On 20/03/17 18:34, Chris Hogg wrote:
Don't have one, but parents had one a great many years ago. AIUI they
are very inefficient, so wasteful of heat and expensive to run.

Not that bad really

Solid-fuel ones are best fueled with anthracite, as you say.
Anthracite is a very low-ash coal, almost pure carbon
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anthracite . It may also be called
'steam coal', as it was extensively used in steam locomotives because
of its low ash content, back in the days when we had
locomotives-for-MEN pulling trains :-).

No. Staem coal is a different grade from anthracite. Solid fuel Agas can
be fuelled with any decent grade coal or coal substitute like the
briquettes made from coal dust.

The sacks of anthracite
delivered by the coalman were labeled 'Lady Windsor',
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lady_Windsor_Colliery

Gas and oil-fired AGAs are also available, I believe, and also
conversions from coal-fired to either of the above. Saves having to
provide a coal store, having to carry in hods of coal and cleaning out
the ash.

Oil fired conversions are not hard to do.
It certainly is a lot less messy, though annual or bi annual servicing
is still necessary as the burner feed line cokes up - especially with
modern grades of fuel

Of course laying in the oil lines and fire valves is not trivial


--
Religion is regarded by the common people as true, by the wise as
foolish, and by the rulers as useful.

(Seneca the Younger, 65 AD)