Rayburn Aga servicing - Ouch! how about DIY?

OverlandLandy

Phoned Rayburn today about getting my Rayburn serviced (oil fired).

4 'guild members' cover my area. 3 were not taking on new customers.
one quoted £175+parts+vat ....and that was only if I took out an annual service agreement!

I have unearthed the following:

http://www.rayburndiyservice.co.uk/

OR FOR AGA

http://www.agadiyservice.co.uk/index.asp


Im good with electrics and mechanics - it looks pretty easy - but has anyone got any personal experience of DIY servicing? I know you need to be CORGI registered to work with gas (fair enough) but my Rayburn is oil fired.

Thanks

mikeywills

Something to bear in mind, if you do go down this route. I used to sell rayburns and agas and if you have someone else service the boiler or if you go long periods without servicing the boiler through rayburn the guarantee becomes null and void, and also rayburn will not return to service your boiler/cooker in the future.
£175 may seem a lot, but they do have you by the short and curlies...

OverlandLandy

Mikeywills.

Thanks

I hear what you are saying. My Rayburn is out of warranty period - so that would not be an issue.

Alas none of the 4 'Aga Guild' approved/trained members can take me on as a customer!

Im left between a rock and a cold place!!!

I guess i'm not alone in this area. I'm pretty rural and lots of folks have Aga/Rayburns round here as there is no mains gas for miles. Most are oil fired.I'm even thinking about doing the Rayburn course to become a recognised service agent? I could only do it weekends and evenings, but that may suit quite a few people. I'm not sure how much it would cost - but it may solve my problem and that of others in the area!

I'm not sure if this is a mad idea or not?:idea:

mikeywills

Sounds like a good idea, if you can spare the time, I'm not sure where to begin, try asking aga/rayburn and see if there are any courses in your area.

Murphy's law would suggest that it will be more expensive to do the course than get someone to service your rayburn, but living in a rural area I am sure you would have plenty of opportunity to make it back.

Good luck.

islandannie

Hi,We have an oilfired Rayburn which is also out of warranty.

There is no reason why any properly qualified heating engineer cannot service it for you.

That is what we do, Costs approx £60 annually as long as no major parts are needed,and we have never had any problems.

I would search your area for suitably qualified engineers,there are bound to be some.

Hope this helps.

lucy1?

I have used their instructions for my aga, and they are brilliant. Straightforward and easy to follow.

Newbird

You can buy an ebook on ebay that tells you how do your own servicing. Search under Aga or Rayburn.

Debt_Free_Chick

OverlandLandy wrote:

4 'guild members' cover my area. 3 were not taking on new customers.

Have you tried to find an OFTEC registered technician? Not all service Aga/Rayburn but very many do.

Personally, having watched my Aga being serviced there is no way I'd attempt it - but then I'm a bit of a girlie

Remember, you'll need to do it every six months and the wick needs replacing each time. You also need to check and clean the filter on the oil tank.

Don't know where you are, but in East Sussex I pay only £60 to have my Aga serviced :eek:

Mr_Tibbs_2

I'm not sure if this is a mad idea or not?:idea:

I dont think it is mad because I did just that! I live in a rural area, having had a pressure jet Rayburn fitted I found that it was impossible to get a competent person to service the machine. Most if not all did more damage than good.

I went to Aga-Rayburn's excellent training school and did the OFTEC course on oil fired boilers and tank installation and commissioning. It is worth pointing out, however, that it is not cheap - 5 days on the course (accomodation) plus course fees plus exam fees plus OFTEC regitration fees plus special equipment. Not accounting for a week's lost earnings you will be looking at about £2000.00.

Web sites that offer 'How to' ebooks for £50 are all very well but without the special equipment and knowledge you will be very limited.

On pressure jet Rayburns you will need to be able to measure and adjust oil pump pressure, analyse and adjust flue gas content and temperature, important to know CO2 and CO ratios you will also need to quantify the amount of soot in the exhaust gasses.

The wick burning Agas are more straight forward but flue analysis is important as is oil flow rates and control valve set ups.

That said it is very satisfying knowing how they tick. My Rayburn is a twin pressure jet burner. I was horrified when I did my first service on it - three years of incompetence had taken its toll. The flexible oil feed (which MUST be replaced annually, it is date stamped) had never been changed, it was weeping oil! Both jets were incorrect, one blast tube was so burnt and distorted that I am amazed that the machine actually fired up. The air to fuel ratio was way out of specification and the combustion chamber was full of soot.

Interestingly,often when we tried to get someone to service the Rayburn when told that it was a twin pressre jet burner they would refuse to do it on the pretext that it is a very complicated machine.

Like all mechanical things they need to be understood, learning how to understand them is not that difficult.

Hope this helps.

Graham.

moss_trevor

i don't mean to hijack the thread but i have just bought a used Rayburn Nouvelle and am looking to get it installed. It is a gas one with a balanced flue so any Corgi guy could do it technicaly but I wondered where i stood with the building regs on condensing boilers and if there was anything unusual they need to know?

nurse_sue

we have a brilliant engineer good value too pm me if you want a contact to them as i m not sure if i can post it ??????