Rayburn range cookers are used for cooking, hot water, and home heating. For most homeowners, the idea of using a single device for so many purposes is fascinating. But can a Rayburn really produce enough heat to replace a conventional boiler or furnace?
The Rayburn can attain a maximum temperature of 270C. This output maximum temperature makes it a viable option for all your cooking and heating needs. You can either make use of the programmable thermostat or manually use the thermodial to manually tweak this temperature scale.
Before we dive in, let’s touch upon the basics: the rise of the Rayburn brand, a straightforward but sophisticated tool designed to meet all your heating requirements.
What is a Rayburn?
The Rayburn is a type of range cooker manufactured by AGA Rangemaster Group Limited. The device serves three purposes. It’s a cooker, water heater, and central heating system.
The most notable brands of the company include AGA, Falcon, Rangemaster, Leisure Sinks, Mercury, and Rayburn. The company has a huge reputation for its heritage, technical excellence, and innovation.
The Rayburn works on the principle of radiant heat. The system generates heat and allows you to use that heat for the purpose you want. As you cook, you can transfer a portion of the heat to run your radiator’s underfloor heating.
Many models of Rayburns are available. Not all models can be used for central heating. There exists, the cooker-only models, the cooker and hot water variant, and there is the variant for all purposes.
Rayburn range cookers are similar to AGA cookers, but there are some differences between Rayburns and AGAs. While Rayburns are used for cooking, hot water, and home heating, AGAs are used exclusively for cooking.
What temperatures does a Rayburn reach?
There are Rayburns for all fuel types. Apart from natural gas, oil, and LPG. Rayburns offer solid fuel options such as natural wood, carbon-neutral wood, peat briquettes, compressed heat logs, and manufactured smokeless fuels.
Each Rayburn comes with a thermostat that’s used to adjust the temperatures of the ovens and the hotplate. Turn the thermostat knob clockwise to increase the temperature and counterclockwise to decrease the temperature.
There are different compartments used to roast, bake, simmer, and warm. Their temperatures vary depending on the model you are using and can be adjusted as per your needs.
Here is a cooking chart for Rayburn Heatranger 360 K/D Central Heating Cooker. Please note that the specifics can be different for other models.
The hotplate on top of the Rayburn is graduated, the left-hand side is hotter than the right-hand side. If boiling is required, just slide the pan to a hotter area. If simmering is required, slide the pan to a cooler area. The temperature of the hotplate is also variable. You can set it to be higher or lower.
To get the best out of the hotplate, make sure all your kettles and pans have flat bases. For the best efficiency, the pans must have tight-fitting lids.
What is the maximum temperature generated by a Rayburn?
The temperatures generated in a Rayburn depend on the model you are using. For example, the hottest oven of Rayburn Heatranger 345W reaches up to 260°C. For an Oil fired Rayburn 300K, the maximum temperature limit is 270°C.
The temperatures inside the ovens also vary depending on the purpose of the ovens. For instance, for the Rayburn Heatranger 355M, the temperatures of the top roasting oven are as follows:
- Hot: 220º-250ºC
- Moderate: 150º-200ºC
- Low: 90º-150ºC
And for the bottom cooking oven, the temperatures are as follows:
- Idling – 95ºC min
- During cooking: 135ºC max
For other models of Rayburn, these specifics are not exactly the same.
What can cause a low temperature in a Rayburn?
If you are using an oil-run Rayburn, it may drop in temperature. In most cases, the issue lies in the control box. There is a small slot in the control box, and oil passes through the slot. Check this slot for waxy residues. This residue comes from the oil.
Just removing this residue may be enough to resolve this issue. To prevent it from happening in the first place, keep the oil tank clean and use high-quality filters.
Why might a Rayburn go out?
If your Rayburn is going out, there may be one or multiple underlying causes. Here are some possible issues:
- An issue with the fuel, whether it’s coal, peat, wood, or oil
- Unclean filter on the tank outlet
- Unclean slot or filter in the control valve
- Inadequate or incorrect level of fuel in the float chamber
- Unclean pipes connected to the burner
- Obstructed flu
The key is to figure out the underlying cause and address it. If you are unable to do that, consider contacting a technician.
Factors that affect Rayburn Temperature?
Several factors affect the amount of temperature generated by your Rayburn. The same issues we have mentioned in the last section can affect your Rayburn’s capacity for generating heat. So, make sure the filter, slot, and float chamber are working smoothly, and the flu and pipes are unobstructed.
Whether you are using gas, oil, or solid fuel, an issue with the fuel can affect the Rayburn’s temperature. If you are using wood logs, make sure they’re dry because moisture content in the logs will affect the performance of your Rayburn. Your Rayburn will lose temperature if you leave any of the doors open for long periods.
How does a Rayburn heat the home?
The Rayburn comes with a hot water cylinder fitted. The cylinder is connected to the home’s pipe network. The water inside the pipes heats up when the Rayburn produces heat. Radiators or underfloor heating are used to distribute the hot water throughout the heating system.
Supreme and Royal Rayburns offer multi-fuel options and can provide enough heat to run nine radiators, apart from supplying hot water. While wood is the best fuel for the 355SFW and 200 Series, they run pretty well with other solid fuels.
The 600 Series is capable of running up to 20 radiators and works smoothly with other modern heat emitters such as underfloor heating. It comes with an intelligent Eco-mode setting, which helps save energy.
Conclusion – Rayburn temperature key points
There are many different models of Rayburn, and they are not all the same in terms of the amount of heat they generate. While some Rayburn Heatrangers can run only 2-3 radiators, others can run a lot—up to 20. And regardless of the model you are using, you can adjust the temperature you need.
The key is to choose a model based on your requirements. Unless you need to replace a very large conventional boiler or furnace, a medium-sized Rayburn such as the new 370SWF should be enough for you.
Learn about different models of Rayburn before you make a buying decision. An experienced HVAC technician can assess your property and help you choose the right model.