Does anyone have any experience with these corn fired furnaces. There is a manufacturer that has add-on furnaces that I think would pay for itself in less than two years and then be approximately half the cost of nat. gas. The site where I found these are http://www.pinnaclestove.com/. Any insight?
Thanks,
Dustin
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Bump
there was this discussion last week.....67465.1 ......but there was not much in the way of an opinion.As I understand it, these ratings are based on using corn that is very,very dry...... something that would be difficult to duplicate at home.
The moisture content would vary from load to load, depending on how you store it , or even how the elevator maintains it..which I'm sure depends solely on the weather once the stuff is bagged...there would be no way for someone to maintain the moisture content without special equipment , or dry it again ( which consumes large amounts of power )also if you lose power , you lose the heat.....but..shelled corn is still $6 / 100lbs.just my 2¢
Edited 1/2/2006 5:17 pm by maddog3
the equipment I'm looking at is looking for 15% moisture content. The corn isn't combined above 17%. The corn can mold depending on how it's stored but the moisture wicks from it, not dependent upon RH (to my understanding). Also, $2.50 per bushel is local, which my guess is between 65 / 80 lbs depending on MC
I maybe dazed....again... ..but I thought I read that the mfrs.base their ratings on corn with less moisture, knowing that you will never get the rated BTUs from the corn you use.
I looked at these stoves about ten years ago, at that time the fuel consumption was calculated somehow to be around 300# per week using only a stove instead of a furnace...... I thought that was too much $$$ for something that was "going to save me money "
Even with high RH, shelled corn will only reach 19%, which will only be alittle less efficient than the 15% reccomended. The units I'm refering to are actual secondary furnaces that are attached to your existing forced air furnace. The number I was just quoted was $3/bushell which is between 55 and 62 pounds. Depending on the usage will be 300/400 lbs per month, which on the high side is $75/month. My gas bill is $300 with only a furnace and hot water tank. Just need to hear back from Pinnacle Stove to get a quote.
let me know the $$$$$ for the furnace if you don't mind... .. you plan this as your primary source of heat ?
Check out the add-on furnace on the site I gave. I don't have any problem loading the hopper in the morning while the coffee brews, and thats all it would take. If it ran dry, my gas furnace would fire up. Even if the furnace was $2500, I could justify the cost.
I have to pick some up feed today anyway, ...I'll run it past those folks
What happens instead of shelled corn you accidently buy pop corn?
Rent a movie, sell tickets..the ultimate HOME THEATER.
You clowns can giggle and kackle like school girls all you want!!! I think I can save some loot.
I recall hearing/reading somewhere about a stove that burns the corn and the cob together.
You haven't said where you are located. If you're in Iowa that would make a big difference compared to other states.
'Nemo me impune lacesset'No one will provoke me with impunity
I'm in upstate NY, nat. gas is out of this world here. I can get the shelled corn cheap, that's not an issue. You should look at the unit at the post and check out the references that the manufacturer offers, from the univ. of Penn.
And by the way, these are not stoves, but they are actual supplemental furnaces. Add-ons, they are called.
Sounds like its time to go see one running in someone's house without a salesman around.
'Nemo me impune lacesset'No one will provoke me with impunity
I haven't even talked to a salesmen. The ratings from unbiased tests show that it's a much more cost effective heat source. It may be a little more labor intensive, but what the hell, I'm home anyway...
You sound like you've already decided to buy and are fishing as a last ditch attempt to assure yourself.
You should go see one in operation and talk to an owner.
be that's the easy way
'Nemo me impune lacesset'No one will provoke me with impunity
I live in Maine and corn is hard to grow in quantity. Would lobster work?
send ALL of the lobster to me and I will send back the coral......absolutely no charge for shipping
I live in Missouri, and I'd be more than happy to send you 100 lbs of corn for 100 lbs of fresh lobster. I'll pay all the shipping, too.
Perhaps you can get them to give you the cobbs separately. When I was a wee lad, my great-grandaddy told me in detail, where the term 'rougher than a cobb' came from. YOUCH!!
The installation manual calls for a max 15% moitsure content.
And, it talks about controlling the flame by controling the combustion air supply with a damper on the draft inducer.
I question whether that is a safe practice from a carbon monoxide point of view - limiting combustion air will generally increase CO production, and can raise it to very dangerous levels. Without actually testing one, of course, I'm not sure.
And it requires a fair amount of maintenance and cleaning, including (i) replenishing the oyster shells!!! and (ii) removong and cleaning the "pot" as much as weekly, per the .pdf manual avaialble at the site.
CO is formed from burning corn ?
>>CO is formed from burning corn?YES: CO can be formed by burning any carbon based fuel.In complete combustion, each carbon atom bonds with 2 oxygen atoms, forming CO2. In incomplete combustion, for example where the flame impinges on something or there isn't enough air (such as by limiting combustion air with a damper or the shutters on a burner) then some of the carbon atoms can only find one oxygen to bond with which forms CO.If there is so little oxygen at points within the flame, carbon soot is formed. Whenever you see carbon soot, there is a very high chance there are high levels of CO as well.
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Sojourners: Christians for Justice and Peace
these stoves appear tohave an inlet for outside air supply, is that why?
>>these stoves appear tohave an inlet for outside air supply, is that why?I don't understand the question.The product description at the linked site talked about a damper on the draft inducer which controls the flow of air to the flame.With nat gas furnaces, we've learned that you don't want to do anything to limit the air supply to the flame; in the right (wrong) circumstances, that can cause CO production to skyrocket.Without more, I question (but can't conclude) whether the corn burner should use the air supply to control the flame.
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Sojourners: Christians for Justice and Peace
the drawings show a pipe to the exterior of the house, along with the ex. vent ...I was wondering if that pipe is for fresh air to the stove?
I've been looking at http://www.pinnaclestove.com/download/gbu070mn.pdf which doesn't show it being used with a direcr vent air intake; it talks about the air intake being a slot on the back of the unit.There is also some vague talk in the Shop heater section about not using it as a direct vent (i'e'. sealed air intake, combustiuon and exhaust.)
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Sojourners: Christians for Justice and Peace
oh Bob! I sent Nuke a link for Harman¯ stoves....after I asked your ? and have been yakkin with him and the sketch shows the intakehttp://harmanstoves.com/myharman.asp?d=138,369&c=usa&v=35.4,53.3&id=26
What are the prices of the units? I'm not seeing them. Also, these are made in Canada. Are you in Canada, or have you verified their legal use in the country you are in? I'd be interested to, and was interested, up until I started reading articles on wood-pellet and corn fuel supplies being in very short supply in my area (southeast USA)) because of the three-fold increase in stove sales.
BTW, these units look big.
nuke,
there is ####stove dealer in Buchanan Mi. I might take a run over there tomorrow and see what he has ....do you want me to ask if they ship things south of the river...?
Oh yes, please.
OK then, I'll just say 30516 ,
...I'll probably get thrownout on my azz ....LOL
I would think the S&H differences for just saying Atlanta, Georgia is sufficient, but I do live in the 30519 zip code (Buford, GA).
I was trying to make joke.....and got it wrong, I shoulda asked Mooney,
well, I called up to the place and they have no stoves,
.....but they only had a couple in stock when the "frenzy" hit last Fall after the news about fuel cost increases......the guy sounded sad that he couldn't cash in on this latest crazethere is another dealer in NC indiana, they open at Noon, and I will try them
Well, I am not surpsied. I guess people will be monitoring throughout 2006 for considerations next Winter. BTW, did you see the physical size of those units?
I think this is it http://harmanstoves.com/myharman.asp?d=138,369&c=usa&v=35.4,53.3&id=26
The units approximately 4 ft square By about 6 ft tall with a blower on the bottom of the furnace being used as a self contained unit
Jeff
I Have 2 of the GBU 130 pellet fired furnaces. These units are 5 years old now and the only problem I had with them was a bad control board when it was new. The savings of getting the units vs propane in my case was less than 1 year payback as I am heating 11,000 sq ft commercial building. I have no experience with corn as a fuel but with a FIR pellet cleaning is emptying the ash about every 2 weeks and a complete cleaning twice a year. My units were About $6000 each CDN with venting-
Jeff
>>with a FIR pellet cleaning is emptying the ash about every 2 weeks and ####complete cleaning twice a year. FWIW, The instructions for the corn stoves linked called for much more frequent service
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Sojourners: Christians for Justice and Peace
The fir wood pellet is less than 1% ash
When burning corn in a stove it develops a hard deposit at the bottom of the burn pot much faster than when burning a wood pellet. this must be removed to maintain efficiency of the stove.
I also own a harman Pellet stove burning wood pellets
The Harman stoves are about the best on the market in quality and in requiring the least amount of maintence compared to other brands of pellet stoves.
Harman stoves and Tragger Furnaces use the same bottom feed design of burn pot which is far superior to a top feed pellet stove which can not burn corn properly
Jeff