Wallas Heater Fuel

[earlybird]

I have a Wallas boat heater, specified fuel is "lamp quality paraffin". The local hardware shop sells, at a price, "premium quality paraffin". I can't find any information on what these qualities actually mean. Is kerosine, as supplied for domestic heating, suitable for the Wallas heater?

 

[bazza]

I've a Wallas hob which runs quite happily on red diesel. Don't know if that helps..........

 

[earlybird]

Thanks Bazza, but Wallas do different products, some for diesel and some for parafin.

 

[bazza]

Out of interest, what boat heater do you have? Is it a hob with a blower attachment or something else?

 

[earlybird]

I had a rather old 1800B blown air heater, which I've just replaced with an 1800 Sail heater, both are designed as dedicated heater/ ventilators with no other function.

 

[Viking]

Sounds like a paraffin unit. Use the best paraffin you can. It will run clearer and with less smell.

 

[mhouse]

I also have a wallis heater. A couple eof years ago I emailed Wallis to see if a conversion was available to change the fuel. We are out of luck they are only to be useed on paraffin.

 

[earlybird]

Hi mhouse,
I wasn't looking to modify to diesel. The reason for wondering about domestic 28sec. heating kerosine, or paraffin by another name, is that its current price seems to be about one fifth of the price I'm paying for "premium paraffin" from the hardware shop. My daughter runs her cooker on the stuff, this has a wick type of burner, so I suspect it's OK, but I'm not sure.

 

[jerryat]

I've used bog-standard paraffin in my 24 year old bulkhead mounted heater since we bought the boat 19 years ago.

It has worked faultlessly ever since until it began to smell a bit on shut-down about three years ago. We splashed out a HUGE £11.50 inc VAT for a new burner kit and it's perfect again. Very impressed considering we lived aboard for almost ten years.

Superbly well made bit of kit that will be immediately replaced by the same type when it fails.

We have occasionally thought about trying it with diesel but haven't pursued it because para has been readily available wherever we've cruised.

Would like to know if it's possible though! /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

 

[LittleSister]

According to the Wallas website the paraffin fuel requirements are as follows -
"The fuel must be premium grade paraffin with a Smoke-Point of 35 mm,
which should conform to BS 2869. Suitable types are “Pink” and “Blue” in U.K., Esso Blue in Skandinavia and in Europe generally the Esso Exol D 60 (D180 – 220)."

Unless your potential supplier goes round singing "Boom, boom ,boom, boom, Esso Blue!" [age give away there], suggest you ask him/her does it meet BS 2869.

 

[Joe]

If it is a genuine parrafin wallas heater only ever use the pre packaged parrafin that you get in hardware stores in the 1 gallon cans with the sealed tops
Dont use the parrafin you sometimes see that is pumped from a bowser or any large container
Dont use anything else if i was you
Any grit or muck in it willl clog up your heater and damage it
Thats my advice, Which has worked for me for years using both the Taylors and Wallas heaters
Joe

 

[LittleSister]

[ QUOTE ]
only ever use the pre packaged parrafin. Dont use the parrafin you sometimes see that is pumped from a bowser or any large container


[/ QUOTE ]

Good grief, I genuinely had no idea that such a thing as pre-packaged paraffin existed. What will they think of next? I suddenly feel old.