Although most of our trips are arranged to focus on a particular area, sometimes our enquiries from the US can be quite far flung. This made for an interesting tour on this occasion.
We flew into Seattle, taking a connecting flight to Dallas and then onto Tulsa, Oklahoma. Our customer had moved into a property with a gas Aga that was not working. A US based engineer had stated that a whole new burner was required. We quickly and remotely diagnosed that this was not necessary and instead were able to change just the sit valve, burner bar and thermocouple to bring the Aga back to safe working order.
Job wrapped up, there was just time to check out the turtles in the customers pond and to head out to Choteau, an Amish community nearby with a beautiful cheese shop, ice creams and produce.
All wrapped up in Tulsa and we hit the road for a 640-mile journey to Santa Fe, New Mexico. This leg of the trip was a bucket list moment as we cruised down the historic Route 66 to Amarillo. A must-stop was The Big Texan Steakhouse, famous from Man vs. Food and its legendary 72oz steak challenge.
We arrived at a beautiful property on the outskirts of Santa Fe (population just 89,000) typical of the local architecture, with flat roofs and smooth terracotta render. A stunning city, with every building built within strict aesthetic rules.
We fitted a 3 oven Electrickit for this long time Aga owner who had been without an Aga following a recent property move. This was the ideal solution in an at times very hot climate and with limited venting options.
With a day free ahead of travelling onwards and lots of helpful and welcomed advice from our customer, Steve and Andrew ventured into the city square and surrounding craft markets.
From Santa Fe, we drove for 4 1/2 hours, to Monument, home of the US Air Force Academy and just north of Colorado Springs.
Here we repaired a TC5 (5 oven Total Control), replacing the faulty hot cupboard switch and replacing the lid liners and cords, before fully servicing.
Another amazing location - high on the hills and surrounded by pine trees and just 10 minutes from our next job!
Some time ago, we were contacted by a potential client in Colorado who was at their wits’ end. Their balanced flue gas Aga simply would not stay lit and despite numerous visits from a local engineer, they were no closer to finding a solution.
The burner arrangement was a complete mess, potentially unsafe and simply no longer fit for purpose and so we arranged to ship and fit a refurbished MK1 Aga conversion burner assembly.
Our customer had kindly offered to accommodate Steve and Andrew and took very good care of them, taking them out for dinner at their favourite local restaurant. Steve opted for their recommendation - a delicious elk steak.
The following morning, Steve and Andrew began work on the Aga, completely stripping it down and replacing all ropes, gaskets and seals, improving the insulation, checking for fault points throughout and fitting the upgraded burner. Finally a replacement thermostat was fitted to the dual fuel module.
After rebuilding the Aga, Steve and Andrew headed to our host’s holiday lodge, in a local ski resort called Breckenridge. Here they went sightseeing around the local area, to a local lake and to The Garden of the Gods- famous for its red peaks and rock formations.
Back at the main house the following evening, they were invited to a golf club bbq. A bit apprehensive to begin with, they arrived to find a golf club full of very well oiled members. They were soon part of the entertainment as word got around that two English people were there and they certainly weren’t short of people to talk to- mostly about ‘soccer!’ To culminate their visit, they were then invited to experience the crawfish boil, a very southern tradition.
In Seattle, we returned to a previous customer to fit new lid liners and seals and a WiFi timer, repaired an Aga 6:4 - replacing the top oven thermostat and timer clock - and finally, on beautiful Bainbridge Island, fitted one of our fully reconditioned 13Amp Agas - a simple & reliable ‘always on’ model. That brought to an end our fortnight of incredible experiences which will never be forgotten.
