Installing Wallas Stove in an A25

[dkirsop]

Out with the old Princess Pressurized Alcohol Stove! No more flare ups and looking forward to stress free cooking! Let the good times roll.

I have just installed a Wallas 85 Dt cook top and first impressions are very promising. The two biggest challenges with installing it in an A25 are space and obscure threads at the tank fitting. I also wanted to maintain the insert for the bench work top as flat work space is a scarce commodity in the A25 galley.

I cut out the bottom out of the original stove compartment in order to fabricate an insert panel on which to support the stove. Save the cut out as it is used later to fill the existing cut out that gave access to the controls for the original stove. The underside has a mahogany veneer and is a reasonably close match to the existing wood work. Here is what the finished installation looks like. The finger hole is for pushing up the bench top cover to ease removal.

Stove Top.jpeg

Here is a picture with the bench top cover in place.

Bench Top.jpeg

There is lots of room on the front panel in front of the sink for mounting the stove controls. Wallas requires an isolation switch before the control panel hence the red rocker switch. This switch is used when re-setting the lock-out function for the control panel should it be required.

Stove Control and Isolation Switch.jpeg

Deciding how best to route the exhaust pipe and minimize the loss of shelf space both above and below the counter took thought, time and patience. Also lots of stretching before adopting the Pretzel Pose in order to accomplish the installation. If you have access to a small talented child I suggest you retain his/her service. I decided to route the exhaust pipe straight out to the hull wall in line with the cabinet door overlap so it would not be in the way. I also fabricated a heat shield from 2" diameter stainless tubing in the lower shelf of the upper cabinet to protect plastic dishes from any potential heat hazard. I intend to keep our ceramic mugs on the upper shelf where the exhaust is.

Upper Exhaust.jpeg

I only had 3'-4'" of exhaust pipe so the loop above the through hull is not as high as recommended. If you go this route order at least 4'-6" for your installation. The picture below shows the installation under the stove.

Lower Exhaust.jpeg

On a test run yesterday I did not find heat from the exhaust to be a problem.

Finally, the fuel pick-up. I now know that BSPP stands for British Standard Parallel Pipe thread. The fuel tank came with a tapped boss and pipe plug that met this standard - good thing I had a metric thread gauge that included a 15 TPI feeler! Apparently this was an ISO Standard at one time. I bored the plug and threaded it for 1/8" pipe fittings. I also expanded the end of a piece of 3/16" O.D. copper-nickel tubing and silver soldered it into the upper elbow for the fuel pick-up.

My first impressions are that the stove appears well made, everything fits and it brings a kettle to boil in a reasonable amount of time. I really like the fact that the flame is totally enclosed and as long as there is fuel in the tank I won't have to bother worrying about fuel for the stove. For those wondering why I didn't purchase a heater top it is because my boat came with an Espar heater so it wasn't needed.

[kirsten71]

Hi , Nice job!
Last year i installed the heater cook top version. Had issues with the filters.
very sensitive to the slightest fuel contaminants. Remove my main tank and had it proffessionally cleaned. Even so, switched to a day tank. Had problems again when I refueled the day tank with the local island diesel.. closed filter. New filter, new feul from Sidney ... Problem solved. FYI Thomas from Trotac is great to work with if you have any issues with these stoves Cheer Kirsten 71

[DesertAlbin736]

Well done Dave! Nice bit of engineering. Don't blame you for wanting to scrap out the Princess stove. Way back when I had one of those that came installed in a Windrose 25 sailboat, which was my first sailboat in 1998, the first of six boats owned since then. Even after having the burners & tank pump refurbished I had to be SO super careful to preheat the burners properly with gelled alcohol. They don't call them "curtain burners" for nothing. A Wallas is a little beyond my B.O.A.T. budget on top of the you-don't-want-to-know-how-much I've spent already on "that other woman" La Dolce Vita. Our $162 used Origo non-pressurized stove will have to suffice.

[dkirsop]

I have had a full season of use now and not had any problems. An unexpected benefit has been a lack of condensation on the pilot house window prior to the morning departure. It vents overboard so there is no issue with vapour as a byproduct of combustion and the heat dries out the cabin air.

[nebulatech]

Excellent install!

Do you have plans for the old stove? I haven't been able to find one and I may be strange (well, let's be honest, I am) but I like alcohol stoves.

Also, in your 2nd picture, is that a Roomba vacuum cleaner?

[WillieC]

Nah! That's a dehumidifier. A requirement in the Salish Sea.

[dkirsop]

Alas, the old stove went to our local thrift store that raffled it off along with other items last spring. I cringe each time I hear the fire engine.

[OldDemps]

Beautiful improvement. What is the total cost of that upgrade installed ??

[DesertAlbin736]

Oldemps,

Total cost? Ha, ha, you don't want to know!

Nebulatech,

If you want an alcohol stove go with Origo non-pressurized. Much, much safer than pressurized Princess. As long as you make sure to wipe up any spillage when filling the canisters and ensure the damper mechanisms are in working order they won't flare up. Like any open flame they do produce some water vapor. That's one of the biggest advantages of a Wallas' enclosed flame that vents combustion gases overboard.
One trick we use for filling the Origo canisters is to use a 1qt MSR backpacker fuel bottle that we refill from 1 gallon cans. It's difficult to pour from those tin cans, either gallon or quart size, without spilling some. I don't know if it was standard as built from the factory or some former owner's modification, but in the back left corner of the galley counter top of our boat has a cylindrical drop in pocket that is just the right size to put the MSR bottle in. Some folks don't like the alcohol smell, but that doesn't seem to bother us. Does fine cooking meals & making coffee. Another little trick we use is to add just enough alcohol for the task at hand to limit evaporation when not in use. Also have those little black gasket thingies to cover the canister openings when not on use.

DSCN1244.JPG

origo canister.jpg

MSR fuel bottle.jpg

[dkirsop]

Beautiful improvement. What is the total cost of that upgrade installed ??

$2200 CAN or about $1600 US

[nebulatech]

DA, sadly Origo are now discontinued. They have been for almost a year, and they are pretty scarce it seems.

[DesertAlbin736]

Oh really? That is too bad. Well I guess I'll hold on to ours then & not let it go with the boat if/when we eventually sell after we get too old & decrepit to keep boating. They are built to last forever, like our boats. Just another case of planned obsolescence. Was extremely lucky to find ours used in like new condition for $160. Also have an Origo Heat Pal space heater that uses the same fuel canister as the cook stove. Propane would be nice too, but then you need the vented tank locker & all the associated plumbing & safety features. Almost as expensive as the Wallas installation. The only thing we're missing is the pot holders which we don't really need with the stove below the level of the countertop.

PS, Happy Easter all.

[DesertAlbin736]

A few used Origo units & lots of accessories on Ebay. Still the easiest to install, safest, least expensive boat stove other than jury rigging a Coleman camp stove if you don't mind alcohol.

[nebulatech]

Hmm, I quickly checked ebay. I saw the canisters but not a whole stove. I have no problem with a used model. They are the height of simplicity.

I will admit to eyeing my Coleman 2 burner propane stove. I have seen them, in pictures, on "liveaboard" sailboat offerings, the ones where the boat is permanently moored without a working motor, mast optional, you know, the condition I found MY boat in. I'm sure I don't want to accept this precedent as an endorsement of safety for using the camping stove on my boat.

Still, if one had a quality marine grade propane detector and was vigilant with storing the canisters on deck somewhere, it might be an option, but honestly I'm more comfortable with alcohol.

I will check ebay again when I get closer to refitting the g
alley.

[Bob Noodat]

It seems pretty common in continental Europe to have just a propane/butane mix (Camping Gaz) stove with (often) a 2.75kg gas bottle sitting out near the stove. Not that it is up to any code, but is common practice.

c7d479fa-97c2-4b6c-83ac-970a83db583d_750.jpg

I have also seen this simple arrangement over here (in Michigan), something like a 5 or 10 lb propane cylinder simply attached on an exterior surface. I have never seen this size of bottle for sale though.

propane.JPG

Not recommending, just saying I have seen 'em.

As for our boat we have a CAN$17.99 Cheapissimo™ butane single burner cooktop. Works fine, installation in 7.3 seconds. Repair costs CAN$17.99.