I was a middle school teacher for a very long time. One of my tasks was to be on the look out for Gifted and Talented students. Very often they had unique talents, unusual sensitivities, and often interpersonal depth of understanding beyond their peers. Many times they would leave my classroom and be gone to the wide world. When I saw you fix the Aga and tune the piano, I said to myself-Ah! Another GT kid who grew up! So this is where they disappear to, a Chateau in France! Thanks for the video! 👋🏼
Ruth greetings from Australia. What a lovely comment you left for Michael. He really is a gifted individual, intelligent, sensitive, and kind too! It's lovely to see most people treating him with respect. He demonstrates patience, determination, talent, and a willingness to learn- all traits that endear him to the majority of us. If my parents were alive they would appreciate these qualities so greatly. (They were both teachers) Bless you Ruth, for your kindness too!
@@jennymay4720 We need to support decent individuals in the world- they could use all the care we can give them. There's so much negativity and other 'stuff' out there. Bless you Jenny. Take care. Blessings to you. x
Hey Michael, tip for the next time you have to empty the Aga: vermiculite is also good for usage in the vegetable garden. If you mix it with the soil, it keeps the water
Also for controlled cooling in heat treatment of metal work projects, I had been trying to remember it’s name so I could buy some for that and it’s only now vermiculite has finally been said
I would like to say to you Michael that you are worth way more than you give yourself credit for. It is not a fluke that you inspire love in your viewers. We recognize a kind intelligent man when we see one never doubt it.
😮wow!! Now I know what it looks like on the inside 😮!! Very Interesting !!! No such thing a a “quick fix “ on this cooker Phew I’m out of breath just watching you !!! Great job!!!!! Kathy Washington State🇺🇸👋🏻
Michael it is only 'since you', that I start to know about this Beast. I have a wood stove in my kitchen but heck no, nothing in common with AGA cooking ! Fascinating to watch you tonite Michael! and see an AGA stove from inside!
Michael, this could be a drinking game. Every time you say "Aga", take a shot. You'd be pissed in 10 minutes. Lol. Thanks for the video. Really love to see you building and restoring beauty. And glad to see Andrew is there :)
You are a true renaissance man! From designing wallpaper to knocking down walls, germinating seeds to taking apart an Aga!! I feel positively useless in comparison! I so adore your vids!
When it comes to insulation, it is the airspace that INCREASES the insulation value. Dead air spaces are what make insulation work. If you look at insulation (like the ceramic wool) it is filled with very tiny spaces of dead air, when you compress the insulation you actually lower the insulation value.
HOORAY someone else who actually understands just how the insulation works!!! It sends me round the twist when I see people just stuffing asmuch insulation into a gap as they can possibly get in. Doing it the right way would help save people loads of money if they just spend 5 minutes to research into how to use insulation in the first place 🙄 👍 🇬🇧.
The ceramic fibre would also have a higher temperature rating, depending on the product. My kiln is all ceramic fibre. it's great for heat retention but also cools quickly. Not sure about using the rockwool in the oven space. Anyone know the fire rating for it?
These are my favorite kind of videos - I love seeing people working on things, making things better. Dirty hands and knowledge - Winning combination! I may not have an Aga, but I learned about vermiculite as insulation and what rock wool is. I come away a more knowledgeable person, and enjoyed hearing about the workings of the oven as well!
As much of an expert as you have become on these Agas, it must be a marketable skill, even in France. "Michael Petherick, Aga Repair Man." (I know, it sounds a bit like a Monty Python skit.)
I use to build and service Aga cookers , The rods for the cooker top will move out of line, If you get some 10mm copper pipe and slide it over the rods before you remove the top with about 8 inches showing out of the holes , lift the lid over the copper pipes leaving them in place over the rods you will find its so easy to replace the lid without fiddling around with a screwdriver to try and get the rods back into place
That was incredible!! Coming from Canada, land of mostly electric and gas stoves, I was always wondering how those aga's worked. I remember you fixing Stephanie's!❤
🇨🇦❤️Absolutely brilliant, Michael! Never in a million years would I predict that I’d find the repair of an oven/stove interesting, but somehow, you’re able to narrate this arduous task with easily understood explanations that anyone can understand. 🔧 I kept thinking about how expensive it would be to hire someone to do this, and I’m so glad that you have the intellect and patience to master just about anything you put your hand to. 🏆 Your sensible and practical mind set serves you well and as always, I’m so glad that I’ve been one of your earliest subscribers. I look forward to everything you send out to the world and I’m sure I’ll have lots of fun watching you for many more years.🎬
You expressed it SO well, I need not add a thing! I love watching Michael setting himself to any task! Incredibly talented, we are all lucky he decided to set up his channel on UTube!!
I gotta say, having just watched another series on youtube on how to do an AGA stripdown (that ends up being scrapped in the process - which is a total disgrace) that was totally disheartening to watch, watching your videos and the meticulous attention paid (for example I didn't know a special screwdriver was needed - obviously no mention of this was made in the stripdown videos made by someone who is supposedly specialised in this job yet doesn't even know what the insulation material that spills on the floor in the process is made of) and your enthusiasm is so refreshing and must be applauded. I cannot for a second imagine where you get the energy to do this but it is the result that counts and it looks absolutely splendid. I've only watched another video of yours, from before building the kitchen, and now seeing it finished is really amazing. It looks absolutely fantastic and I hope you cook and enjoy some amazing food in it.
So good to see episodes from you again. This was an interesting one. Love how you know about so many things, I think it is due to your curiosity of how things work and willingness to learn how to fix anything. You are a 'Jack of all trades'.
Wow! This was a bigger job than I expected. Fascinating technology. Glad you have Andrew for some extra muscle, as well as filming. Thank goodness for modern vacuums. So handy.
I live in the USA. We don’t have anything like that “cooker” we call a stove. I like that you took the time to learn how to build, and maintain the cooker. Knowing how to resolve issues provides lots of Independence. I am not patient waiting a month for a service person to show up.
I’ve always been curious about the lure of the AGA for British cooks. You are the first person who has clearly explained it for me. We don’t have AGAs in Texas. I use a gas appliance that is much simpler than an AGA but not nearly as versatile. Thanks for teaching as well as entertaining me.
Do not throw your vermiculite out Vermiculite helps to aerate soil while simultaneously retaining water and nutrients, which it then releases over time. Vermiculite is therefore useful in seed sowing and propagation. It can also be added to house plant compost.Feb 26, 2021
At last I just read a notification from someone who watched this video, who actually understands how insulation works. Just because you're able to squash it down with your hands and pile more ontop that is not how it works!!! The insulation comes exactly the way it should be used because it has loads of tiny air pockets within it. These Air pockets are there to trap air within the insulation helping to increase the resistance of air and sound passing through it gives the required insulation you need also Vermiculite is a very very big product that is used throughout the horticultural community, where it is combined with soil. The reason is simply because Vermiculite retains moisture hence having the ability to stop plants from drying out too quickly!!! As always buddy 💯% 👍 🇬🇧. P.s. you've done a cracking job in the restoration of the Arga, well done 👏
I am wondering if any one knows if I have to get a specific kind of Vermiculite to fill my recently purchased vintage 1988 Aga I bought here in Canada. We where hoping the old vermiculite was with it but unfortunately not. The Aga installer told me originally that if I wanted new Vermiculite I would have to order it from the UK and it is going to take 4 months :( I have had a look on Amazon and wondering if Premium coarse Vermiculite would do? is there a difference?
Very interesting! Always wondered how they work and have never seen the inside of one, I’m sure not many people have. Thanks for taking the time to share.
I highly recommend you look into a cast iron stove fan for the winter. It sits on the back of the stove and is powered by the stove's heat. They move 150 cfm and eliminate cold spots in the room.
Hi Michael. Thank you for the video yesterday and today. I would like to let you know that I'm glad that you shared some of your private life with us. Although it is none of our business, I am grateful that you have let us see a bit "behind the curtain." Mostly, I'm just really happy to see your videos and know that you are doing well. The downstairs of the cottage looks to be doing very well. Would you give us some insight into what the timeline is like for the remainder of the cottage? Sending you lots of love and hugs from America [Chicago].
Michael, thanks for this video posted year ago. Since watching UTUBERS living in chateaus and great houses in Britain, I have been introduced to the Aga. I think there are some in America also. Good for you researching and fixing your own Aga. I need to learn more about this cooking & heating device. Thanks again.
Oh goodness it’s funny how this came up in my feed. I’m actually starting work with Aga this coming Monday 18th Mar 24. I’m going to be a product design engineer at their Ketley site in Telford. I couldn’t ever imagine being excited about cookers but I am really looking forward to working with new design features. It’s a fascinating place.
Hi Michael, great video, really interesting! The sky shots are beautiful! Thank you so much for sharing, take really good care of yourself, stay safe! Much love Kathy x
I am in the U S and have always wanted to know more about the AGAS. Thank you so much! Except it makes me know how much I REALLY want one now. Love this!
Seeing the Aga brings back memories of childhood, quite some time ago, in British Columbia. We had a coal fired Aga that needed stoking 2x a day or it would go out and was a bear to relight. It provided all our hot water, so much so, that a valve would empty excess water into the garden. It looked like this one even the color. a wonderful appliance that can actually heat your home, through radiators, provide abundant hot water and of course cooking.
Well, Michael i was lucky to get Supper done today. Because i kept wondering "hmm I wonder what Michael is doing today "? Good to see you my friend.Oh no ,i havent gone anywhere ive been here .love you ,stay safe .
Exactly what I was thinking, that Andrew might still be there, but that Michael wanted to keep his private life separate. Of course, they might have broken up and while it's none of our business, we do care (tangentially) about his happiness. But I think he's wise to keep his private life private on this channel.
Thanks for taking us along while you repaired your aga. Which to me is such and beautiful piece of equipment as well as functional. Have a great week 🧡
That cooler is perfect exactly what I want when I buy a home here in the states. Thank you so much I thoroughly enjoyed this video though I have not seen one to complain about.
Vermiculite is a great, non-toxic soil amendment. I use it regularly - incase you want to use the old stuff. The Aga was very interesting inside. Thanks for sharing all that.
There’s a hole in my barrel dear Michael, dear Michael, there’s a hole in my barrel …. Oh the saga of the Aga Michael! 😆 Bravo for all that work fixing it .. you really are quite amazing you know ❤️
Gustaf Dalén would probably be very happy if he heard that his old invention was still in use and that people restore old AGA cookers. By the way, did you know that it was developed in his own home? I think I begin to understand what his family must have gone through during all the experiments and tests until he was satisfied with the results and considered ready for full scale production.
Well that was something I’ve never seen before. Pretty cool to watch. I hope you vacuumed out the piece you dropped the vermiculite into before you lit the fire.
Oh this is great i got a pre 74 deluxe in duck egg blue from an old wreck of a house people laughed that I'd never get it back together it was full of river clay and we was full of the stuff we rebuilt it and filled it with vermiculite instead of river clay ,it's still going strong
Hi, very interesting to know how the Aga was made. I used to use one myself in the village of NETTLEBED. Could cook a Victoria sponge in it once I got used to how the air flow went. Ours had the hot water pipes attached. Plus an airing rack. Now I use a gas oven here in NZ. Thanks for showing this video, very informative. Cheers Trish
Michael - Job well done! Know how you love your AGA. Our family has a non-fitted kitchen in an old mining town in Colorado. It has 2 matching cast iron cooking stoves (not as complicated as your beauty). We call them "His and Hers". One cooks with wood or coal and the other has been retrofitted for gas!!! They are loved just as much as yours. Another ornate antique cast iron potbelly self-feeder is in our sitting room!!! Special stoves make our historic spaces wonderful!!! Thanks Michael for sharing your expertise!!! So much fun making old useable again. Toodles!
PS. Michael plant flowers in old broken part - great addition to your garden by greenhouse. I have old pieces of broken cast iron pieces in my garden - some used as sculptures - unique
Forgot to tell you - when heat becomes to warm in pot - we use cast iron uplifts - different thickness to control temp. They are cast iron round pieces!!!
Smart to keep matching pieces together, I habitually tape things tgether that should be together - no searching or paying musical chairs for a fit. It appies to newer things too.
Good to have you back Michael. Always amazed by your technical competencies, and ability to explain what you are doing (and why!) so even the blondes in the group can make sense of it all. Bravo.
Michael thank you for sharing this wonderful video. I am happy you had help this time from Andrew too. It was fun seeing how you replaced the bad part with the good and the full process. Your aga should be Golden for a very long time now. Beautiful, stunning sunset in this video. Stay smiling and healthy 🙏😘❤️❤️☮️🇺🇸😄☀️🥂
Michael, thank you for a lovely video - you always do such a beautiful job of photographing nature and selecting inspiring music. It was also wonderful to see Andrew again!
Your knowledge of ,many things never ceases to amaze! You are truly brilliant and a man well-versed in so many interesting things, a main reason that I love your vlog content, I am always learning something new! 😀💕
PG Tips Job well done 👍 very satisfying for you it will be ready for cooking the Xmas dinner again !!! Good to see you positive thoughts going your way Michael take care 👍👍👏👏👏🙏🏻🙏🏻
