Lady Aga

Did you know that most gas fired Aga cooker models can deal with domestic hot water needs as well as delicious home cooking? Here’s some of the ins and outs of using an Aga to provide piping hot water to the home.

An Aga is an economic way of heating domestic water despite it being a little more expensive than a traditional boiler. It doesn’t affect the cooking aspect in any way because the boiler draws its heat indirectly from the burner chamber. An Aga can deliver more than 400 litres of hot water over 24 hours, no matter how much or how little cooking you do.

If a household needs more than 400L (ninety gallons) of hot water a day, it’s easy enough to fit a simple additional heat source like an electric immersion heater for times when a top up is on the cards. Alternatively you can find out whether it’s possible to connect the Aga to a shared system with another heat source and the associated special plumbing. You can’t fit a thermostat to an Aga so it’s not possible to control the temperature of the hot water. But you can always add a simple mixing valve to the cylinder to regulate the temperature of the output.

It is relatively easy to fit a boiler to a recent two-oven Aga that doesn’t currently heat water, known in the trade as a ‘dry’ Aga. Recent four-oven Agas can also be modified and adapted but it can be an expensive business and isn’t always cost effective. If you’re not sure what’s what, contact your local Aga range cooker distributor for advice. They should also be able to provide sensible feedback and give a reasonable quote for the work.

If your Aga already heats your water and you’d rather it didn’t, you can disconnect the boiler but again, it’s a job for the professionals. A good plumber or heating engineer will make the Aga safe, remove the boiler and re-insulate the Aga so it runs as efficiently as possible. The same as it is when you’re adapting for water, removing a boiler is simpler and cheaper for two-oven models than four-oven Agas.

Every home is different. If you want to explore the water heating potential of the Aga for your home, take expert advice and make sure you are fully aware of all the pros and cons for your particular property. If you’re lucky you’ll be able to revel in wonderful hot water, available 24/7 at a very reasonable cost. Heaven!