water available.
What
about a towel rail?
As above, fitting a towel rail will reduce the hot
water production. In some households, this might be
useful, if demands for hot water are limited, in which
case, the towel rail will act as a heat-leak.
What
happens in a hard water area?
The plumbing system for an Aga should be of the
‘indirect’ type, in which case lime-scale will
not be a problem. Older Aga’s may have been
connected to ‘direct’ systems and may require
occasional de-scaling, if the boiler becomes noisy.
Can
the Aga be connected to a ‘sealed’ hot water
system?
An Aga must be connected to a vented system, with an
appropriate feed and expansion tank. Some proprietary
‘Thermal Store’ cylinders may be connected to
an Aga, such as the ‘Mainsflow’ from Albion
cylinders. This allows the hot water to be at mains
pressure. Further details of this type of system and the
necessary controls required, should be obtained from the
relevant cylinder manufacturer.
Can
a boiler be fitted to an existing ‘dry’ Aga?
Recent, two oven Aga’s can usually have a boiler
added fairly easily. Four oven, models require a
substantial amount of modification and may not be
economical to adapt. Ask your Aga Distributor for more
details or a quotation.
We
no longer want hot water from our Aga. Can we just
disconnect the boiler?
To make the Aga safe, the boiler will need to be removed
and insulation material put in its place, to maintain
efficiency. Some adjustments may also be required to the
oil control valve or gas burner. On two oven models, this
work is straightforward, but four oven models require
rather more adaptation. Please ask your Aga Distributor
for further details.
The
water supply to the house is to be off for a short while.
What should we do?
The Aga may be left on, preferably turned down low. Do
not draw any hot water off.
