What Is A Vent Pipe & What Is A Flue?
Electric Aga range cookers typically expel these vapours into the room or through a vent pipe.
Combustion Aga range cookers {those that burn fuel} traditionally have a 4" flue. Historically these have been made of asbestos, but are far more commonly cast iron or powder coated steel, like this OIL cooker.
Gas & LPG flues must be installed by a GASAFE engineer.
OIL flues must be installed by an OFTEC engineer
Solid fuel flues must be swept and maintained by a HETAS engineer
Not all flues go up and out of the property.
Gas Aga range cookers sometimes have whats called a balanced flue. No longer made, these Aga range cookers have a rear exit flue {no longer than 60cm} that relies on a fine 'balance' being maintained of cold air being drawn into the burner whilst the hot, denser air, is pulled out. {discontinued 2015}
Balanced flue Aga range cookers typically have a solid hob section with no gap for a shroud. If you are converting to electric you will need to swap your hob if you want to room vent. We will guide you, but this is something to consider from the outset.
13amp singular element Aga range cookers{the ones that get bad press for running costs!}are also built as 'balance flues'. In these cases the Aga vents through a copper pipe, out the back {nice and simple} or left / right of the Aga. If the vent pipe exits the Aga left or right, we would expect to find an external fan like the one on this page.
If you want to convert your 13amp system to one that is cheaper to run {here is why it makes sense} we will ask for photos of your fan, and vent run. You will need to open cupboards and look for a 22mm copper pipe, and flag to us any bends, ups or downs. We will then make an assessment as to your vent pipe and fan compatibility. If your fan is working we may be able to supply a fan compatibility kit, a Blake & Bull original, to keep your fan working and utilise your flue.
Although external fans look the same {often a small steel box with vent holes} they are different internally and run on different voltages. They vary due to date of installation, different installers' preferences, and length of vent run.
Pic. No.2 A 2 oven post '74 Aga range cooker & gas module - Balanced flue hob
Gas Aga range cookers can also have a power flue, this is not a vent pipe, but a smaller flue. More often than not this is not compatible with electric conversion. It depends on the route that the pipe takes, and the height of the external pipe {exit point}
A power flue Aga is the choice of installation when a gas Aga needs to be positioned away from an external wall. A fan sits inside the Aga and pulls the combustion vapours out along a white pipe.
If you have a power flue and are looking at conversion we will recommend room venting through your existing power flue shroud, or through a simpler vented shroud if you want to change style of hob {see pic. No.1}
Pic. No.3 A four oven converted {originally GAS} power flue Aga range cooker - now room venting
When installing an electric renewed Aga range cooker from Blake & Bull, you can install a traditional 'faux' flue, if you have a sound, clean, lined chimney to vent into. Like the installation below. You will be quoted extra for the flue parts, which may need fixing to the wall {supporting} and finishing to the chimney by a separate trade. Another reason why room venting is a little easier, and makes perfect sense if you have an extractor fan.
This page on venting a converted cookercovers in some detail how we vent Blake & Bull renewed and converted Aga range cookers. If you are confused or in doubt that yours is compatible - please get in touch.
Remember that every other conventional cooker out there, of which there are nearly as many as households, vent cooking vapours into the room.
< Blake & Bull offer a wide selection of accessories for use with range cookers including cookware, baking tinsand textiles such as oven gloves.