Wallas Stoves - Why doesn't it work?

[dandawes]

I bought a C-Dory with a Wallas stove. I turn it on and it slowly gets hot, but not hot enough to boil coffee within a reasonable time. What's wrong? How do these things works. I have lost patience with it and just use a Coleman camp stove in the cockpit, works great, heats fast.

Can anyone teach me how to make the Wallas work?
Dan

 

[hardee]

Dan,

There are several different models of"Wallas"stoves,so I can't be too specific. This is what works for SleepyC. We use"Kleen Heat" fuel only, and it seems not to use very much fuel. We always turn the heat level selector to "High" to start an run it there until it is putting out full heat, then adjust for the comfort level you want. That will usually take maybe 10 minutes. For cabin heat, it is best to leave the lid down so the fan will be running, obviously for cooking the lid must be up. Use the hottest, (I believe it is the Left), burner first. Before shutting down, turn the heat selector back up to high, (#6 I think it is), and then run it there for about 10 minutes for it to reach full heat output again for awhile. Ours has a red LED that comes on. I would check with Scan Marine if you do not have a manual, and get one from them. The stove is a bit picky about how it likes things done, and some models differ from others on fuel types.

Good luck, with it, and enjoy.

Harvey
SleepyC :moon

 

[rogerbum]

Most of the Wallas stoves are two burners and one of the two burners gets hotter than the other. However, regardless of which burner you use, it does take 10-15 minutes (or more) to heat a kettle of water to boiling. These are not fast stoves. I guess it's a trade-off between safety (no open flame) and speed.

 

[localboy]

...it does take 10-15 minutes (or more) to heat a kettle of water to boiling. These are not fast stoves. I guess it's a trade-off between safety (no open flame) and speed.

Our experience too. It's neither a good stove nor a good heater. It's a compromise on both, in one small unit. We also use Kleen Heat, although I have put 100% pure mineral spirits in it in a pinch.

 

[JamesTXSD]

...it does take 10-15 minutes (or more) to heat a kettle of water to boiling. These are not fast stoves. I guess it's a trade-off between safety (no open flame) and speed.

Our experience too. It's neither a good stove nor a good heater. It's a compromise on both, in one small unit. We also use Kleen Heat, although I have put 100% pure mineral spirits in it in a pinch.

Interesting how this has evolved. When we were first considering a C-Dory (in 2005), I poured through all the posts here and on the old C-Dogs site... people LOVED the Wallas. Now, it seems to have taken on the "underwhelming" status. I have to say that I think ours is an integral part of our cruising comfort, with cooking and heat in one unit. We've used alcohol stoves, propane stoves, and propane heaters on other boats. Heck, we still use a small butane single burner on the C-Dory when we need to heat something fast. None of those other options gave us cooking and heat in one small unit.

We have used Kleen Heat since early on. We fired up the Wallas yesterday after 6 months of non-use... worked like a charm. I have to go find some wood to knock on. :wink:

Best wishes,
Jim B.

 

[Aurelia]

We agree,

We have had one for just 14 months now but use it often and are on our fourth tank of fuel. It took some tinkering to figure out how it really worked and Kleen heat seemed to help with startup reliability compared to the ancient diesel that was in there. We have used it for cooking enough to buy one of those wonderful butane single burner stoves everyone loves (including us). The Wallas is primarily a heater in our boat and that is fine with us. If we happen to be running it anyway and need something cooked, we will use the Wallas but if we are not already heating or want it in less than 20 minutes, the butane does the cooking for us. The fact that the butane stove feet fit perfectly in the grooves of the Wallas lid must mean something! If it ever starts acting up and becomes unreliable for us, it will be hard not to gravitate toward a dedicated heater model.

 

[Byrdman]

Let's start with it is a diesel. Any diesel, takes some time to get it's legs under it and working... like stated above. And, when ya wanta turn her off, she will take just as long to cool down. Having said that, if you enjoy boating and have time, it is great and echonomical to run. If you are in a hurry...or, often in a hurry, don't get diesel anything. A great option for those ina hurry, or, often in a hurry is a microwave and an inverter or genset. Or, leave sooner, slow down, as quality takes time....and time on a boat is quality time. You can hurry when you are on land....or, again, use the microwave. ZAP.... OR... just be sure to have both on board. Have loved the wallas cooktop heater, love even more a dedicated wallas heating sytems......and, cook with a slower crock pot on board more often than not. Don't think my microwave has been on board for 18 months or more....but, the blender has. The blender is fast.... :cocktail

 

[rogerbum]

I would agree with the general philosophy that one simply needs to be patient with the stove (and heater). I've had 8+ trouble free years of service from my Wallas. It takes awhile to get going but it does heat the boat well and it's very frugal on fuel use. I've cooked many a breakfast on it while fishing but like I said, it's not a fast stove - but then again it doesn't need to be. Boating is often about taking it slow and easy.

One of my biggest frustrations when I first got the boat was getting used to "slow and easy" - not so much the boat, but most everyone and everything around boating. It used to drive me crazy to pull into a fuel dock, radio in my needs and then have to wait 5-10 mins while the attendant slowly got around to strolling (never running or even walking quickly but truly strolling) down to the pump to unlock it. Now I just recognize it as part of "the deal". I used to be frustrated by how long it took to get through the locks on a warm Sunday afternoon when returning from a cruise on the Puget Sound - now I recognize it as part of "the deal". The "deal" is that boating requires (indeed forces) me to slow down but once I do, it rewards me with a relaxation that I find hard to obtain any other way.

 

[drjohn71a]

I agree with Roger about learning to go with the flow. I, too, have had almost 4 years now of reliable use with the Wallas.

I think those of us who are having fun and enjoying most of the systems working don't take the time to post often.

As for cooking, my favorite thing is the Cobb Grill that uses 8-10 charcoal briquettes and can bake, fry, wok, roast, whatever in the cockpit with a grill so cool that you can carry it around while it's cooking.

I also have a gas grill on the stern rail, but almost never use it.

As for speed, I have a 12Volt coffee pot which takes much longer than the Wallas to heat the water. I like having the Wallas going early on a cool morning with a sauce pan of water which I use with those little Folger coffee bags for morning coffee. So far, it's been too hot in the afternoons to run the Wallas here, but that will be changing soon.

John

 

[Pat Anderson]

Folger coffee bags???? FOLGERS??? COFFEE BAGS??? for cryin' out loud? Heresy! You'd be ridden out of Seattle on a rail!

If you ever get out this way, Patty and I will stand you to a GOOD cup of coffee, John! It starts with plugging the grinder in to the inverter, grinding the San Francisco French Roast beans perfectly, not too coarse, not too fine, putting them in the cone of a Melitta coffee maker in a #6 filter, and pouring boiling water through. Then gets poured from the carafe to insulated mugs, it is never allowed to sit around on a warmer or burner to concentrate....

I admit, we did try Starbucks VIA recently, and it was pretty darn good for "instant" coffee...

But this thread is about the Wallas - sold ours, use a one burner butane for cooking, and soon will have a Webasto for heating (see my post on the good deal from Interstate on Webasto heaters). Each one of these only does one thing, and does it better than the Wallas does either. Just my $0.02 worth...

I use ... those little Folger coffee bags for morning coffee.

John

 

[localboy]

Folger coffee bags???? FOLGERS??? COFFEE BAGS??? for cryin' out loud? Heresy! You'd be ridden out of Seattle on a rail!

I use ... those little Folger coffee bags for morning coffee.

John

Indeed. Don't you understand?! In Seattle the residents have such fine, attuned...one could even argue snobby...coffee tastes that >$5 for a cup of coffee it totally reasonable & acceptable. :lol:

I get mine at McD's for a $1.86 (tax included) made to order and it's FAR better than that provided by the "Evil Green Monster". :wink:

 

[Pat Anderson]

We recently had McD's coffee, and it really is up to our standards as well. They keep it fresh - the worst coffee in the world is at City Hall, where I see half a pot sit for six hours on the warmer. Ditto at the police and fire stations. Double plus ungood! We never buy coffee at the Evil Green Monster either, just on principle, got the VIA at a Safeway promotion.

I get mine at McD's for a $1.86 (tax included) made to order and it's FAR better than that provided by the "Evil Green Monster". :wink:

 

[DaveS]

the worst coffee in the world is at City Hall, where I see half a pot sit for six hours on the warmer. Ditto at the police and fire stations.

and what pray tell is wrong with old coffee at a fire station? If a horseshoe doesn't sink in it.....it is good to drink.

Guess, I live just far enough from Seattle.....still a country boy. (Admittedly, I do enjoy a "Seattle type" straight (no fufu) black coffee, but due to Army past and a couple a yrs. in the fire service, I can drink the ole stale stuff as well.... :roll: )

 

[dotnmarty]

I loved the Dunkin' Donuts drive-up window in Trenton, NJ.
You just say two words, "coffee, regular"
the gal in the window says four..."here ya go sweetheart"...

 

[Doryman]

I used the AeroPress Coffee and Espresso Maker for the first time at Lake Powell and it makes an awesome cup of coffee, with little cleanup needed. Previously I had used a French Press (requires too much water to clean) and the drip thingie that Pat mentions (too easy to tip over.)

Warren

 

[macmac]

For those of you having trouble with your Wallas not cooking well or quickly, be sure you are using the right kind of pans. Any of the Wallas stoves require the use of pots and pans with a machined bottom surface, since the heat is transferred through contact with the stove top. Revereware bent copper bottom pans are a really bad choice along with any kind of bent mtal bottomed pan, since they only make contact in spots.

If you have issues with your Wallas, please give us a call at 1-888-606-6665. We are here to help.

Doug at Scan Marine Equipment

 

[Captains Cat]

Thanks Doug. Well Brats, we've got Triton, and Wallas here now.

We need to find Scotty, Rule, Raymarine, Garmin, the Engine Mfrs and a few others to chime in and help us when we need them!

We'll get there! :thup

Charlie

 

[tpbrady]

The Wallas is the "LeatherMan" of stoves/heaters. It is a compromise on every good tool ever made, but it's good enough that you only need the one. (Although I carry a Coleman propane stove and a Buddy heater for backup, I've never had to use them in 6 years of Wallas's.)