Wallas Stove not working

Nancy and Bud · Posted: Mon Jul 20, 2020 8:43 pm Post subject: Wallas Stove not working

Talked to the company. Followed their instructions. Volt meter shows pump is not getting a pulsed signal to pump. If it was the pump it was going to cost $250 for the pump alone. Now???? New circuit board????????

Sounds like an expensive repair. Will know more tomorrow.

Sigh......................................................

Hunkydory · Posted: Tue Jul 21, 2020 11:40 am Post subject:

Very likely the circuit board. Be thankful you are not in some remote place depending on it for condensation control, heat & cooking. I’ve replaced while cruising SE Alaska the complete unit & after the new unit the pump along with three other times on original stove have it quit beyond repair at the time & used the back up buddy heater & propane stove. Beyond the original cost of the Wallas stove that came with the boat, we are nearing $5000 in cost of new replacement stove, parts, service & repairs over the 18 seasons of cruising with the Wallas stove.

It remains a love/hate relationship with its use.

Jay

dotnmarty · Posted: Tue Jul 21, 2020 3:20 pm Post subject:

It's an attractive nuisance. If you're a computer scientist and an electrician with plumbing experience and have lots of disposable cash go for it. Otherwise Rolling Eyes

breausaw · Posted: Tue Jul 21, 2020 3:47 pm Post subject:

If you haven’t tried already, unplug everything you can find, work back and forth a few times and plug back in. The pump will make a distinctive thump if it’s working, the pulse my be too short to pick up on a voltmeter.

If all else fails I would pull and ship back to Scan Marine in Seattle. Did this once, but the problem wouldn’t repeat for them, so they cleaned it up and sent back. Turned out the pump was bad and for some reason worked on their end but failed for me, so they sent me a slightly used pump for free.

Either way the Scan Marine shop guys are great. If they are willing to help you troubleshot and send parts great. The Wallas really isn’t that difficult to work on, have had 2 stoves and a furnace I installed on the 25, spent my share of time with these cantankerous but lovely contraptions.
Good luck,

ssobol · Posted: Tue Jul 21, 2020 4:57 pm Post subject:

If you have an idea of the voltage you're looking for, you could use a light bulb or LED to get for voltage pulses. Faster response than a voltmeter. An o'scope would work too.

Tony Ferris · Posted: Tue Jul 21, 2020 6:58 pm Post subject:

There is nothing more that hasn't been said, but having run through all this many times, the cheapest solution for me a few years ago was to buy a new stove. (Still not cheap though.) Scan Marine was kind enough to give me a discount on all the parts I'd bought trying to fix the old one. My old one was one of the originals and lasted about 15 years. My new stove works quite well. I've had it about 5 years now. I concluded that removing it from the boat after 2-3 years and having it serviced is a good idea. Since 99% of my boating is at Lake Powell, the stove gets full of red dirt. They always ask me where I've been when I send my stove in for service.

gulfcoast john · Posted: Tue Jul 21, 2020 10:27 pm Post subject:

Based on the summation of reviews, it seems to me that it would be much cheaper and effective to have a hole in the boat than to have a Wallas stove or heater, not that I would desire either of the three.

Between those three choices, I would prefer a hole in the boat. Cheaper and much easier to repair, esp when underway to a new adventure.

Norway also makes great marine...oh, umm...
Help me out here!

John

Hunkydory · Posted: Tue Jul 21, 2020 11:46 pm Post subject:

John, the 2012 & later Wallas cooker/heater is in my opinion a good product with excellent support. It was the model 85 that in many cases just wasn’t up to the pounding that a C-Dory could give it.. Anyway in my case, I gave it on my Alaska cruises more than it could handle. It’s replacement in 2012 has held up very well with very view problems on subsequent hard use with the only real problem a pump failure, which is extremely rare or at least so I was told by Scan Marine

Jay

Tony Ferris · Posted: Wed Jul 22, 2020 11:51 am Post subject:

I'm with Jay on the replacement. My new stove has not given me any problem at all. The only issue it ever has is getting red sand all over and inside from lots of time in the Southwest at Lake Powell. I remove it and clean it at least once a year and more if I go frequently.

Nancy and Bud · Posted: Thu Jul 23, 2020 8:20 am Post subject:

Have had several conversations with Bill who has been very helpful. He is trying everything to keep me from having to send it in.

One last test to do today. Jumper the two contacts to the overheating sensor. If that fails, then the only choice is to send it in.

It is a 2005 model so perhaps past it's useful lifespan?

Nancy and Bud · Posted: Wed Sep 16, 2020 3:58 pm Post subject:

Due to the generosity of @ssobol, we took parts from his non-working stove and used them to make our Wallas work again.