Wallas kerosene heater-only (not cooker) question

S

Sunbeam

Active member
For anyone who has one of the Wallas kerosene heaters (such as the 1300 or 1800) that just heat and don't cook, I would be grateful for your comments on a question I have. I've got a sensitive nose, I dislike the smell of fuel in my "living room" (why I love a boat with an outboard!), and I'm considering a Wallas kerosene heater (the heater-only models which are just basically a box; not the ones that are also a cooker).

My questions:

1) Do you ever smell fuel [kerosene or Kleen Heat] in the cabin? If so, is it (only) when the heater is running? Or is it all the time (maybe from the fuel bottle/hoses/or just .... because it lives in the boat?

2) If you don't ever smell fuel, would you say you have a sensitive nose or that you don't really tend to notice faint odors?

Thanks much! I'm considering the various heating options, and my main question on these particular heaters is this one (because it's one that I can't get from the "specs").

Sunbeam :hot
 
If properly installed and the fittings are tight you should not ever smell fuel in the cabin. (unless you spill some when refilling the tank). These units use outside air for combustion air and then vent the exhaust out side also. The inside air is heated as it recirculates within the system and is separate from the combustion air.
 
Thanks for your reply - much appreciated :thup I went and looked at these units at Scan Marine (very nice and helpful folks), and when they brought me back into the demo area (they have numerous heaters and cooker/heaters on display which can be fired up - it looks sort of like a test kitchen :D), I could immediately smell fuel (some sort of diesel/kero type scent). I mentioned it, because I wouldn't care for that level of odor in my boat cabin -- but of course the thing is that they are not only burning a bunch of the different model Wallases in that room, they are also filling the tanks, maybe spilling a touch (they suggested this; I'm not just being critical of their precision :wink ), etc. And they added that they don't have great olfactory function themselves, so they actually can't smell it themselves.

I do like the overall concept of the Wallases. I think I'm more of a "separate heater and separate one-burner cooker" sort of person, so I'm considering various heat-only heaters. If the Wallas kero heater-only units don't cause any sort of fuel smell in the cabin, they are definitely on my list of options.

Thanks again, and if anyone else has comments, I'm all ears.

Sunbeam :hot
 
Not a lot of differences twixt the heaters and the cookers as far as operation goes I don't think. We've had both and if they operate right, you smell nothing. I have the same sensitivities/allergies too.

I also have Phoebephobia... :roll:

Charlie

For those unfamiliar with the last one, its "the fear of large girls named Phoebe"... :mrgreen:

On edit... You posted while I struggled on an ipad...my experience was with one device at a time in an enclosed cabin... :thup
 
Anna Leigh,

If you happen to look back at this thread, could I ask you another question? Do you have one of the Wallas kero heaters? (I looked in your album - you've made a lot of really nice mods! - but only saw a Webasto; wasn't sure if maybe you had changed or had a Wallas on the 22' Anna Leigh).

What I'm wondering is specifically how "blowy" the 1300/1800 are. I know that's really subjective, and I can see they are forced air heat - so obviously the heat will be arriving in the cabin via fan - but I'm guessing some types/models may be more forceful in the "drafty" way than others.

(At home I'm a fan of radiant heat, such as a wood stove, but they're not super practical on a 22! I am considering something like a Wave 3/6, for the radiance factor; but then they have other disadvantages. Definitely no perfect solution, so I have to choose my best compromise.)

Thanks again,
Sunbeam
 
Captains Cat":3ooxjcgy said:
I put an Eco-fan on the wallas stove and it blows heat all over with no further use of electricity...
Click to expand...

Hi Charlie,

I don't really like forced-air heat, because to me the air movement feels "drafty" and so makes whatever temperature I have achieved feel colder than it really is. So I'm actually hoping for "less blowy" and not more (but I do realize that both the 1300 and 1800 move the heat by fan, so it's the nature of the beast. Still, different models/brands vary somewhat).

If I go to a propane heater, then there are a couple of ways to achieve "still" heat, but then they have other cons - one example being that if I'm boating in a chilly place, I can't "stow up" on fuel as easily (e.g. it's a lot easier to stow three extra gallons of Kleen Heat or Kero than it is to find a locker large enough for three full 11# propane tanks!).

That's just one example of the many various trade-offs I'm considering, and I know there is no perfection or one right choice when it comes to heat on a small boat. I just want to make the most favorable choice I can for me and my boat -- and some things can only be found via experience (or are subjective) and can't be gleaned through the published specs. So that's bringing me here to ask questions of Brats who have used the 1300/1800.

Thanks again,

Sunbeam :hot
 
I really wouldn't call the Eco-fan "forced air". It's more of an "air distribution system". No noise, no electricity, no whirring noise. Have you seen\tried one in any application?

Charlie
 
Captains Cat":12omqd27 said:
I really wouldn't call the Eco-fan "forced air". It's more of an "air distribution system". No noise, no electricity, no whirring noise. Have you seen\tried one in any application?
Click to expand...

I'm pretty sure it was an Eco-Fan (or something like it) that I had with a woodstove years ago (but maybe not? What I'm remembering is a fan that was "powered" by the movement of the heat coming from the stove). It was pretty neat, especially with something like a woodstove (where you otherwise have no fan). I could totally see using one if I go with some sort of radiant heat.

I was thinking about how the furnaces I'm asking about are already ducted/forced air on their own (which isn't my favorite, in a perfect world, but I like the them for other reasons, and heat on a small boat is not a perfect world!), so I was just saying I don't want to make it "more blowy" if I can help it.

I can tell by searching/reading the archives that the heater-only Wallases aren't nearly as popular on C-Dorys as the 95/85, but I'm still hoping to hear a bit of "subjective" feedback on them.

Thanks,
Sunbeam
 
Captains Cat":1hpw263g said:
I put an Eco-fan on the wallas stove and it blows heat all over with no further use of electricity...
Click to expand...

Another vote for the Eco-fan... They work great, are quiet and keep the entire cabin warm.

Sunbeam, the Eco-fan has a dissimilar metal strip that creates a small electrical current to drive the fan. There is a large version that if I remember correctly has a recirculating fluid system that drives a piston. I've not used it, but have three of the small units. Pun intended, I am a fan.
 
Wandering Sagebrush":2smaotpe said:
Another vote for the Eco-fan... They work great, are quiet and keep the entire cabin warm.
Click to expand...

I will definitely keep the Eco-fan in mind, especially if I go with a non-ducted heat source. Sounds like they could be very useful. (I'm assuming they "keep the entire cabin warm" by distributing heat that some other heat source is already making; now I just have to choose that heat source.)

I'm thinking one of the "plusses" of the Wallas Kero furnace would be the fact that it's ducted and the furnace itself blows the heat out of the ducts. On the other hand, maybe they are inadequate, or need help -- I'm hoping to find out.
 
The Eco Fan works by setting it on a hot surface, like the Wallas glass top or a woodstove top. It won't work unless it's base is heated. I don't see how it would help a ducted heater.
 
Having used a portable heater and been on the road thru some cool, wet times, I would seriously entertain a forced air system like webasto or espar. The cabin is simple to heat, one outlet would be fine. I would consider getting 2 into the bunk to combat moisture buildup in there. Our bunk is proving well ventilated on the bottom with the vinyl house soffit I put in. The sides and foot are challenging. If we can keep the overhead hatch open a half inch it really helps. I have been thinking of an espar with an outlet under the foot of the berth and overhead at the wiring bulkhead and one in the cabin. This is if we are unsuccessful in our current quest to find warm spots to cruise. My experience with the forced air units is in most cases, smell free. Good installation and attention to leaks is important. Good luck with the install. George
 
I have the 1300 in my 16 foot cruiser. Under certain conditions I can smell the exhaust which has a Kerosene smell. My guess is that the open nature of the 16 and the small size, contributes to this. There is a drop curtain which I have open much of the time and not a door like in a 22. The thru hull exit is just forward of the window, which I sometimes open when I am fishing. I would think that the smell would not be noticeable in the 22. I can not smell the fuel in the tank even when I'm in the V-berth with my head only a few feet from the tank. H
I think this maybe be an apples to oranges thing. Hopefully someone with a 22 cruiser that has a 1300 or an 1800 will better answer your questions.

Robbi
 
My Wallas 1300 has a slight kerosene odor when starting up. If you have some windows cracked a bit there will always be a little smell. After it is up to temperature that goes away.
 
Hey Sunbeam - during safety training for hazardous fumes we were told that when you open a door and notice a "slight" smell - the brain only registers an alert for the first few breaths - then trys to catalogue it as normal.

I have lived "off grid" since 1979 - for about the first 6 years we used coal oil lamps. I never minded the smell but when somebody new came in - that seemed to be the first thing they noticed.

A boat is a small area though - I sometimes get clausterphobic sleeping in the cuddy - afraid I'll suck up all the oxygen - never shut the cuddy door!

Regards, Rob
 
We've had a Wallas 1800 installed in our 25 for 5+ years now. It is mounted under the sink counter. Tight fit but works well there. I have noticed a kersosene smell occasionally on start up depending on the wind conditions. It has never been a problem for us. I have three duct outlets. One under the drivers footrest, one just back of the sink and one in the toilet. (nice warm seat in the cool mornings) The amount of air the 1800 moves in not that significant but it is just enough to keep the cabin about 70 degrees or so when the outside temp is about 45 or so. The 1800 is great at keeping condensation at bay. Last cruise of 4 days in Desolation Sound at the end of October, temps about 45 degrees and rain two days out of 4 we were warm and dry the whole time. The heater ran for most of the 4 days even when running at 18 knots. The Wallas 1800 has run flawlessly the entire time we've had it. I think its a great fit for the 25 and probably the 22. Its very quiet and uses very little power, so its no problem to leave it running at anchor.
Cheers
Ron
 
Thanks for the additional input. Ron, I was especially interested to hear about your experience with the 1800 - thanks for taking the time.

Sunbeam
 
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