Smoke in the Cabin

[cbadmin]

From: MichaelOnTheClaraMae (Original Message) Sent: 1/8/2003 1:19 AM
On my new CD-25, I have a Wallas Heater/Stove 95DU. I've only spent about 6 or 7 nights on the boat so far, but that heater absolutely makes the boat. To be able to cruise or sleep in a toasty warm cabin is a wonderful thing.

Twice now, however, smoke has apparently come back through the intake and filled the cabin. Once while cruising in about a 30 knot wind and once on the trailer in my driveway. Each time it was only a "puff" but enough of one to fill the cabin with smoke. It is almost as though the thing backfired without the noise. The heater never missed a beat and did not shut down in either instance.

Ever heard of this before? Any suggestions on what may be causing it?

Thanks,
Michael on the Clara Mae

From: stevej Sent: 1/9/2003 11:06 AM
Michael have to agree that the Wallas makes for very comfortable winter conditions. I've put almost 15 gal. of kerosene through mine in the last three years and have never seen any smoke come into the cabin under any conditions, I get a kerosene smell for a few minutes on startup and shutdown but thats it.
Does not sound right to me, I called the Seattle dealer (Scan Marine?) when I first got the boat to find out the correct fuel and they were very helpful. You may want to have a conversation with them. I can get the number from home if you don't have it.

Are you burnning kerosene? Have seen people say they run diesel in these but Paraffin is what Wallas has in the manual and Scan marine related to me that paraffin is the euro term for kerosene. Found a gas station that sells it for $1.50 a gallon a couple miles from the boat or home depot has it in 5 gal cans for about $3.00 a gallon. Five gallons will last me about a year.
Hope this is of some help.

steve

From: MichaelOnTheClaraMae Sent: 1/9/2003 12:58 PM

Steve,

I've burned about a gallon and a half of diesel in mine thus far and it seems to do well. My 95DU manual says "#1 or #2 Diesel".

After doing some reading, I think what I have experienced is a "back draft". In both cases, it was windy, I had the stove on its lowest setting, and I had the door open which I expect was the main problem. I will be back out this weekend and will see how it goes.

Thanks,
Michael

From: Fun Patrol Sent: 1/9/2003 3:04 PM
My 125DU has smoked the cabin a couple of times. In both cases, I was shore-tied and took a big blast of wind on the starboard... right into the exhaust outlet in each case. I figure it just temporarily overpowered the small combustion fan. This probably would rarely occur when anchored and following the wind, or tied up at a reasonably protected dock. I had a Dickinson diesel heater on my big boat and even though I had a fairly tall stack, it would burp once in a while.

I burn only K1 kerosene which I buy at Ace Hardware for $17 for 6-1 gallon jugs. It's not too cold in So Cal, so one jug for the boat and 5 for the parts washer. One of the problems with diesel is contamination of old fuel if not treated with biocide.

From: MichaelOnTheClaraMae Sent: 1/13/2003 4:08 PM
When I started my stove back up this past weekend, it stated smoking pretty steady. Not a lot... you had to look for it, but it was definitely smoking back out of the intake slot of the galley cabinet. This confused me because the exhaust outside was putting out well. When I opened the cabinet to see where the smoke was coming from I could not tell.

So, since allot of my stove time was on its lowest setting, I cranked it up to high and let it burn for an hour or so. Came back the next day and ran it for about 6 hours with no smoke in the cabin... not a trace.

Michael (Clara Mae)