Wallas Heater Install and Video

[Moonfish]

We just finished installing our new Wallas 40 Dt forced air diesel heater last month. Sitting here in the office (midship stateroom) enjoying the warmth... We made a video of the DIY project, too. Hopefully the video upload feature works this time. Last one I did multiple times and it never worked.

Anyway, we are very happy with the unit. And dock neighbors can't even hear it while it's running. We do have friends, however, that have new or newer Espars and Webastos and they are quite satisfied, too. They are a little warmer (in terms of BTU output), but the Wallas seems much quieter. So if you're considering a new forced air heater, check out the video:

 

[FlyWright]

It didn't work, Darren. Do you have a version of it on YouTube or on a website where a click on a link could take us there?

 

[Moonfish]

Dang it! Thanks, Al. Link below.

Mods: why isn't the video upload working?

Wallas 40 Dt Install - Pacific NW Boater TESTED - YouTube

 

[FlyWright]

Great video. Very inspiring to someone who doesn't have built-in heat and also does the 30 Amp Dance! (I like that!) If I lived in colder climes, I'd certainly want a similar system.

We get by with a combination of two electric ceramic cubes, electric oil-filled radiator style heater (like in your video) and Mr. Buddy propane but none are ideal. Though I will say that the Mr. Buddy is a great asset for cold-weather fishing in the cockpit!! It can put out an impressive amount of heat.

Thanks for the great video!

PS. Love the stand up ER!!!

 

[Carolena]

Excellent video. Every winter I consider one of these. We do the 30 amp dance every weekend this time of year. While we have a bus heater to use engine heat away from the dock, it would be great to have this source of heat in the slip to cut down on electrical usage and to be able to anchor overnight with heat and not having to run the genny (which is winterized now anyway). Does anyone know if there is a way to tap into the existing ducts for our bus heater without losing the bus heater option?

 

[Nomad Willy]

I need to re-install our Wabasto and am missing the heat.
I'm rigging a new fuel system and will run kerosene from now on. Recommended by Sure Marine in Seattle where we bought the Wabasto.

Carolena,
I suspect that would only work if the ducts for your bus heater are very over sized. Interesting ... never heard of a bus heater w ducts. Work well?

 

[psneeld]

Yes you can mix the two....a "y" with a couple in line butterfly shutters or a diverted can be used....the ducting can be the same size. Bus heaters with ducts and just the ducting is available from many sources (Google bus heaters) or Hamilton Marine is where I got mine.

They have defroster ducts for bus heaters too which are very nice...just like your car or truck.

I find the short run ducting for the Wallas too small anyway as the airflow is so high the sound is too loud.

 

[Retriever]

Darren, glad you finally have heat! I remember talking to you about adding diesel heat last summer...

Your boat has a lot of interior volume and window surfaces...is the 40dt big enough? Or is the jury still out? My Espar (D8LC) puts out twice the heat of the 40dt according to the manufacturers and my boat is much smaller. When the Espar dies I'm probably going to downsize (no need to keep the interior 90 degrees when it's in the teens outside!) so the heater doesn't cycle and soot up as frequently.

Carolena: My Nordic came from the factory with the bus heater and an Espar furnace. They use different vents. Not sure if they have to, though.

Even though electricity is more expensive where you are than where I am, I bet electric heat is still cheaper than diesel heat. It's not just the diesel that you're burning...it's the maintenance cost for the heater itself. I've had both Espar and Wallas units, and parts for both are pretty expensive. Service is even pricier, and in my experience needed too often.

A warm boat on the hook is awfully nice though, and the diesel heaters can throw off way more heat than what you can get out of a 30 amp shorepower connection.

 

[Carolena]

Carolena,
I suspect that would only work if the ducts for your bus heater are very over sized. Interesting ... never heard of a bus heater w ducts. Work well?

The ducts are about the same size as our AC/Heat pump ducts. It works very well. The heater is under the stairs from the pilot house to the forward berth. We have an outlet in the main saloon, one in the head, and one in the stairs. The heat rises well enough into the pilot house. The only complaint I have is that we need to keep the vent in the head almost closed or it results in the head getting too hot. If we run the block heater for an hour or two before leaving the slip, we have instant heat once underway.

Thinking back to options for our boat, I imagine that a hydronic heater could also be worked into our exisiting system, with the bonus of hot water . . . All that said, it seems that ever year as I consider such an upgrade, the next thing I know spring has rolled around and it drops way down on the potential upgrade list. If we were live aboards, I imagine we would have already done something by now.

 

[Carolena]

Carolena: My Nordic came from the factory with the bus heater and an Espar furnace. They use different vents. Not sure if they have to, though.

Even though electricity is more expensive where you are than where I am, I bet electric heat is still cheaper than diesel heat. It's not just the diesel that you're burning...it's the maintenance cost for the heater itself. I've had both Espar and Wallas units, and parts for both are pretty expensive. Service is even pricier, and in my experience needed too often.

Cost of the electric really isn't the issue, it is more the 30 amp dance at the dock. Last weekend it was 15 degrees over night and the best we could maintain in the boat without overloading dock power was 60 degrees. When it is in the 30s, we can keep it closer to 70, but do need to shut heaters off when we make coffee or run the microwave.

 

[Moonfish]

Does anyone know if there is a way to tap into the existing ducts for our bus heater without losing the bus heater option?

Carolena - Just give Scan Marine a call and ask them any questions you have. They've dealt with probably every installation possible, and will answer honestly. (206) 285-3675

 

[Moonfish]

Darren, glad you finally have heat! I remember talking to you about adding diesel heat last summer...

Your boat has a lot of interior volume and window surfaces...is the 40dt big enough? Or is the jury still out? My Espar (D8LC) puts out twice the heat of the 40dt according to the manufacturers and my boat is much smaller. When the Espar dies I'm probably going to downsize (no need to keep the interior 90 degrees when it's in the teens outside!) so the heater doesn't cycle and soot up as frequently.

Thanks, Sam. We're only heating the 3 staterooms below deck, so it's working great. Looking forward to getting out more this winter, which is the big reason we got it!

 

[Boydski]

Your boat has a lot of interior volume and window surfaces...is the 40dt big enough? Or is the jury still out?

Thanks, Sam. We're only heating the 3 staterooms below deck, so it's working great. Looking forward to getting out more this winter, which is the big reason we got it!

I installed two Wallas Diesel Heaters (40Dt's) on my N47. One heats the two Staterooms and Heads downstairs. The other heats the Saloon, Galley and Pilothouse, upstairs. They work extremely well and we rarely have both operating at the same time.

One of the advantages of heating a smaller area with a Wallas furnace is that once it warms up, the fan and diesel drip rate slow way down to a point that it becomes a whisper quiet background noise. No cycling on and off, which makes it easier to sleep.

Darren, you're going to Love winter cruising with the warm, fresh air from your new furnace!

 

[Moonfish]

I installed two Wallas Diesel Heaters (40Dt's) on my N47. One heats the two Staterooms and Heads downstairs. The other heats the Saloon, Galley and Pilothouse, upstairs. They work extremely well and we rarely have both operating at the same time.

One of the advantages of heating a smaller area with a Wallas furnace is that once it warms up, the fan and diesel drip rate slow way down to a point that it becomes a whisper quiet background noise. No cycling on and off, which makes it easier to sleep.

Darren, you're going to Love winter cruising with the warm, fresh air from your new furnace!

Yes, we are looking forward to that, Scott!

Agreed on the fuel use and cycling. While living/working we keep the thermostat at 3 or so, which keeps the aft stateroom a comfortable 66 degrees. A little cooler all the way forward in the vee, though, which is our daughter's room. So at night I close the register in the office/midship room which boosts her heat during the night. She stays nice and warm.

When we leave for more than a couple of days we turn the unit off and have the two large dehumidifiers running, which do provide heat. When gone for basically just the day, we turn it all the way down to the lowest setting. But when we're home and the unit is continuously running at 3, we're estimating around 1.3 gallons per day. Not the cheapest way to heat, but freeing up the shore power amperage during the day is priceless...

Read your blog post on the issues with the old heaters. Unbelievable that PAE would have signed off on the exhaust hose installations like that!

 

[Pau Hana]

Another fan of the Wallas heater here- I installed the 40DT last year, and it made the boat extremely comfortable. We leave our thermostat on 3 or 4, and the salon and aft cabin stay warm and toasty. When we have guests, I'll open the register in the forward cabin and shunt heat that way.

And- it's quiet. This past weekend, we were at a function on Bainbridge Island; one of the sailboats in attendance had a diesel heater that sounded like it could ingest small mammals, the whine was that loud!

 

[Nomad Willy]

Peter we have a Wabasto and the exhaust seems quiet to me. Of course if we were in the covered moorage and someone was entertaining in their aft cockpit just across from us it would be very objectionable.

However our Wabasto is whisper quiet compared to any generator .. wind or diesel. Wen we're underway I forget it's on .. until I step outside.

 

[Captain Paul]

I just finished install of a Hurricane hydronic system and love it. Thermostats for each stateroom which include heads, and salon and pilothouse. It keeps any or all spaces any temp I want. Pex tubing keeps any water hoses from freezing. It sucks in some fresh outside air to provide positive pressure which eliminates drafts. I installed high low switches on fans so I can turn them down to make them quieter at night if I want. Not sure yet how much diesel I burn but I don't think its a lot and it's worth it. It seems pretty quiet and for some reason quieter than the one I installed on my last boat. I don't think dock neighbors are sitting outside now anyway. All in all, very satisfied.

 

[DinghyDog]

I just finished install of a Hurricane hydronic system...

Considering the Hurricane heater also. What model did you use?

 

[Captain Paul]

H2L 48,000 btu