Sales hot for corn stoves

The Fort Wayne Journal Gazette ^ | Mon, Jan. 31, 2005 | Jenni Glenn

[Willie Green]

Renewable fuel costs less to heat homes

The black, cast iron stove emits a rosy glow as if its owner had just chopped a fresh cord of wood to fuel the fire.

But this stove doesn't burn wood. Instead, kernels of dry, clean corn -- a grain grown to serve as livestock feed -- fuel the flames and create a blaze capable of heating an entire house.

Corn stoves are a little-known rarity in the heating industry. But in the wake of high heating prices, a growing number of northeast Indiana and northwest Ohio residents are turning to corn stoves to heat their homes.

[Flint]

" We got hammered with ice down here over the weekend, and while we didn't lose power this time, 'been there, done that'."

Keep in mind that you have to have an electrical powered feed system to feet the corn into the stove at a controlled rate. You don't just shovel it in like stoking a furnace.

[Willie Green]

There's a picture in the related article I posted in the first comment.

[Viking2002]

Are you referring to geothermal heat?

[Viking2002]

'Keep in mind that you have to have an electrical powered feed system to feet the corn into the stove at a controlled rate. You don't just shovel it in like stoking a furnace.'

Oh, well, the hell with that. LOL On the other hand, if I'm going to dream, dream BIG: I'll have a natural gas generator installed. WOO-HOO! :-)

[Godebert]

Cool. I'm gonna get me one of those.

[Tench_Coxe]

Book mark

[cmsgop]

Do You need a stack? Or does it just vent in the house?

[Godebert]

They require outside venting. I think at least three inch pipe.

[cmsgop]

I could live with that, I have the perfect place for it. I will check with my local stove stores. Hell I could throw a Winter party around the corn stove,LOL!

[Willie Green]

If you're burning ANYTHING, you need at least a vent to the outside, just like a woodstove I imagine. You don't want CO or CO₂ building up inside the house. (Pretty nasty, can kill you)

[SunnySide]

Are you referring to geothermal heat?

Not sure what it's really called. All I know is it is
commonly referred to as ground source heating. The water stays in the underground coils remaining at the same constant tempature thus takes less energy $$$ to heat up the water. So far everyone who has it loves it.

[cmsgop]

The sweet thing about this stove is I could show it off to by Militant Green Party Neighbor who fills the air with thick smoke out of her wood stove,Gosh I hate the Beatch!

[Trajan88]

I'm sure TXU Energy (Texas) will start to lobby the Texas legislature to enact a "corn adjustment fee."

This fee will be found on one's bill as a footnote with an explanation simialar to 1 divided by 0 (which, of course, is undfined).

Trajan88

[Viking2002]

Oh, wait, now I know what you're talking about, and you're right. A former co-worker of mine has that in his house, and he swears by it. Thanks for jogging my memory.

[Keith in Iowa]

>>>...even over and above the ubiquitous stone fireplaces.

How do you light the rocks??? ;)

[maine-iac7]

My wife and I want to build a log home in a couple of years or so, and I'm also considering alternative/backup heating sources, even over and above the ubiquitous stone fireplaces. We got hammered with ice down here over the weekend, and while we didn't lose power this time, 'been there, done that'. >/i>

I live in Maine and lost power for 18 days in the infamous ice storm of '98. I was able to stay in my home because of my wood stove for heat, my kerosene lamps for light and a hand pump...however:Many years ago, I was a program director in Energy Crisis Intervention: These "corn" and wood pellet stoves have been around for years - but if you're hedging against a power outage - be aware that these corn/pellet stoves require electricity to operate the fuel feeding mechanism. Ergo, if the power goes out, the stoves wont work any more than the furnace.

[spodefly]

http://www.cornheat.com/corn_furnace.html

[Professional Engineer]

Instead, kernels of dry, clean corn -- a grain grown to serve as livestock feed -- fuel the flames and create a blaze capable of heating an entire house.

WHAT!?? There won't be enough left for the folks to put in the deer feeders before the big hunt ambush.

[cooldog]

Yes, that's geothermal. I installed two systems here last year. My electric bill is now lower than it was, and my gas bill is down to the noise level from cooking, drying laundry and heating hot water. Also put in a tankless gas water heater as well.

I'm a believer now!

Freepmail me if you'd like more info.

[andrew1957]

xcamel, how big is your house? A 40 lb. bag of pellets will last us 36 hours, unless it's really cold.
Then we turn the stove up to the next notch, it will last about 20-24. Our house is about 1800 sq. ft.