Why shouldn't I install a Rayburn?

[wrigglefingers]

I will need to replace the gas system this year and I still haven't come to a decision over whether a central heating system, beyond the pumped back boiler I've got at the moment, is needed. We've had a lot of problems with damp and mildew this year and I'm puzzling out what would be the most robust solution.

 

The system as it exists at the moment is this ......

 

The gas system supplies an elderly Vanette cooker with now redundant spurs to the old water heater (now condemned and to be removed) and the old gas fridge (now replaced wtih a Shoreline). The Vanette is not in the best condition and needs replacing as a matter of urgency (can't bake a decent sponge in it either and that's just wrong). We get hot water from an immersion heater in the calorifier but this has to be turned on manually and then takes about 3 hours to achieve lukewarm. We run a Squirrel (also elderly but re-fitted by me last year) and three radiators on a pumped circulating system supplied by the back boiler. Because I'm often away for 16 hours a day in the week from the boat and often totally absent at the weekends, the heating this year has been intermittent. We haen't had any problems with mould and mildew down the side of the boat that has the radiators, but all the other side has, ranging from mild to severe and unretrievable. Obviously lack of air circulation is one cause but I'm wondering if the lack of constant low level heating is another,

 

Possible solutions include fitting one of the new Alde combi boilers (£1500 inc fitting round 'ere) and a new cooker (£700 inc fitting) plus a new Squirrel at some point (£500 inc fitting) or fitting a Rayburn and reballasting (about £1500 for a refurbished and fitted one) to do the heating, cooking and hot water.

 

Any thoughts? I know the question has been explored before but I think I like the idea of a Rayburn. I am aware that I'd still need a couple of gas burners on a small hob for summer but any other suggestions are most welcome!

 

Regards, Wriggly

[carlt]

A Rayburn is great. The food's better, it looks good, it heats your water and rads (if you've got a back boiler),cake and pudding production can be maintained round the clock. You appear to be paying three times for three things (heating, hot water and cooking) with a Rayburn you're paying once.

 

 

 

Edited out the double click

Edited April 17, 2007 by carlt

[Chris Lingwood]

I'd be surprised if your mould was down to heating. I've got only a single solid fuel stove to heat the entire boat and have no problems at all. My boat is one 50ft room though which may well help with ventilation. Have you got a dehumidifier? Might be a good idea even if just a temporary solution. I leave mine on when I'm for more than a day or 2 to try and keep the boat dry. Are you confident you don't have a leaky window or something?

 

This is not of course to say that your gas stuff doesn't need sorting And probably doesn't help you in the slightest

[ChrisPy]

are you talking about a solid fuel Rayburn?

 

If you are not on the boat every day I can't see how you will 'keep it in' and if it's anything like an Aga it will take a long time to heat up after you light it.

[Rick-n-Jo]

How about one of these?

 

 

Follow this link and take a look at the Uno in particular, also the Compact. Cooking, hot water and central heating in one, programmable timer so it can operate unattended, could answer all your needs if you can afford it!

 

Rick

[Christine]

How about one of these?

 

 

Follow this link and take a look at the Uno in particular, also the Compact. Cooking, hot water and central heating in one, programmable timer so it can operate unattended, could answer all your needs if you can afford it!

 

Rick

 

Aww cute - I would love one.

 

Hey! Wriggle - just look at the colour range: Oxford Blue, Claret, British Racing Green, Copper Lustre, Black, Pewter, Nickel Plated, Jade & Cream

 

Decisions, decisions

[wrigglefingers]

Aww cute - I would love one.

 

Hey! Wriggle - just look at the colour range: Oxford Blue, Claret, British Racing Green, Copper Lustre, Black, Pewter, Nickel Plated, Jade & Cream

 

Decisions, decisions

 

I know - it looks fan-blinking-tastic but I can't afford it. With a boiler and fitting I'm looking at the very wrong side of £4500. So a secondhand Rayburn is the best possibility possibly a Regent or a Royal, which at least means I could have a multi-fuel one. Trouble is that I can't find a fitter who'll consider fitting on narrowboat because there are issues around the length of the flue. In fact, there's little point in buying a new one for a narrowboat as the warranty isn't valid unless the flue is over 4.5m. One particularly dim bloke kept saying that it would fail the building regs as he was convinced that building regs covered all boats too. But it does raise an interesting point; what would be the implications for the BSS?

 

Still searching though, Jill

[beeailseebob]

I know - it looks fan-blinking-tastic but I can't afford it. With a boiler and fitting I'm looking at the very wrong side of £4500. So a secondhand Rayburn is the best possibility possibly a Regent or a Royal, which at least means I could have a multi-fuel one. Trouble is that I can't find a fitter who'll consider fitting on narrowboat because there are issues around the length of the flue. In fact, there's little point in buying a new one for a narrowboat as the warranty isn't valid unless the flue is over 4.5m. One particularly dim bloke kept saying that it would fail the building regs as he was convinced that building regs covered all boats too. But it does raise an interesting point; what would be the implications for the BSS?

 

Still searching though, Jill

 

 

Hi Jill,

 

Yay!!!! Hurrah for Rayburns! They are soo lovely! I have a friend with a solid fuel Rayburn and they only have a relatively small flue and they got theirs through the BSS no probs. I've had a quick look at the BSS regs regarding flues and there is nothing about flu size. From what I know the flu size relates to how well the fuel burns (no doubt someone will put me stright if I'm wrong.)

The BSS regs are easily down-loadable if you need - sorry, I can't remember the address.

We bought an Aga for our new boat, with a back boiler, maybe a bit overkill as they're a bit bigger than Rayburns. The idea of all that hot water, cooking power and heating all in one lovely stove really appeals. We bought ours second hand on ebay (£400 ish) and had to dismantle it and will re-build it to put it in our new boat. My fella Liam is very handy so we felt we had the ability to take this project on. I'm sure there are second-hand dealers who could help you with your quest. Liam also said that builders who don't work on boats should be ignored!

 

I hope this helps. I do love those little single Rayburn units though, but they're loads of money!

[carlt]

are you talking about a solid fuel Rayburn?

 

If you are not on the boat every day I can't see how you will 'keep it in' and if it's anything like an Aga it will take a long time to heat up after you light it.

Why would you want to 'keep it in' when you're not on the boat? And from kindling to cooking takes less than half an hour. If I need to warm the boat up quickly I fire up the puffin (20 mins but hotter).

 

 

Hi Jill,

 

Yay!!!! Hurrah for Rayburns! They are soo lovely! I have a friend with a solid fuel Rayburn and they only have a relatively small flue and they got theirs through the BSS no probs. I've had a quick look at the BSS regs regarding flues and there is nothing about flu size. From what I know the flu size relates to how well the fuel burns (no doubt someone will put me stright if I'm wrong.)

 

The only problem with the BSS I had was when he asked me if it was fixed to the floor. I suggested he try to move the thing and pointed out that, as my floorboards were not fixed to the hull in any way, if the thing wanted to move, a couple of floorboards weren't going to stop it.

Edited April 19, 2007 by carlt

[drunkensailor]

Just making an educated guess, I think Rayburn would be worrying that their stove wouldn't draw properly with a short flue - I had a similar problem when I had my stove made, as I had lots of high quality flue pipe that I wanted to use.

I understand you can have a shorter flue if you use a wider pipe, but sure someone technical could say more. If I'm wrong, apologies in advance.

Hope this helps,

 

Chris.

[timboharticus]

IMHO a Rayburn/AGA is too big for a narrowboat and takes some time to get going.

 

There is also the question of the flue length available.

 

I never did any cooking in mine, suggest a Squirrel stove is adequate with gas cooker.

[Matthew Dowson]

I find that the old Rayburn Royal that we inherited withOak Moon is OK now we've got used to its little eccentricities. I don't find that they're an age to get going, in fact I'm quite happy to save on fuel by letting it die down on an evening and have to relight it in the morning, its back up so speed by the time I've made a coffee on the little gas stove I have and got dressed/had a shower. When you get on your boat if you've been away you've always got things to do so as long as your first job is throw in lots of kindling and leave the bottom door open, flue open it's getting warm by the time you've unpacked your bags, groceries etc. Magnetman advised me not to put so much fuel in, as it was too hot at night, and that worked fine. Certainly makes great roasts and stews, as its on all the time anyway you can make the most of those recipes that need a long slow roast, it doesn't use too much coal, We've just been on the boat for two weeks and we used perhaps 4 25kg sacks at £6 each, and you can grab lots of windfall timber by the canal in wooded areas, slice it up with a big saw and its free. If you've got an Eberspacher/Webasto as well that may help if you're just on the boat for a short time, my boat has one fitted but is currently U/S not that we've missed it.

[carlt]

IMHO a Rayburn/AGA is too big for a narrowboat and takes some time to get going.

 

AGA maybe but my little rayburn is ideal

 

There is also the question of the flue length available.

 

The flue length is relevant for all burners, rayburn just mention it because they expect a land based installation. They are all metal boxes to burn things in,

 

I never did any cooking in mine, suggest a Squirrel stove is adequate with gas cooker.

 

You don't know what you were missing. Squitty little camping stoves are fine if your camping.

[wrigglefingers]

I'm beginning to get a bit depressed. It seems ideal but I still can't find anybody to fit one; every heating engineer is as miserable as sin and the news that I'm on a boat and not in some sunny idyll in southern France just seems to increase the level of the apocalyptic warnings. The last one's first conversational gambit was to tell me that the last one he fitted to a boat blew it up. It was a diesel, so I'm not sure how he managed that unless diesel is more explosive than even I realised. He seemed to think I just wanted one because it looked nice in a woman's mag.

 

I seemed have reached the end of the line as far as buying a refurbished one is concerned. I don't think I've ever encountered such a universally gloomy crew. I've talked to them about fireboard, plinth building, reduced performance, robust CO monitoring systems, re-built fireboxes, sealing rope and flues, paying them in cash if they have one I like the look of, but to no avail, all they want to talk about is mad the trade is, why they don't want the work, why I will kill myself, why it won't meet building regs and why I won't like the colours they have and how they're off to France anyway.

 

So the other option is this - I buy one off eBay with the understanding that it'll probably need re-furbishing and fitting on-site probably by me. I think it's going to be a tough learning curve (even at the end of it I'll probably end up killing myself because the CO meters are notoriously useless - information thanks to Mr Man-at-Jewson's who spoke to me like a dribbling idiot and doubted that I knew what a Rayburn did.). Anybody out there with any experience of fitting one or know someone who does? I'll be very nice to them and not frothing with frustration as I am now, I promise .....

 

Jill

 

PS off for a bit of carpet chewing now ............ This started as a look-see, now I know I want to do it!

[Chris J W]

I was looking on-line yesterday at a site for reconditioned Aga/Rayburns and I got the feeling that the bloke doing it would probably OK. The link's on my work PC so will put it up when I get into work later.

 

There's another company, too, that makes good looking solid fuel ovens - Essy, I think the name is. Again, will get the link of my work PC.

 

In the words of the great Peter Gabriel / Kate Bush duet .... "Don't Give Up!"

[Christine]

Hi Jill

 

I expect you have found this site AGA FORUM but may be of general interest to anyone folowing your Aga Saga.

 

Good luck! I'm sure you will love cooking on one - its an art form tho' and you end up cooking loads because it's such a shame to waste the heat. (Ahh...memories.....My mum had a Raburn and every pair of my long white nylon socks had scorch marks on them from being dried in the towel rail)

[Chris J W]

This was the chap I was thinking of earlier www.solidfuelboilers.co.uk

 

Or these chaps Drawells

 

Or even Trad Cookers

[Matthew Dowson]

http://www.philgreenandson.co.uk/ but it seems £3,000 is what you're looking at for their recon and fitting. I don't see what's difficult about fitting them, they just plonk on a bed of paving slabs, flue goes up through deckhead, pipes go in/out for water/radiators. Perhaps its the time of year, people still have the winter blues so a bit gloomy, it could be that the recent sunny weather has made your local engineers more optimistic.

[Chris J W]

I do like the look of these. Esse Ironheart Stove But, I must admit, I'm not too sure how it would in a boat.

[carlt]

I do like the look of these. Esse Ironheart Stove But, I must admit, I'm not too sure how it would in a boat.

Looks fine to me. Wasn't someone asking about a range with a glass door on the forum recently?

[Chris J W]

Looks fine to me. Wasn't someone asking about a range with a glass door on the forum recently?

 

I think so, but can't find it.

[drunkensailor]

I bought one of these. Unfortunately, he wasn't making the oven version at the time, or I would have gone for one.

I can tell you that the Louis stove works very well. It's not got the option of a boiler, and being wood only can be a bit of a pain to keep going, but at least you can get fuel for free!

And at £345 for the range it's actually a tenth of the price of some of the other units you're looking at.

Incidentally, he's nothing to do with me comercially.

 

Chris.

Edited April 20, 2007 by drunkensailor

[Chris J W]

I bought one of these. Unfortunately, he wasn't making the oven version at the time, or I would have gone for one.

I can tell you that the Louis stove works very well. It's not got the option of a boiler, and being wood only can be a bit of a pain to keep going, but at least you can get fuel for free!

And at £345 for the range it's actually a tenth of the price of some of the other units you're looking at.

Incidentally, he's nothing to do with me comercially.

 

Chris.

 

Blimey!! That's another link/reference that I'd been trying to remember all bloody day! I think their stuff looks fantastic but was a tad concerned that as their prices were so much cheaper that they were TOO cheap, if you see what I mean. But now I've read a satisfied customer I may wel keep them in mind if it's appriotate to the boat when I get her. Ta!

[drunkensailor]

Blimey!! That's another link/reference that I'd been trying to remember all bloody day! I think their stuff looks fantastic but was a tad concerned that as their prices were so much cheaper that they were TOO cheap, if you see what I mean. But now I've read a satisfied customer I may wel keep them in mind if it's appriotate to the boat when I get her. Ta!

It's really well made, if anything better than it looks in the photos. I've had mine in since November, and I can say I've been very pleased with it. The tools are not worth what he charges for them, though.