corn stoves?

greenboy · #1 01/03/06, 07:21 AM

One of my co-workers got a "corn Stove" and she is very happy with it. Also she cust down her heating bill in 2/3. I want to know if somebody is having similar experience. She is very compulsive woman and she doesn't do too much research, so I want to know about other people with similar stove, she is burning wood pellets. I need to make a decision before next winter. The electric bill is killing us.

neolady · #2 01/03/06, 08:52 AM

She undoubtedly would be saving money. However, I do recall last winter when the price of premium pellets went over $9.00 per bag. If you do the pellet stove/corn stove thing, you need to be aware of the price fluctuations and buy your fuel off season and in bulk. Also note that corn fuel does require more maintenance than wood pellets do. Pellet stoves are very expensive compared to the basic wood stove. However, L-Vent is generally cheaper than manufactured chimney required for wood stoves (but not enough to make a huge difference). Generally they do not operate or do not operate unassisted during any power outage. Some insurance companies had large losses from "blowback" in the earlier years of these stoves and will not insure if you have them. These are a few of the things you need to know before installing one.

Danson Industries have a fairly good selection of corn/wood pellet stoves, in sizes that hold up to a 7 day supply of pellets (around 320 pounds of pellets if I recall correctly). Check them out on the internet for a lot of information on both stoves. I've been looking at their units which seem to be available on a very very basic unit with no fancy trims at a reasonable price compared to most other manufacturers.

You are right to do your homework before going this route. I would think that a wood burning airtight stove, while requiring constant loading, would save you more money in the long run than the pellet stove.

MARSHALL · #3 01/03/06, 09:04 AM

We have had a add-on corn furnace for the past few years. It is am amaizing heat that hooks in with the existing duct work. If I had it do do over again I would get a boiler and put it outside in a shed with storage handy. It is not as maintance free as gas, as I "stoke it up" in the morning and evening, but there is not that much work involved either. The corn is also warmer than the gas similiar to wood heat. In an average Michigan winter we use about 200 bushels a year. At 1.66/bushel that is cheap heat. So in a nutshell, yes it is well worth it.

4sarge · #4 01/03/06, 09:30 AM

Well, I have researched this topic until I'm overloaded with useful/useless knowledge

1st - I'm looking at corn because I'm in the middle of the corn belt (cheaper direct supply) and I need a direct vent appliance. I also want a stove that is not totally dependent upon automation to run. A few of these newer stoves are fairly technical and not on the market long enough to have an adequate track record to check long term reliability. Some claim as much as 97 - 98% efficiency. The wife wants a parlor type in the great room (loft) in lieu of the furnace type that would be located in the basement provide higher BTU and have a larger hopper for fuel supply.

So, I'm leaning toward a corn stove (multi fuel) that will burn corn, wood pellets, cherry pits etc. with a more conventional burn system (simplicity) similar to wood type stoves.

www.iburncorn.com very useful sight with a users forum for stove questions

I have several different brands in mind and want a manufacturer that has a proven track record. Looking for the choice that has the best price coupled with a dealer that I feel comfortable with doing the initial install with warranty service if needed later. The install does not seem complicated but I have read that if there are problems it is learning the proper air fuel mixture for your stove to insure a cleaner burn.

Down side - everyone thinks that they need one and supplies are short (non existent) prices are up as much as 25% and impending Federal legislation for a tax rebate hasn't helped the situation. Keep this topic open for further input and experiences.

sullen · #5 01/03/06, 09:45 AM

Just want to mention that corn and pellet stoves are electrically fed, so no heat when there is no power. Thats why I got a wood/coal stove. Plus in Maine there is a better, easier supply of coal than corn.

4sarge · #6 01/03/06, 08:14 PM

UpDate

Bought a Country Flame Harvester Corn Stove today !!! Went to a store to see a demo unit and while I was there they got a shipment of 4 in. 2 were previously sold and the other 2 were up for grabs. Install on Saturday AM and hope to be corn warm this weekend.

Saw 2 Corn Burners at the Rural King in Terre Haute for 1499.99 this past weekend. I held off for this unit even though it was more $$$'s to have a dealer installed unit.

This was one of the three stoves that I had narrowed my final search down to. I actually got to feel the heat that this stove manufactures on pure corn and has a strong blower.

I'll post more as time and our experiences permit.

zookeeper16 · #7 01/03/06, 09:12 PM

We have a corn/pellet stove. Love it. Saved lots of $$. The downside is the dust from both the corn & the pellets. Have a battery back-up for when we lose power - so that's not a problem at all! The rest of the house would go on a generator in a power outage.

Dorothea · #8 01/03/06, 11:20 PM

we are going to be putting in the corn stove,,,,i love to have that warm dry heat but anyways can you use like deer corn?? which is really cheap here ,,it's like 4.00 for 50 pounds?? or would we have to buy specail corn??
thanks for your help

zookeeper16 · #9 01/04/06, 01:10 AM

I would think as long as the corn is dry - like to 13 or 14%, it would be fine!

Ken Scharabok · #10 01/04/06, 04:41 AM

The standard weight for a bushel of shelled corn is 56 pounds. Guy who rents my field would be absolutely delighted to sell it for $2.00 bushel. Thus, check around with corn farmers in your area to see if you can buy direct in bulk. For example, he has grain wagons. He fills one and brings it to your place. You cover with a tarp and then draw off what corn you need in 5-gallon buckets.

GoldenMom · #11 01/04/06, 08:39 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dorothea

we are going to be putting in the corn stove,,,,i love to have that warm dry heat but anyways can you use like deer corn?? which is really cheap here ,,it's like 4.00 for 50 pounds?? or would we have to buy specail corn??
thanks for your help

It doesn't take "special" corn, but the corn MUST be clean! Cobs and stalks will get caught in the auger that feed the stove and that can be a big mess because you never realize that there's a problem until you've just filled the big hopper! We get our corn from my dad and he makes sure to get us clean corn from the middle of the bin. Even though this corn is really nice, we still screen it through hardware cloth to make sure. And like the previous poster said, the corn needs to be dry, so typically you can't take it straight from the field. It needs to go through the drying bin first.

We have an amaizing heat add-on furnance and for the most part we love it. Our 110 year old house is a bit drafty when it's windy and then the corn furnance doesn't keep up, but we have the propane furnance set at about 65 degrees so it doesn't get too cold when the corn furnance isn't up to snuff. We save tons of money! We would probably have to fill our propane tank every 4-6 weeks all winter (at $400-$500 a fill) and with the corn we just have to fill it once. We just installed a small bulk bin and a flex auger this fall, now all I have to do is flick a switch and corn flows into the hopper. So much easier than carrying buckets!

Gideon's War · #12 01/04/06, 08:43 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ken Scharabok

The standard weight for a bushel of shelled corn is 56 pounds. Guy who rents my field would be absolutely delighted to sell it for $2.00 bushel. Thus, check around with corn farmers in your area to see if you can buy direct in bulk. For example, he has grain wagons. He fills one and brings it to your place. You cover with a tarp and then draw off what corn you need in 5-gallon buckets.

This is a great idea but if we couldn't do this, how much would a regular grain storage bin cost?

4sarge · #13 01/04/06, 11:13 AM

Many ways to store corn but keep it dry, clean and bug/rodent free

Tupperware or seal tight trash cans or here is a link to larger type containers

http://www.heavybiltmfg.com/dyn/showpage.php?id=16

Try to buy the corn from a co-op or a farmer. I would think that 4.00 per bag is excessive. I've seen 1.50 to 2.50 a bushel depending upon your source and cheaper if you buy by the ton. I've been told the co-ops will bag it for you.

I intend to buy as I go this year and then to look into larger storage capacity for the next heating season. I have a basement but do not want to have excessive amounts left over to store in the Spring/Summer.