Wallas on the fritz

Knock on wood.....I've not said much about our Wallas as I fear, I'll jinx it ....but here goes.....Our Wallas gets a lot of use during our winter cruises and we used our Wallas on several occasions on the Gulf Island cruise....both for warmth and for cooking. We've been using the absolute "no no" of fuel per what Scan Marine has been informing folks of Kleen Heat....and to make things "worse", the Kleen Heat we're using was purchased in 2004!

All of the above being said, we've been problem free and enjoying our Wallas..... since I've finally made my transgressions known, I expect any moment for our Wallas to blow up. :disgust
 
Dave, I've been using Kleen Heet without problems also, since the 2007 Bellingham CBGT when a group of Brats performed a mass exorcism on my Wallas (thanks again!) However, a sailing friend claims that my stove takes way longer to boil water than hers. Have you compared the temperature with Kleen Heet to that of diesel?

Warren
 
Thanks, Alok, for posting the link.

I have used Keen Heat exclusively for almost 2 years now with no problems. I am thinking that it's easier to see any solidified paraffin in the Kleen Heat bottles, but I suppose you could see some if diesel fuel.

So far I have tried to do these things to assure reliable starting:

1- Start stove with outboard engine running to assure maximum 'juice'..

2- Start and stop stove on High running position. Run stove on High position as much as possible, even if opening a window is required.

3- Keeping under counter fuel bottle as full as possible. I have on occasion had to slightly squeeze the bottle to get the pump primed on starting.

So now, I'll probably go out the boat this weekend and the Wallas will be in a funk!

John
 
Alok":2bqapu6m said:
Scan Marine's comments on fuel for their products.
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That was very helpful, particularly the comments about current low-sulfur diesel fuel, and about how to evaluate the quality of Kleen-Heat fuel. I bought 10 gallons of Kleen-Heat on clearance from Home Despot earlier in the year. I see that I may not be able to use it before it goes bad. but at least now I understand what to look for.

Thanks,
Warren
 
I bought my Klean Heat 3 yrs ago, I inspect leftovers regularly, no sign of deterioration, runs great in my Wallas 1300 Heater. But then again I'm in a dryer climate here in SoCal.
 
I've said it before and I'll say it again - I've run my Wallas fairly regularly since I bought the boat and I've never had any problem with it in about 5-6 years of use. I've always run diesel. Anecdotally, it seems to me that there seems to be a correlation between the type of fuel used and the frequency of problems.
 
Well, after reading Dave S's post, Joan said she'd make breakfast on the boat so we could run the Wallas. After not being used for 4 months, it fired right up and ran like a champ.

I gotta find some wood to knock on, but it hasn't given us any problems. When we ordered our boat, there was nothing but praise for the Wallas (well, for the C-Dorys in general, too)... then, before ours was due to be built, I started reading about problems... yeah, with boats AND the Wallas.

Frankly, for the size of these boats, I don't know what else would provide heat and cooking with so little fuss. We even left the Black Cat catalytic heater behind last year when we went to Canada - how's that for trust? We do carry a butane cooktop, a toaster oven, and a cockpit grill, so we'd have cooking backup.

We have run Kleen Heat in ours almost from the beginning. Like others, I stock up on it when Home Depot puts it on sale at the end of the season.

We make it a point to run it on high on start up and shut down, as it says in the instructions.

We like our Wallas! :thup
 
JamesTXSD":2q8b7m4y said:
Well, after reading Dave S's post, Joan said she'd make breakfast on the boat so we could run the Wallas.
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Hey, what's the deal here? I venture into this thread talking about the attributes of the Wallas, you show my comments to your wife and YOU get breakfast? (I think you owe me one, Jim.... :lol: )

Amazing, how the mind works....as I collected my thoughts to convey the above message to you, my thoughts rambled to.....hmmmm, perhaps, Joan will prepare and mail breakfast to me. With that thought I'm reminded of what happened when I was in the Army in the 60's.....

During a formation one day, our Company Commander came out during mail call and personally called out one of my platoon buddies to receive his mail. As the C.O. was handing the troop his mail, he announced to the whole company that the troop was to immediately open the envelope, because he wanted to know what was STINKING UP HIS OFFICE! Upon opening up the envelope, the troop held up a fried egg that his little sister had cooked and mailed to him for Easter.

(That being said, you need not bother mailing breakfast to me Joan.. :wink )
 
DaveS":1rk4vrux said:
...

Hey, what's the deal here? I venture into this thread talking about the attributes of the Wallas, you show my comments to your wife and YOU get breakfast? (I think you owe me one, Jim.... :lol: )

Amazing, how the mind works....as I collected my thoughts to convey the above message to you, my thoughts rambled to.....hmmmm, perhaps, Joan will prepare and mail breakfast to me. With that thought I'm reminded of what happened when I was in the Army in the 60's.....
Click to expand...

Umm... sorry, Dave, I ate it all. Next time we're up you're way... nahhhh, I'll eat it then, too. ;)
 
Dave,

Just stop by Kenmore sometime and I'll cook breakfast for you. Clearly your not be taken care of properly at home :roll: so I'd be happy to help out. :lol:
 
rogerbum":h4rc6wpe said:
Dave,

Just stop by Kenmore sometime and I'll cook breakfast for you. Clearly your not be taken care of properly at home :roll: so I'd be happy to help out. :lol:
Click to expand...

Thank you for the offer Roger, I'll remember that when I'm in the neighborhood. During our Gulf Island Cruise last week, Carol came up with some fabulous meals for us on the boat. Then when we got home our daughter was so happy to have us back from the cruise, she made breakfast for me the following morning. I'm just way too spoiled!

(In an attempt to keep this thread on topic, some of those meals Carol prepared were cooked on the Wallas).
 
JamesTXSD":3c5eenbr said:
We make it a point to run it on high on start up and shut down, as it says in the instructions.

:thup
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I couldn't find this stated in the posted instruction manual - am I missing something here?
 
YACD":1wlh8nl2 said:
JamesTXSD":1wlh8nl2 said:
We make it a point to run it on high on start up and shut down, as it says in the instructions.

:thup
Click to expand...

I couldn't find this stated in the posted instruction manual - am I missing something here?
Click to expand...

YCAD-

I read the instructions over and couldn't find it either, but perhaps this is a newer or different set of instructions than have been available before?

It does warn about frequent power level adjustments which will tend to soot up the works just as well.

Anyway, one of the major caveats frequently discussed here on the site regarding the Wallas stoves is to run it on high for a while when starting and before shutting it down, because the hot stove will not soot up as much as it starts and shuts down. Cool start ups and shut downs will cumulatively clog up the combustion chamber and its parts, and the owner will soon be singing the Wallas Blues. :note

Joe. :teeth :thup
 
I thinks that is probably because the installer either leaves it in the boat or throws it away. Kind of whatever he feels like for the day. The PDF is up on the manufactures web site, just kind of hard to find. C-dory does need to get control of there QC problems and one of them would be that all of the 3rd party documentation is given to the new owner.
 
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