The most popular alternatives for whole house or supplemental heating are corn and
wood pellet fueled stoves. These appliances are easy to operate and the initial capital
outlay is significantly less than solar, wind or geothermal systems.
A vital question to ask before you start evaluating the merits of pellet vs corn stoves
should be: "Which fuel, corn or wood pellets, is most readily available in my locale and
therefore the cheapest to burn?"
For instance, in Massachusetts corn for fuel is virtually non-existent. The closest Agway
store I contacted (3/2/06) had only eleven, 50 pound bags in stock at a price of $9
each or $360 a ton.
Over the course of a New England heating season, a stove will consume 3 tons of fuel.
If you compare this to $260 a ton for wood pellets from a well stocked Connecticut
supplier, the wood pellet stove becomes your only choice.
Likewise, if you live in Iowa, why would you buy a wood pellet stove?
In some regions of the country, such as Wisconsin and Minnesota there is usually an
abundance of wood pellets and corn. The obvious benefit is the ability to switch
between fuels when one of them becomes scarce.
A perfect example is last year's wood pellet shortage. Do you think Wisconsin pellet
stove owners had to think real hard about where to get corn?
However, Nancy Koval, owner of Woodburning Warehouse in Watervliet, New York,
warns that when burning corn in a wood pellet stove it is best to use a 50/50 mixture
of wood pellets and corn.
The problem is clinkers. When corn is burned it leaves behind a substance from the
sugars it contains that when cooled is very hard and stays in the burner. The clinkers
must be regularly cleaned out of the stove. Some special corn stoves are designed to
automatically clear clinkers, Koval said.
Wood pellet and corn stoves have much in common. They are comparably priced at
around $2000 for a unit large enough to heat 1200-1500 square feet, and share an
efficiency rating of approximately 80%. Corn and wood pellets also produce an equal
amount of heat per pound of fuel.
Please note: Since most house layouts do not allow the free movement of air through
the house, a centrally located stove will not heat the whole house. If your home
doesn't have an open floor plan, size the stove to heat the room where the stove is
located.
Both types of stoves require electricity to run fans, controls, and the auger that feeds
corn or wood pellets into the stove's firebox. Under normal usage, they
consume about 100 kilowatt-hours (kWh) or about $9 worth of electricity per month.
Unless the stove has a back-up power supply, the loss of electric power
results in no heat and possibly some smoke in the house.
In addition to weekly ash disposal, both corn and wood pellet stoves have an annual
maintenance regimen that must be followed to ensure your stove
continues to operate as efficiently as the day you bought it.
The storage of corn, as opposed to wood pellets, can be problematic. Owners of corn
burning systems who store corn inside their homes need to use tight storage
containers, clean up corn spills immediately, and avoid storing corn for long periods of
time to prevent problems with rodents and stored grain insects.
A third option to consider is the multi-fuel stove. Typically they are advertised as corn
stoves that also burn wood pellets or vice versa.
wood pellet fueled stoves. These appliances are easy to operate and the initial capital
outlay is significantly less than solar, wind or geothermal systems.
A vital question to ask before you start evaluating the merits of pellet vs corn stoves
should be: "Which fuel, corn or wood pellets, is most readily available in my locale and
therefore the cheapest to burn?"
For instance, in Massachusetts corn for fuel is virtually non-existent. The closest Agway
store I contacted (3/2/06) had only eleven, 50 pound bags in stock at a price of $9
each or $360 a ton.
Over the course of a New England heating season, a stove will consume 3 tons of fuel.
If you compare this to $260 a ton for wood pellets from a well stocked Connecticut
supplier, the wood pellet stove becomes your only choice.
Likewise, if you live in Iowa, why would you buy a wood pellet stove?
In some regions of the country, such as Wisconsin and Minnesota there is usually an
abundance of wood pellets and corn. The obvious benefit is the ability to switch
between fuels when one of them becomes scarce.
A perfect example is last year's wood pellet shortage. Do you think Wisconsin pellet
stove owners had to think real hard about where to get corn?
However, Nancy Koval, owner of Woodburning Warehouse in Watervliet, New York,
warns that when burning corn in a wood pellet stove it is best to use a 50/50 mixture
of wood pellets and corn.
The problem is clinkers. When corn is burned it leaves behind a substance from the
sugars it contains that when cooled is very hard and stays in the burner. The clinkers
must be regularly cleaned out of the stove. Some special corn stoves are designed to
automatically clear clinkers, Koval said.
Wood pellet and corn stoves have much in common. They are comparably priced at
around $2000 for a unit large enough to heat 1200-1500 square feet, and share an
efficiency rating of approximately 80%. Corn and wood pellets also produce an equal
amount of heat per pound of fuel.
Please note: Since most house layouts do not allow the free movement of air through
the house, a centrally located stove will not heat the whole house. If your home
doesn't have an open floor plan, size the stove to heat the room where the stove is
located.
Both types of stoves require electricity to run fans, controls, and the auger that feeds
corn or wood pellets into the stove's firebox. Under normal usage, they
consume about 100 kilowatt-hours (kWh) or about $9 worth of electricity per month.
Unless the stove has a back-up power supply, the loss of electric power
results in no heat and possibly some smoke in the house.
In addition to weekly ash disposal, both corn and wood pellet stoves have an annual
maintenance regimen that must be followed to ensure your stove
continues to operate as efficiently as the day you bought it.
The storage of corn, as opposed to wood pellets, can be problematic. Owners of corn
burning systems who store corn inside their homes need to use tight storage
containers, clean up corn spills immediately, and avoid storing corn for long periods of
time to prevent problems with rodents and stored grain insects.
A third option to consider is the multi-fuel stove. Typically they are advertised as corn
stoves that also burn wood pellets or vice versa.
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Alternative-Heating-Info.com
Wood Pellet vs. Corn Stoves:
The Choice May Be Out of Your Hands
The Choice May Be Out of Your Hands