Tonight it started smelling “fumey” and has got steadily worse. When i opened the burner door to investigate i was greeted by more fumes and thick soot! also under the hotplate is sooted up!

Last week when it was incredibly windy it went out, i did not reset the trip before i re-lit it – is that the problem or more complex than that?

hope you’ve been saving mate! Rayburn/Aga fitters/parts ain’t cheap!!

why would i need a fitter – just needs a service – that is a DIY job

fitter, engineer, bloke with bag off tools, etc

usually costs a packet.

edit: but if you can DIY thats good, when was your chimney last swept?

never to my knowledge

Which model?

Test the draw of your chimney by lighting a bit of newspaper and dropping into the hole where the hotplate sat. if the smoke is pulled towards the flue, you’re OK there. Get it swept anyway.

Look down from the top towards the burners, from what you describe, I suspect you’ll find a great clod of oily soot dislodged by the wind is killing the draw above the burners around the boiler pipes.

remove the burners and completely de-soot and de-coke, removing and discarding the wicks.

Brush and vacuum out the whole thing until like new.

Put back together and light, after leveling the burners of course.

cheers thats what i am doing tonight

which model?

not a clue – how long do i leave it for oil to come through to the wicks before lighting

chimney is not blocked – pulled quite well so have relit it. If no response in a few hours we are dead!

ralph?

RALPH?!?

RAAAAAALPH!!!!!

Just looked at it again!! New wicks fitted – now it won’t light Grrrr

Seems like oil gets trough but cannot sustain the burning if that makes sense.

It is a 300k BTW

i heard something on Radio 4 – where else could you learn this- there has been real problems this year with the oil as it has changed standards/quality /rating (clearly forgot the exact details). This has led to many many issues with oil fired systems including AGA’s.
I bet if you Google it you will see stuff about it
Shame cos when they work they are brilliant and when they dont the effing stink.

Thats what i was told also – mmm what to do?

Dont think you can do anything contact Aga direct?
Probably a petition somewhere but in the immediate future not a lot you can do.

how the **** do i light it tho?