Another Wallas thread - with Canadian content

[chipwagon]

So I might have said some negative things about my Wallas when it wasn’t working. I did read an awful lot of threads here, and I might have made up my mind that I was going to remove that thing and either catapult it into the sun or add weight to my halibut anchor…

There is actually a Canada Wallas service center near where I live in Victoria, BC at Trotac Marine. Thomas is the Wallas expert there, and he had it fully serviced and running within a couple of business days. He told me the problem was gummed up fuel in the fuel pump as well as the fuel filter. I had tried the ‘blowdryer trick’ on the whole fuel line to no luck--Thomas said I was waaaay past the point where that was going to work. He actually spent 45 min of labour clearing the pump which was a savings on a new pump that was over $300. The total bill for the fix and overall servicing including new filter, glow plugs etc was about $450 Can (about $300 USD). Worth if I can get a few seasons of working heat before I see that blinky red light again.

[Xtraplus18]

I just had mine in for repair at Scan Marine. Chris and Bill figured out the problem. It had kerosene run thru it and it gummed up the piston in the pump. I am super glad I did not beat the heck out of the pump tapping on it. I found out from Chris the pump needs to be programed via the processor to pump the right amount of fuel to the burn chamber. The stove had 24 hours run time when I ran into the issue of not pumping fuel from the tank. Bill warranty repaired it by putting a new fuel pump in. Works great now. I will no longer see the blinking red flame light again for quite a while.

They said the most important thing is: (run them once a month for 30 minutes and use clean fuel.) I am using #2 diesel and will watch for any moisture in the tank under the stove.

These are little computers that are far more complicated than I imagined.

[DayBreak]

I think a lot of problems people have with Wallas is that they don't run the units often enough. Gelling in the fuel system can be a problem. We have had our Wallas 85Dt since we bought our boat in 2017. At that time, the service technician told us to run the unit once a month to keep it operating smoothly. We have done that and have never had no problem.

[DayBreak]

...oops, never had a problem.

[tsturm]

[Big Mac]

We bought our Cdory in 2001 with a Wallas stove from the factory. we had the fan motor and fuel pump replaced a number of years ago at Scan Marine. The stove has worked great for years. When I was at the Seattle Boat Show this year I talked to a member at the Scan Marine booth. I explained that if it is cold in my shop it sometimes takes two start cycles to get it going. He suggested to try kerosene rather than diesel. He said the kerosene has a much higher flash point, will start easier. I drained the diesel and replaced with fresh kerosene. it now starts in just over a minute. I run the stove every month when the boat is in my shop. He also advised to change out the fuel once a year. Very happy with the change of fuels.

[Schuster]

We've had the Sea Witch since May of 2021 and have used the Wallace stove a fair amount mostly as a heater during the shoulder seasons. When I brought the boat home I went through every system on the boat and tested the operations of each. When it came to the Wallace stove I replaced the fuel, that had been sitting in the boat in New Mexico not having been used for years, with 1-K kerosene. I read somewhere that Kerosene burns cleaner than #2 diesel.
One of the main reasons for using kerosene is less likely to have a jelling problem than diesel in the PNW because diesel will jell between 10 - 15 deg F while kerosene will jell at roughly -40 deg F. There is an interesting article explaining all the differences between the two at this web address https://rxmechanic.com/ .

[Xtraplus18]

I was just passing along what Scan said. My pump piston was frozen by the old kerosene they used. I have had zero problems with the heater burning diesel.

I am glad the heaters work well in the cold winter months.

[T.R. Bauer]

At one point, I was really good at tearing them apart and putting them back together. My journey ended with a failed circuit board became obsolete rendering the stove useless. Not nice! I should probably part it out on ebay since just about everything inside the thing is new. But, with that said, I do think they are a pretty slick way to heat and cook with the same unit. And mine was dependable as long as I serviced it every 400 or so hours.

As far as kerosene? I can't imagine there is a great actual difference in practice between it and diesel. I'd follow the instructions of the company making the product. If they diesel, then use diesel. But, obviously kerosene will work too since it is a very similar fuel. I personally think kerosene stores a bit better, but it's just anecdotal evidence...no sources cited or research to back that up. It sure does cost a hell of a lot more. I personally wouldn't run anything but fresh fuel in your heater. It does go bad over time. And takes less time than you think!