Wallas on the fritz

Sea Wolf":2hua8wq0 said:
YACD":2hua8wq0 said:
JamesTXSD":2hua8wq0 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?
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YACD-

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
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Hi Joe:

Maybe they rewrote the software so that the stove automatically runs on high after startup and shutdown - easy enough to do - and that's why the manual is different. Running on high BEFORE shutting down...now that could be a bit harder for the computer to figure out!

Roy
 
I think that, if you run the stove for long periods on a very low setting, the pump can lose it's prime. I had that problem a time or two until I started turning it up to high before shutting down and never running on very low for long.

John
 
Patty got our Wallas back from Scan Marine again a day or so ago, will be sticking it back in this weekend. They suggested to her that maybe the spontaneous shutdown problems we were having were occurring due to a voltage drop sensed by the Wallas computer when the fridge kicked on while running on the battery. If this is true, this would be a huge design flaw in the Wallas. Our battery was fully charged every day, and voltage stayed up nicely while at anchor - if the Wallas shuts off when the fridge comes on with a fully charged battery, it would be nearly useless while anchoring. I don't buy it, because the Wallas used to work just fine with the fridge running at anchor. Something else is going on, and I am not hopeful that we will ever discover what it is.
 
Pat
I think that as long as the wires to the wallas and the fridge are sized right that it should not be a problem. Easy to test just turn everything off in the boat in the driveway and run the wallas for a couple days. Then try the fridge and the wallas and see what happens. If it were my problem I would replace the fuel first with new fresh fuel then I would look for bad connections or loose ones. Seems like not that many things to go wrong in there system. One question would be when they gave you the new board was it new or remanufactured? I send motherboards back that come back with the same problem cause they can't reproduce it at the factory. When they built my boat the didn't seal between the sink and the countertop and the Wallas and the countertop. There have been times when water has been spilt and it ends up inside the cabinet. I'm going remove the sink and the Wallis and seal this area because that board is not going to like water running accross it. If it is salt water then the board would probably have to be replaced. All of the wire termination point should be nice and tight if you can wiggle then replace the connector. I do worry that some day my time will come, but for now lets hope we can figure out what is causing it to happen and get the solution posted. I 'm sure that would make everyone happy again.
 
I have 4 batteries - one for each engine and two house batteries, but I cannot run my refrigerator on the batteries for long without draining them totally. I am amazed that you can run your refrigerators over night without lowering the voltage. The compressor start-up amp load must come close to the max available.

I have not had any problems with the Wallas restarting, but have learned to shut the refrigerator power off when anchored for long periods after ending up with dead house batteries.

On my old houseboat, the 12V refrigerator drew so many amps that you could see the rubber dust peeling off the alternator belt when it was on.

How many batteries do you have, Pat?

John
 
Hello everyone,
Just a little input from us. As you know we have been traveling 4 1/2 months now and I use the Wallis all the time. The only time I have had a problem is when we are anchored out for more than 2 nights. When I turn it on the light will blink and it makes a different sound. After charging the batteries for a bit it starts. ALan bought a solar panel for the roof that it hooked up to the battery when we are on the hook that hopefully is helping with the charge. We have burned only the Ace hardware paint thinner (100%mineral spirits) that the manuel had a picture of. We have used it as a heat source several times and no problems.

So low battery voltage has definitely affected ours when on the hook.
 
John,

We have two batteries - one starting battery for the Honda 150BF single, and one big honking 125AH house battery (more than the two 55AH batteries combined that it replaced). We keep the fridge on low, and it cycles on and off all day, and the voltage barely drops at all. I wonder why your fridge drains your two house batteries overnight - it shouldn't. Anyway, we never asked it to run 24 hours - we traveled at least four hours a day, and the Wallas was shutting down with a freshly fully charged house battery.

Anyway, will be sticking it back in the boat on Saturday, we'll see if it can run in the driveway with shore power without the fridge on without shutting down ...

Pat
drjohn71a":103apcrj said:
How many batteries do you have, Pat?

John
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Ace hardware paint thinner (100%mineral spirits)
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This is what Karl used in the shop and what he recommended for my 1993 kerosene-only stove. Lately I'm using Klean-Heat but I've gone back and forth. I think the 100% mineral spirits burn hotter but I haven't tested it with my infrared thermometer. Klean-Strip(Walmart) 100% odorless is real good. Less odorous than Ace and barely smellier than KH.
 
Pat,

I think one factor for us is that it is in the high 90's many summer days, as well as that I do not have the built-in refrigerator.

Sounds like you're on the right track.

Also, re: the difference in energy contained in the different fuels, from the manual, that figures out to be about a 1% difference, so it could be difficult to tell without precise instruments and controlled conditions.

I use my Wallas all year 'round and some days it gets into the single digits, but the Wallas running on Kleen Heat seems to reliably provide more heat than I need. I usually crack a window...

Keep on posting! I am learning a great deal and I do appreciate your having posted the Wallas Manual,

John
 
Well, I don't want to jinx anything, but it seems we once again have a functioning Wallas! Actually stuck 'er in this morning, not yesterday, fired 'er up, took only two cycles with resets to get 'er going. Boiled water, ran flawlessly for a couple of hours, didn't shut down until I turned the switch off...just restarted an hour or so ago, once again, seems to be running fine - just now turned 'er off. So we shall see!
 
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