How efficient are Rayburn's

[AndySissons]

I currently have an offer on a house which has a rayburn nouvelle stove which powers the central heating (12 rads) and the hot water.
I know absolutely nothing about Rayburns or their efficiency levels. The EPC for the house is putting the annual spend on energy around �2.5K (aghhh!!!)
If anyone has one and thinks they are great or used to have one and got rid please let me know

Thanks

[tamborine]

Rayburns & Agas are a menace on a hot day and thru a good summer, as they need to be on for cooking & hot water.

Like a dinner party in a jaccussi!

[buildersmate]

Rayburns (no apostrophre required - it is not the possessive case), Agas and similar products are renown for their relative thermal inefficiency and certainly Aga have been working to try an improve the situation for newer products. The electric ones are the worst, followed by the oil-fired, followed by the gas.
Tamborine has hit the nail on the head - they give out heat to their surroundings even in the summer because they were designed (originally - in the concept) when fuel was cheap was no-one cared.
People who think they are great seem to rely on the heart-tugging issues around 'you can bring a half-dead young lamb back to life in there' or 'the bread you can make at any time of the day smells really good'. Personally I've always thought that lambs were for eating anyway.
EPCs are now bringing these issues to the fore when when considers buying a house - at least you have an idea what you are going to have to fork out for. The price of fuel can only get more expensive relative to average earnings.
You takes your choice.

[jake-the-peg]

I have a gas fired Ryburn and I'd agree.

It gets turned off about may and back on again October to November.

During the summer we cook on a pair of gas rings and use a microwave with an inbuilt oven.

They are poor for cooking things like stirfrys that want rapid immediate heat but they are fabulous for things like roasts and Pizzas.

I wouldn't dream of running one right through the year but in the middle of winter coming home and resting your cold behind on the great big dragon in the corner is great.

They're not the most efficient things in the world but then I'm only running it half the year.

Oh if you forget and leave something in there you won't smell it burn, the smells are vented up the flue - It's amazing what happens to a pizza after two days cooking!

[AndySissons]

Thanks Jake the peg, does your rayburn heat your hot water as well? If so how do you get on in the summer for hot water?

Also whats the srvice costs/frequency

Cheers

[jake-the-peg]

Yes it does.

In the summer we use an immersion heater.

I don't know what the recommended service interval is I don't think we've had it serviced in the last 8 years since we bought it reconditioned.

I think ours is an 80s model (It might be a nouvelle too). The technology is pretty primative by modern standards but also pretty bullet proof.

Our house is an old stone cottage and the layout means a modern balanced flue would be difficult. So there are a number of reasons why it works for us.

But if it's a modern house and running cost is your primary concern you want to account for ripping it out and replacing it with a modern boiler and oven. No question.

If you do bear in mind that there are a number of people who sell reconditioned AGAs and Rayburns (google for one near you) who will buy it off you in a heartbeat - especially gas ones in good condition.

[AndySissons]

Its an old 3 storey victorian town house.

Its got a seperate gas hob/electric oven so cooking without the rayburn is no issue.

Does the imersion just run off your electric?

[jake-the-peg]

Yes the Immersion is electric.

As they've seperate cooking facilities they pretty obviously do the same thing.

I'd be 90% certain that they have an immersion heater too.

A lot depends on you. Personally I'd keep an open mind If you don't like it there's nothing to stop you ripping it out and replacing it with modern kit. You've got all the radiators and everything in there so the disruption would be fairly localised.