Wallas Smoking...help!

I have the d2 and it works great, knock on wood. keeps the cabin hot and dry. I really like the fact that it has a thermostat so I can run it all night long. quick to light and even more important if it does not light its quick to cycle. That's one of the things about the wallas. if it does not fire up its about 10 minutes for it to cycle. Ten minutes is not along time unless Susan in giving you the eye and mumbling under her breath about the cold and using the dam stove for a anchor, then its a forever. remember married men do not live longer, it just fills that way.
 
Another update. Scan Marine said the glow plug was shorted out and the innards were covered in soot. Repair should be about $250 and it will be ready this afternoon. Even if the stove isn't reliable, at least the service is quick!

The frustrating part is they don't really know why it failed. Apparently the usual cause for this type of failure is lack of adequate combustion air, but Scan Marine said the pictures of my installation look okay. The other cause might be improper exhaust routing that allows water to collect in the exhaust hose. I'm going to take a picture of the exhaust routing when I reinstall the Wallas and have Scan Marine see if that's the problem.

My main concern at this point is preventing another failure 300 hours down the line. If they can't diagnose why this failure occurred and make some adjustment to the system to prevent future failures, I may well sell the Wallas and install a separate diesel heater and alcohol stove.
 
Wonder if Scan Marine has ever been around the C-Brat site. Maybe it would help if they knew how many C-Dorys have Wall(i) and how close contact we have here, knowing what is going on.

I have used and liked my Wallas but this could make me nervous.

I sure like the looks of that "fireplace" that Robbi put in. It gets 10+ points just for being able to see the flame.

Harvey
SleepyC :moon

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I can almost see mike from scam marine now. Hmmm another wallas what should i say it is this time. I think i'll charge them for a curcuit board and a glow plug and tell them they are lucky they sent it in when they did or it would have been more.
Just so all of you know Triton marine is a wallas supplier and service center in Canada that is helpful and isn't just around to lighten your wallet. And no i am not affiliated with them at all.
I've said it before but will mention it again that learning how the wallas works and trouble shooting your wallas before sending it away anywhere will save you hundreds maybe thousands of dollars :idea
 
The Dickinson Propane Fireplace is my favorite for a propane heater, and is by far the prettiest of the different heating units available.

I chose the Force 10 Cozy Cabin Heater over the Dickinson Propane Fireplace on the basis of cost and availability of of a used unit when I did so back about 6 years ago.

The Dickinson has several advantages over the Cozy Cabin:

1. It uses outside air rather than interior warmed air for combustion. (More efficient, less wasteful of heat.)

2. The exhaust tube is co-axial, with cool outside air circulating between the outer and inner tubes, which insulates the hot exhaust tube from contact with the cabin interior and occupants.

3. The visible flame, yellow in color, is visually superior to the utility-like stove burner appearance of the Cozy Cabin and other units.

4. The flame and exhaust are sealed off from the cabin within the heater, and cannot escape.

5. The Dickinson has a built-in fan motor to aid in circulation, whereas you have to design your own fan assisted circulation scheme with the Cozy Cabin.

6. There may be other advantages, but the Cozy Cabin has been used in sailboats and powerboats for years with very reliable results and has an excellent track record itself. It's simple, dependable, and easily self-repaired.

By the Way-

Rumor has it that the Wallas is really an Alien Scheme to Invade The Earth and Dominate the Human Population with Self-Replicating Robotics, but that the design was faulted when some Norwegians spilled a pot of lute fisk on a Wallas and the machine went haywire. The secret program coding inside the inner integrated circuits now declares "if that's what's for dinner, I'm getting the Hell outta here and back to the nearest Black Hole." Now, when, at random, that code gets read, your Wallas shuts down, dead, and only by sending it back to the Norwegians and their threat to spill more lute fisk upon the guts of the Wallas can get it to reluctantly go back into operation, at least temporarily. For this, they charge you $500-$1200, so it looks as if the Wallas has become a Norwegian Cash Cow for Now.

"And that's the Truth"- Edith Ann
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Joe. :teeth :thup
 
So which of the units (Espar vs Webasto) is controlled by a digital thermostat? That seems like a nifty feature and would allow me to "prove" to The Admiral that it is, in fact, 70F in the cabin. :roll: :mrgreen:
 
The Wallas D-40 also has a thermostat option and actually heats. I think this one must be a derivative of their "trucking" products as it actually works. Dual intake/exhaust and 3 outlets possible with variable vanes on each. Personally I just turn it up or down as needed and leave it on low at night if I have been so bad that even the dogs won't sleep with me.

Like many of you I think the "stovetop" version only benefits from the addition of water. Preferably, deep and salty. It neither heats nor cooks well.

BTW Joe, you cant blame this one on Lutefisk, they are made in Finland and if you want a laugh ask anyone you know to name TWO towns or cities in Finland off the top of their head.

Only place I know where I was actually grateful that the road signs are posted in Swedish as well so you might have a hope in hell of knowing where you are going :-) On the plus side they do a nice appetizer of five different types of pickled herrings served with Finnish (more likely "Finish") Vodka in between each course. Perhaps that is what the stoves were designed to run on. :twisted:

M
 
hardee":2jifvrd5 said:
Wonder if Scan Marine has ever been around the C-Brat site. Maybe it would help if they knew how many C-Dorys have Wall(i) and how close contact we have here, knowing what is going on.

I have used and liked my Wallas but this could make me nervous.

I sure like the looks of that "fireplace" that Robbi put in. It gets 10+ points just for being able to see the flame.

Harvey
SleepyC :moon

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Scan marine has been on the site before and has always been polite and helpful from what I recall.
 
hardee":1gazvekb said:
Wonder if Scan Marine has ever been around the C-Brat site. Maybe it would help if they knew how many C-Dorys have Wall(i) and how close contact we have here, knowing what is going on.

I have used and liked my Wallas but this could make me nervous.
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.......
The guys at WALLAS know whats going on and they pay very close attention — or certainly did during the transition of new ownership. I have seen their correspondence on C-Brats.

My wife and I photographed our servicing of our 1999 Wallas 95DU and documented it in 2006, to contribute to "technical discussions" for other C-Brats. Others have inspired us with their do-it-yourself attitude and photos to help solve Wallas issues.

Some years after completing our cleaning/repair on the stove, I was unable to solve problems on my own and sent it in for dealer evaluation and service. Their main repairman was familiar with our "contribution" to C-Brats. He politely took issue with our sharing of information on this website and mentioned he thought some of it was just "wrong" — though he did not say what was actually wrong, or right for that matter, with our documentation.

After the dealer maintenence/fix. the stove failed again, same as described in the title of this thread (smoking/flooding/help). We sent it in again, and then a third time. After spending almost $900 and replacing virtually all internal parts including the main computer board, we decided, instead of reinstalling the stove, we wanted to try something else. Fully tested by the dealer, Scan Marine, it is still in the original packaging and available for sale.

I researched other options but at that time I couldn't find a better solution, considering available space, weight, etc. We were told by the WALLAS dealer that new models were more robust and generally more dependable.

In 2009 we bought an 85DU. So far so good, at between 2 and 3 hundred hours. I added an hour meter, with their phone advice on installation. I was told the unit can be checked when I send it in to tell them how many hours even without a meter. That is a good thing, but how does the customer know, if no meter, when it's due for maintenance? Thus my installation. We all know the sound advice of "get the maintenance" as recommended by the dealer. Well, I can tell you I AM PAYING ATTENTION THIS TIME AROUND.

It really is a puzzle to me that there is no information from SCAN for basic repair/maintenance of this machine. Is it really too complicated for customers who are motivated to do some of this work? We know there are manuals for complicated machines like our outboards. Some don't know how to change the oil and others can do it all, but at least there is a manual.

Pete/Adelaine that was really interesting RE: the "Cat" catalytic heater. Hope we hear more about this too.

Tom and Rene
 
I picked up the Wallas today from Scan Marine, 24 hours after dropping it off. I found their service was helpful and prompt. $235 to clean the innards and replace the glow plug. Not sure why they told me it could be $700 this morning.

They couldn't offer a definitive reason for the failure but I have two theories. First, since the boat is typically used for trips to and from Decatur Island, the Wallas is often used when underway. Almost every time out it "flames out" from too much wind flowing into the exhaust pipe. This apparently accelerates the buildup of carbon in the unit. Scan Marine sold me a small piece of stainless steel that mounts on the exhaust fitting and supposedly solves this problem.

The other potential trouble spot is the exhaust. Water may be collecting in a low spot restricting the exhaust flow and screwing up combustion.

Scan Marine thought the issue looked like a problem getting enough combustion air, but couldn't pinpoint any problem with my installation.

I'm going up tomorrow morning to reinstall the Wallas and test it out. Hopefully it will work, but I'm not sure I'll ever trust it again which makes me very tempted to replace it.
 
We have boated through some very windy conditions for many hours at a time with the Wallace running flawlessly the whole time while I can hear water sloshing in and out of the sink drain. I wonder if they are just that sensitive to exhaust routing/interference. Ours is the 95DU model based on the Wallas site pics and their upgrade info. I wonder if most of the trouble has been with one stove model more than others. Our exhaust is 17.5 inches above the bottom paint line which is about an inch above water mid boat. Yours looks lower.

Greg
 
I have never had trouble with my stove going off once it is on....that is unless it runs out of fuel (it happens). Hearing all these troubles is frightening.....
 
20dauntless":1aqg2n1b said:
I picked up the Wallas today from Scan Marine, 24 hours after dropping it off. I found their service was helpful and prompt. $235 to clean the innards and replace the glow plug. Not sure why they told me it could be $700 this morning.

They couldn't offer a definitive reason for the failure but I have two theories. First, since the boat is typically used for trips to and from Decatur Island, the Wallas is often used when underway. Almost every time out it "flames out" from too much wind flowing into the exhaust pipe. This apparently accelerates the buildup of carbon in the unit. Scan Marine sold me a small piece of stainless steel that mounts on the exhaust fitting and supposedly solves this problem.

The other potential trouble spot is the exhaust. Water may be collecting in a low spot restricting the exhaust flow and screwing up combustion.

Scan Marine thought the issue looked like a problem getting enough combustion air, but couldn't pinpoint any problem with my installation.

I'm going up tomorrow morning to reinstall the Wallas and test it out. Hopefully it will work, but I'm not sure I'll ever trust it again which makes me very tempted to replace it.
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Can you describe the small piece of stainless steel they sold you. I was having the same issue with wind at times a couple years ago.They told me to install a "clam shell" style vent cover just forward of the exhaust vent, which I did. I think it has made a significant difference so far, though I'm not sure about wind coming from the stern angles.

If you reinstall the stove I hope its flawless for hundreds of hours. Do you have an hour meter?

Happy New Year
Tom
 
Tom, I'm on the boat now and I have reinstalled the Wallas. So far so good. It was smoky on startup but is burning cleanly and heating well now.

I've taken a few pictures of the piece that Scan Marine had me install. I'll upload them later today when I'm back home and post them in this thread.

BTW, even if Scan Marine didn't appreciate your guide to disassembling the the Wallas, I did. It was well done and thorough and even though I couldn't solve my problem I'm sure it could be helpful in the future.

At this point I'm still not sure if I'll keep the Wallas or not. It sounds like it'd cost about $2500 to replace the Wallas with a Webasto heater and an alcohol stove. Not sure how much I could sell the Wallas for.
 
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